David Lanre Messan (DLM)

By day: building & backing startups 🚀
By night: making music 🎶
Founding Partner @firstfounderscc
👑 Be An Icon

[David Lanre Messan (DLM) @DLMtheIcon]

My 2022 Highlights

1 Facilitated Syarpa’s $500k pre-seed raise from Yolo Investments alongside CrossFund. 

2 Became a James Currey Society Scholar.  

3 Was appointed Campaign Manager for Oxford Councillorship candidate, Dianna Regisford. 

4 Skydived to celebrate Africa Day.

[Lagos Gele Festival @LagosGeleFest]

Thank you, Lagos! 🙏🏾

You came. You tied it high. You wore it proud.

The Lagos Gele Festival was more than a celebration. It was our heritage on display. Our beauty in full bloom. Our identity, crowned.

[AJE @Riddwane]

Dear Ademola, my brother @Alkaneseries,

I must acknowledge your dedication to constructive activism, which has brought about this remarkable event, the just-concluded Gele Festival, organised and sponsored by the Lagos State Government.

This shows one thing: when we engage our Yoruba leaders constructively (Òmòluabi way), they are more likely to hear us out and act on our requests should they consider them appropriate.

My brother, this exemplary approach you took in bringing about this event vividly illustrates how we can drive change or support our society’s progress. The day you mulled the idea, you never imagined it would go to the right places. But you spoke up at the right time. The proposal aligned with the cultural direction of the Lagos State Government, which responded with enthusiasm. Now the proposed event has come to reality, and many people have benefited from it.

The event has not only reshaped Yoruba cultural identity and projected it to global audience, it has also helped create a hard shield of protection for this vital element of Yoruba heritage from cultural appropriation and pirates who steal people’s copyrighted identities in broad daylight without regard or remorse.

For this, we must send our deepest appreciation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu), who attended to the concerns and gave the proposal urgent attention. Also, the Special Adviser on Arts, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Idris Aregbe (@IdrisConnecting), deserves great credit for enabling this historic event.

I also feel honoured and humbled to have contributed efforts towards bringing this memorable event to life 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[David Lanre Messan (DLM) @DLMtheIcon]

"In some places, you lead; in others, you support, and in others, you follow. Knowing this will save you from envy, bad thoughts, and misplaced hatred."

[🇨🇦 Ademola🇨🇭 @Alkaneseries]

Lagos Gele Festival is here!

“The gele is not just a headtie. It is a crown. It is Yoruba. It is ours. Born of our mothers, perfected by our artisans, worn across the world, and recognized everywhere as a symbol of who we are.”

📅 Sunday, November 8, 2026
⏰ 5:00pm
📍 Eko Amore Garden, Lagos

Come crowned. Come proud.

[Pamilerin Adegoke @Pamilerin]

We are active 🔥 Lagos Gele Festival

[Idris Connecting Nigeria @IdrisConnecting]

IT'S OFFICIAL! LAGOS, GET READY! 👑

Months ago, a passionate son of Lagos wrote to us about the gele. He asked that it be honoured, protected, and given its rightful place on the Lagos calendar.

We listened. We affirmed. And today, we deliver.

The Lagos Gele Festival is here! 🇳🇬

The gele is not just a headtie. It is a crown. It is Yoruba. It is ours. Born of our mothers, perfected by our artisans, worn across the world, and recognized everywhere as a symbol of who we are.

This festival will celebrate the stylists, the fabric makers, the tiers, the photographers, and the generations of women who carried this tradition on their heads and in their hearts.

📅 Sunday, November 8, 2026
⏰ 5:00pm
📍 Eko Amore Garden, Lagos

Come crowned. Come proud. Come ready.

This festival belongs to all of us.

Lagosians and lovers of Lagos, your ideas and input are welcome. Tell us how you want the Gele celebrated. Brands and partners who share this vision, walk with us.

For partnerships and enquiries:
📞[phone], [phone]

One City! One Culture! Tie It High. The World Is Watching Lagos! 👑

Lagos, let's show the world why EKO FOR SHOW!

#IdrisConnect #LagosGeleFestival

[David Lanre Messan (DLM) @DLMtheIcon]

The future of agriculture won’t just be funded—it will be built. 
Excited to join fellow innovators and industry leaders at the FCMB AgriTech Summit 2026 in Lagos on November 5th. Let’s explore solutions driving Nigeria's agricultural sector forward. 
@HeaveVentures 🚜🌾

[The Ecosystem Brief @ecosystembrief]

Issue 003 went out yesterday.

AI-powered cybercrime. New AI regulation. Specialised AI capital. A $52M African defence-tech raise.

