Tolu Adetuyi

Tolu Adetuyi

Founder & Investor

Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer at Prembly(YC W22)

I build, write, and think about the systems that help people and businesses take part in the global economy.

I am a founder, investor, and student of how things work. Over the past decade, I have built across identity, compliance, financial infrastructure, and capital in Africa. At Prembly, I am building the technology that lets businesses confirm who they are dealing with, prevent fraud, and meet compliance rules. We work from Nigeria, Kenya, and the United States, and more than a thousand local and global businesses rely on it.

Before Prembly, I helped build the product at Moniepoint and led growth to build the distribution network that moves billions of dollars in transactions and now serves millions of businesses across the continent. I hold a first-class degree in Computer Science and an MBA in Finance from Morgan State University, and I am a fellow of On Deck.

Here, I share what I'm learning, what I believe, and the ideas shaping what I build.

Current Work

Prembly(YC W22)

Co-Founder & CIO

Identity, Fraud Prevention & Compliance

In View

In progress

BuildX Capital

Investing & Fund Formation

Mobility, Energy, Trade, Manufacturing & Physical Infrastructure

I also curate Chronicles of Innovation to show how the world was built, and ZeroToAct's weekly Signals to show what is changing now, so people can learn from the past and act in the present.

My Thesis

Infrastructure for economic participation

My work is guided by a simple conviction. Economic participation in the global economy expands when people and businesses can create exportable value, prove who they are, move money, reach markets, learn what works, and access capital and productive assets, all resting on the dependable infrastructure that makes it work.

It runs through my work, from identity and fraud prevention at Prembly, to distribution at Moniepoint, to investing in founders through BuildX Capital.

Read my thesis →

Essays and frameworks on trust, capital, infrastructure, leadership, and how emerging markets work.

Start here

Latest

Capital Formation·

The Asset Called You

You know what you send home each month. Do you know what was sent into you? Before you compare yourself with anyone, check what three generations of my family invested.

4 min read→

Talks & Press

Press kit →

Speaking & panels

View all →
The Prosperity EngineSlide deck · 2026
Using AI to Accelerate Startup Success in AfricaVelocity Digital · August 2023↗
Creating a Positive Work Security CultureATR Panel · 2023↗

Press & publications

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Is Africa's Risk Premium Really a Legibility Problem?The Kenyan Wallstreet · 2026↗
FATF Grey List Exit, Payment Vision 2028 & Nigeria's National Payment StackTechEconomy · 2026↗
CBN AML Directive Triggers Tech Reset as Banks, Fintechs Battle Data & Talent GapsBusinessDay · 2026↗