Bluebulb’s Ola Daramola Pushes Beyond Payments in Africa

In Short

Bluebulb founder Ola Daramola is positioning the company as a financial infrastructure provider for African businesses. The focus goes beyond payments into cross-border payments, foreign exchange, and treasury.

What Happened

Daramola said his ambition is to build financial infrastructure that gives African businesses more control over their finances.

He moved from engineering into financial services, and he describes it as applying the same approach to a different problem. He started his engineering career at Peritus International as a pipeline engineer between 2014 and 2016. He later joined Dangote Industries, where he was exposed to large-scale industrial development.

Daramola’s interest in cross-border payments came from a personal experience in 2016. He observed that African businesses could have viable projects and international suppliers, but still face hurdles moving money across borders. The issues included foreign exchange access, payment delays, and fragmented financial systems.

Before starting Bluebulb, Daramola co-founded BuyLetLive in 2021, a property tech venture aimed at improving how Nigerians, including those in the diaspora, find and acquire property in Nigeria. He said the product focused on verified listings and transparency in property transactions.

In 2022, he co-founded Bluebulb Financials, starting with cross-border payments and foreign exchange solutions for businesses. Condia reports that the company has since expanded its international operations and the range of financial services it offers. Bluebulb identifies businesses across sectors, including gas, renewable energy, manufacturing, aviation, construction, telecoms, and financial services, among its target clients.

Why It Matters

Many African businesses depend on dependable international transactions to pay suppliers and run operations across borders. Bluebulb’s positioning shows how some fintechs are trying to become core infrastructure for cross-border payments, FX, and treasury, meaning day-to-day cash management for businesses.