Africa-focused entrepreneurship platform Cascador has appointed Oyin Solebo as chief operating officer, the company said on Thursday, as it moves to strengthen its operational capacity and scale high-growth ventures across the continent.
Solebo, an investor and ecosystem builder, previously held leadership roles with ARM Labs and Techstars, where she worked with startups across multiple sectors, supporting their growth and investment readiness.
Her appointment marks a shift for Cascador toward building the systems and infrastructure needed to help companies move from early traction to sustainable scale.
“Oyin is a force multiplier,” said Trish Thomas, chief executive of Cascador. “As we expand our focus from developing founders to scaling companies, her operational expertise will be instrumental in helping us deliver on that vision.”
Cascador’s model centres on backing founders capable of translating training and capital into long-term economic and social impact, particularly through its ScaleUp Programme, which targets growth-stage businesses.
“In Africa, we don’t have a shortage of founders; we have a shortage of companies that successfully scale,” Solebo said. “The difference lies in systems, discipline and the ability to deploy capital effectively.”
In her new role, Solebo will focus on strengthening Cascador’s operational infrastructure, including programme delivery, alumni support and platform development, aimed at helping founders transition from learning to execution and from execution to scale.
A key priority will be advancing Cascador’s ScaleUp Programme and its Catalytic Fund, which deploys between $2 million and $5 million annually into selected high-performing ventures.
Dave DeLucia, founder of Cascador, said the appointment would strengthen the organisation’s ability to convert support and capital into “scaled, enduring businesses.”
Cascador said it has supported more than 70 entrepreneurs since 2019, whose companies have collectively raised over $125 million and created nearly 40,000 jobs in 2025 alone.
Solebo said the organisation aims to position itself as a long-term scaling partner for entrepreneurs. “We are building more than a programme. We are building a platform,” she said.
Cascador’s move comes as investors increasingly focus on Africa’s startup ecosystem, where improving execution and access to capital remain key to unlocking growth at scale.