We covered the signals shaping Africa’s AI ecosystem this week.

📩 Missed it? Check your inbox.

Not subscribed?
https://t.co/YDwHjvGm76

[The Ecosystem Brief @ecosystembrief]

Catch up on some of the news shaping Africa’s AI and technology ecosystem this week. 👇🏾

Missed the full edition? Check your inbox.

Not subscribed yet? Get the next issue every Tuesday:
https://t.co/YDwHjvGm76

#TheEcosystemBrief #AfricaTech #AfricanAI #Startups #Technology

[The Ecosystem Brief @ecosystembrief]

🚨 Issue 001 of @TheEcosystemBrief is live.

This week's edition covers:

• AI content crackdown by major platforms
• Nigeria's AI future
• Africa's AI funding trends
• The race for African language LLM
• Startup deals & opportunities

Check your inbox.

#AI #AfricaTech

[The Ecosystem Brief @ecosystembrief]

Starting next Tuesday, The Ecosystem Brief will bring you the biggest AI, startup, funding, policy, and tech updates shaping Africa—every Tuesday, in a quick 5–8 minute read.

Subscribe today and grab our welcome gift:
https://t.co/XSgAIaEECH

#AfricaTech #AI #Startups

[FirstFounders Inc. @firstfounderscc]

We’re proud to announce the launch of AAVENU Inc, one of the pilot projects under our new Build-to-Transfer service.

Build-to-Transfer is designed to build startups end-to-end for corporates, establishing crucial foundational structures & systems before handing back operations.

[josc_unilag @OputaNation]

The David Lanre Messan Tech Law Essay Competition (2nd Edition) is here!

Open to JOSC Associates & Virtual Interns (2026 Cohort)
🏆 Winner takes ₦100,000 + other prizes
📅 Deadline: 26 June 2026

#oputanation  #techlaw  #essaycompetition #joscvirtualinternship
@DLMtheIcon

[Startup Lagos @startuplag]

Happy Birthday, David Lanre Messan! @DLMtheIcon

May this new year bring you greater achievements, fresh opportunities, and continued fulfillment as you keep championing founders and driving progress.

Wishing you joy, good health, and many more milestones ahead!

[Daniel Adeyemi @DanielTAdeyemi]

In 2023, I started a newsletter to document African business. Then life happened, and I stepped back.

But the curiosity never left. 📡

Today, I’m relaunching as Questing to deconstruct how the continent's best operators actually win.

A thread 🧵

[Daniel Adeyemi @DanielTAdeyemi]

Our first deep dive is live: DLM: From losing ₦20M to building a 'Company Factory'.

@DLMtheIcon shares his "Minimum Viable Test" (MVT) framework.

The goal? Stop building on hope and start building on data. It cut his build costs by 50%.

[BloomVestHQ @BloomvestHQ]

We need a visionary operator ready to lead strategy, fundraising, team building, and scale.

If you understand fintech, Nigeria’s ecosystem, and what it takes to build trust in financial products — this role is for you.

📩 Send your CV and a brief note on why Bloomvest excites you to [email protected]

[Big Potato Stuff @blahk_sam]

I deeply respect what the TEF does, investing and supporting entrepreneurs with seed grant.

For many entrepreneurs that early belief in them and their idea alone is more important than the actual grant money.

But Sir @TonyOElumelu, what if you created a similar engine not for philanthropy (you’re already excelling here) but for real monetary ROI?

An institution that funds early-stage ideas that align with your business goals and gives you the opportunity to discover and back the next set of African startup unicorns.

Sir, if this sounds remotely interesting to you and you’d like to explore how this could potentially work, I’m more than happy to jump on a quick 30 minutes call at your earliest convenience.

I’m in a great position to do this because I run one of Nigeria’s most active venture studios— @firstfounderscc with my partner @DLMtheIcon

I look forward to hearing back from you, Sir.

Kind regards.
Samuel Kemeshi.

[Big Potato Stuff @blahk_sam]

If you don't have the most stellar team, quite frankly, the only thing that makes you attractive to investors is your revenue.

There are so many startups building fantastic products.

Investors use consistent revenue as a filter. Without that, you're already trailing.

Whatever you do, optimize for revenue from day one.

['Tayo Ajayi @popoyeh]

@TheYorubaTimes @AKakanfo @terraindustries Now we need you guys faster than presumed.

I remember meeting one of you in the small office you were using at @DLMtheIcon's @firstfounderscc office in Yana about 2 or 3 years ago, talking about building plastic parts with @ScrapXInc for you.

Nigeria needs you now.