FirstFounders CEO Aims to Democratize African Entrepreneurship

David Lanre Messan, Chief Venture Builder and CEO of FirstFounders, is leading an ambitious effort to transform the startup ecosystem in Africa. His mission is to democratize entrepreneurship by building startups from the ground up, providing them with the necessary resources and support to succeed. Messan's approach is rooted in the venture studio model, which co-founds startups with founders, offering an entrepreneurial lens, an operator’s playbook, and an investor’s discipline over a 36-month guided journey.

FirstFounders' model is designed to address the challenges faced by African startups, such as execution starvation and lack of capital and operational efficiency. By co-founding startups, FirstFounders ensures that founders have the necessary support to navigate the complexities of building a successful business. This approach is in contrast to traditional incubators or accelerators, which often provide mentorship and capital but lack the hands-on support needed to build a startup from scratch.

Messan's vision for FirstFounders extends beyond building startups. He envisions a complete framework for democratizing entrepreneurship, including a National Venture Studio Agency, a National Institute for Venture Builders, and legislation to institutionalize venture building at scale. This framework aims to create an ecosystem that supports innovation and entrepreneurship, providing community, funding, and structured apprenticeships to aspiring entrepreneurs.

FirstFounders' approach has already yielded successful startups, such as Pocket Lawyers, a virtual law firm platform, and Flixster, a consumer insights app. These startups are not mere experiments but have created jobs, unlocked markets, and developed products used by thousands of people. Messan's approach is radically inclusive, focusing on problem-market fit, rapid prototyping, and shared resources to de-risk innovation and ensure capital and operational efficiency.

Messan's ultimate goal is to help birth 1,000 startups, train 100,000 venture builders, and influence policy in 30 African countries. He believes that success is not measured by personal wealth or unicorn valuations but by systems-level transformation and helping founders build a generational impact. Messan's vision for FirstFounders is to create a movement that rewrites the script for how startups are born, scaled, and sustained in Africa, democratizing entrepreneurship and fostering innovation across the continent.