In this episode of the Talking to Investors podcast, I’m speaking with Yusuf Bilesanmi, founder and CEO of Eja-Ice.

We discuss:

► How Eja-Ice went from solving one Nigerian woman’s refrigeration problem to designing a path to saving 39.8 million tons of fish from going to waste.

► Yusuf’s advice on how to boost your funding without giving away equity.

► How to attract donors and strategic investors when the traditional ones don’t understand your market.

► How a customer-focused mindset can help founders develop products that are both impactful and  profitable (and make investors notice).

► The best ways to get your foot in the door with investors and secure funding from day one - even when you’re starting from scratch.

► Why rushing to raise funds hurts your long-term success - and how to avoid that trap.

► Yusuf’s secret to balancing long-term client relationships and short-term investor demands.

► How understanding local market needs can unlock global business opportunities for impact startups.