The Grinders Table

The Grinders Table Podcast 🎙️ | Spotlighting Industry Innovators 🚀 | Join us for inspiring conversations | Hosted by @MonsieurUwem
Listen to episodes here 👇

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem This conversation goes beyond climate tech.

It's about how ecosystems actually develop, what founders get wrong about hiring, and why local teams matter more than many people assume.

🎧 Listen to the full episode via the link in our bio!

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Every time deep-tech comes up, the same question follows:

"But do we even have the talent in Africa?"

Martin's answer comes from experience, not theory.

The clip below is well worth your time.👇

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

The biggest myth about African tech isn't funding.

It's talent.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem Martin built Octavia Carbon with a team that's almost entirely Kenyan.

He also makes an important distinction:

The exact talent you need might not exist on day one.

That doesn't mean the capability can't be built.

There's a difference.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

The biggest myth about African tech isn't funding.

It's talent.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Most founders worry about finding customers.

Martin had a different problem:

The technology he needed didn't exist.

A thread🧵

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem This is one of the most underrated founder lessons we've heard on The Grinders Table.

Sometimes your biggest assumption isn't slightly wrong.

It's completely wrong.

And that's exactly where the real company begins.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation via the link in our bio.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem That realization forced a complete pivot.

They stopped trying to become a company that used the technology...

...and became the company that invented it.

That's how Octavia ended up building patented hardware instead.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Martin Freimüller thought building a climate-tech company in Kenya would be straightforward:

Find the people already building the machines. Bring them to Kenya. Scale.

Then he discovered something nobody on the team expected...

There were no machines to buy.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem This is one of the most underrated founder lessons we've heard on The Grinders Table.

Sometimes your biggest assumption isn't slightly wrong.

It's completely wrong.

And that's exactly where the real company begins.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation via the link in our bio.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Martin Freimüller thought building a climate-tech company in Kenya would be straightforward:

Find the people already building the machines. Bring them to Kenya. Scale.

Then he discovered something nobody on the team expected...

There were no machines to buy.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Most founders worry about finding customers.

Martin had a different problem:

The technology he needed didn't exist.

A thread🧵

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem That realization forced a complete pivot.

They stopped trying to become a company that used the technology...

...and became the company that invented it.

That's how Octavia ended up building patented hardware instead.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Most founders worry about finding customers.

Martin had a different problem:

The technology he needed didn't exist.

A thread🧵

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

The next African unicorn might come from a market most investors think is too small.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem From venture capital and founder fundraising to building Africa's next generation of category-defining companies.

Sabrine Chahrour shares what investors actually look for when evaluating startups.

Listen to the full conversation via the link in our bio.

#TheGrindersTable

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Sabrine Chahrour shared an interesting insight:

Many startups in Senegal aren't building for Senegal alone.

They're building for the broader UEMOA region - markets that share a currency, language, and similar regulatory frameworks.

That changes the scale of the opportunity.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

The next African unicorn might come from a market most investors think is too small.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem That's part of the Francophone Africa story.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem One thing investors pay attention to:

How realistic expansion is.

Growing from one market into several neighbouring markets becomes much easier when founders don't have to navigate completely different currencies, languages, and regulations every time.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

The next African unicorn might come from a market most investors think is too small.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem Fundraising.

VC careers.

Building ParTech Africa from Dakar.

Motherhood, investing, and backing African founders.

This conversation with Sabrine Chahrour is packed with practical insights.

Listen to the full episode via the link in our bio.

#TheGrindersTable #Fundraising

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

One of many practical fundraising tips from ParTech Africa's Sabrine Chahrour:

Many founders believe they must get directly to a Partner

In reality, Partners often forward opportunities internally

The analyst or associate may be the person who actually starts the conversation.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

Founders:

The Partner you're trying so hard to reach...

might not be the person reviewing your startup.

[The Grinders Table @grinderstable]

@MonsieurUwem The bigger lesson isn't just who you contact.

It's showing up with enough information to make someone want to keep reading.

A strong first message beats a vague "Can we chat?" every time.