Many aspiring entrepreneurs across Nigeria and Africa, especially in the creative sectors, are finding it difficult to bring their ideas to reality due to the challenges faced by startups on the continent.
However, Clef Collective is helping entrepreneurs in the media, marketing, and tech industries to develop their talent and access clients while creating opportunities for them to maximise their potential.
Also, it is empowering existing brands to boost their growth by offering a platform that enables them to develop tools that drive efficiency while maximising their online presence.
Inspired by the strong desire and passion to bridge the creativity and commerce gap, Babajide Esho, chief executive officer of Clef Collective established the business in 2024 but has been operating in the tech and media landscape since 2015.
“We started in media and marketing, but we quickly saw the impact technology and sustainability could have on global industries,” Jide says.
“Our expansion into GreenTech and AI-powered solutions was driven by a need to innovate and create sustainable business models that benefit both creatives and corporations,” he adds.
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The business which started with a lean model, leveraging strategic partnerships, bootstrapping, and reinvestments from successful campaigns is now fast growing into a multi-billion-naira business and now an industry powerhouse with a presence in media, greentech, and AI.
The quick growth has made Clef Collective – www.clefcollective.cc among Nigeria’s fast-rising N1 billion businesses. “We’ve grown from a niche media collective into a multi-industry powerhouse with a presence in media, greentech, and AI.”
“We recently acquired a majority stake in Procyon Energy, an energy firm that we are transforming into an AI-powered sustainability company.”
He explains that Clef Collective’s ability to blend creativity with technology sets it apart from other providers of support and empowerment for creatives and brands, noting that it has helped the business scale quickly.
“We don’t just support entrepreneurs; we build ecosystems that allow them to scale,” Jide says.
“Our data-driven approach, AI integrations, and focus on sustainability give us a competitive edge in industries that are rapidly evolving,” Jide explains.
He notes that Clef Collective plans to expand its AI-powered ESG platform (Agorra AI) and scale its influence in the entertainment and fashion industry by developing new talents and brands in the short run.
He adds that the business plans to raise pre-seed funding to launch Procyon Energy Al-powered sustainability solutions and expand its operations across Africa, Europe, and North America.
Speaking on challenges confronting the business, he says navigating multiple industries while maintaining focus was quite challenging initially.
A challenge, the business has been able to deal with through the creation of structured roadmaps and leadership teams for each vertical.
He adds that through strategic partnerships and investor engagements, Clef Collective was able to address its funding challenge.
In evaluating the country’s media and tech landscape, he says both industries are among the fastest-growing globally, especially Afrobeats and digital content creation.
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However, he notes, “there’s still an infrastructural, funding, and distribution gap limiting their further acceleration, especially in Africa.”
“This is where Clef Collective comes in—to bridge these gaps through strategic partnerships and innovative platforms.”
On how the business deals with inflation, he says Clef Collective is optimising its digital
processes, working with remote teams, and leveraging AI to automate its operations.
Speaking on Nigeria’s entrepreneurship landscape, he says the country has improved, but much more is still needed.
“More young people are launching startups, and access to global markets has improved through digital platforms and funding opportunities.”
“However, challenges like policy instability, infrastructure, and access to investment still hinder many entrepreneurs.”
On his advice to other entrepreneurs, he says, “Build with a long-term vision, not just for quick wins, leverage technology and data to scale and surround yourself with the right network and partners.”
“Be adaptable—industries evolve, and so should your business,” he advises.
He explains that the business has partnered with 360CreativeHub to support fashion entrepreneurs; Art Monnk for its art and creative community, and TheWeb3Hangout for blockchain innovation.
Others are Starboy BMX for motorsports and urban sports culture, Procyon Energy for its AI-powered sustainability solutions, Playsmith for music, and Mobkilishi – a meat processing startup.
