Emmanuel Adegboye has spent his career at the intersection of technology, ecosystems, and capital. Long before stepping into his current role leading Madica, a structured investment program launched by Flourish Ventures, Emmanuel had been deeply immersed in supporting founders across Africa. His work spanned product leadership roles, innovation ecosystems, and early-stage venture programs, all of which shaped his conviction that emerging market founders need not only capital but also patient, informed, and founder-aligned support.

His transition into venture capital happened naturally. After years of working closely with entrepreneurs and witnessing the gaps that kept many promising African startups from attracting early, catalytic funding, he became intent on helping solve those structural challenges from the investor side. That motivation ultimately led him to Madica, an ambitious initiative designed to back mission-driven African founders at the pre-seed stage.

As Emmanuel stepped into fund leadership, he knew that taking on the responsibility of stewarding capital required an even deeper level of rigor, process, and skill. Madica was an innovative approach within Flourish Ventures, and he wanted to ensure he could contribute as effectively as possible, especially during its earliest phases.

VC Unlocked offered exactly what he was looking for. VC Unlocked: Silicon Valley is an educational program offered in collaboration with the Stanford Center for Global & Online Education, uniquely designed for emerging leaders focused on shaping the future of the venture capital industry. The combination of a structured curriculum, access to world-class instructors, and the opportunity to learn from investors around the world made the program an obvious fit. Receiving the scholarship allowed him to join a cohort of peers who were also thinking deeply about fund strategy, portfolio support, firm building, and long-term investor development.
 

For Emmanuel, the most valuable part of VC Unlocked was the clarity it brought to the day-to-day realities of running a venture program. He came away with a sharper understanding of fund operations, investment committee discipline, portfolio construction, and how to build systems that scale over time.

He has often described the experience as one that helped him approach Madica with more structure, more intentionality, and a deeper appreciation for what it means to build a sustainable investment platform. Connecting with instructors and alumni who had navigated similar challenges gave him both tactical frameworks and the confidence to push Madica forward with stronger institutional foundations.

Another key takeaway was the importance of community. The program reinforced that venture capital is, at its core, a people-driven business. The relationships he built with his diverse cohort, comprised of 33 participants representing 17 countries, have continued to serve as a sounding board as he refines Madica’s investment model and supports early-stage founders across Africa.

Madica is entering an exciting phase. With its initial investments underway, Emmanuel is focused on guiding founders through the earliest and often most difficult stages of company building. He is committed to ensuring that Madica remains not only a capital provider but also a partner that offers deep support, patient timelines, and a structure designed specifically for the realities of African markets.

Looking ahead, Emmanuel plans to continue expanding Madica’s reach, refining its investment approach, and supporting a new generation of high-potential entrepreneurs. His experience with VC Unlocked continues to play a role in how he thinks about scaling the program, strengthening its internal processes, and shaping its long-term impact on the continent’s startup ecosystem.
Emmanuel’s journey reflects what we aim to celebrate through our alumni spotlight series: leaders who are applying their learning to shape industries, uplift founders, and build more inclusive and resilient entrepreneurial communities.

Read Emmanuel’s full stories (Part 1 & Part 2), and if you are interested in joining the 2026 VC Unlocked: Silicon Valley program, join the waitlist to be notified when applications open.