Founder Fridays - Meet the Founders of Plaude, Bloomverse and RespexTech!
A look at the founders of three promising startups.
Welcome to our end-of-the-week edition of Startup Deal Desk – Founder Fridays!
Every Friday, we highlight several promising startups and the founders behind them.
Our goal is to foster connections between innovative founders and prospective investors, providing a community where both sides can learn (and potentially earn) from each other.
If you saw our Tuesday issue, you’re probably familiar with:
Plaude and Founders Olatomiwa Idowu and Ibukunoluwa Adebayo
Bloomverse and Co-founder/CEO Fernando Cortes
RespexTech and Co-founder Leah Kyaio
And if you’re not, we’re going to share a bit more about them. Enjoy!
1️⃣ How Olatomiwa Idowu and Ibukunoluwa Adebayo are transforming cross-border trade with Plaude’s fintech solutions
Olatomiwa Idowu, from his background in banking and entrepreneurship, saw firsthand the issues businesses face in cross-border transactions, from trust and currency risks to complex documentation and delays. Ibukunoluwa Adebayo has product delivery expertise and success in digital transformation, having led projects with $100M+ in financial impact. Together, they’re leading Plaude, a fintech platform with a suite of integrated financial and trade solutions.
Plaude enables SMEs to perform cross-border transactions seamlessly, offering a suite of features that support global business expansion. The platform offers same-day payouts, instant notifications, and 24/7 availability, with transactions completed in under 180 seconds. It also integrates essential trade finance products like currency exchange, real-time tracking, and a decentralized trade finance system, helping SMEs save time, reduce costs, and optimize cross-border operations.
Plaude launched its product in October 2024, but has processed $13M+ in transactions with $4.6K MRR before even officially launching. This includes 10 active B2B users and collaborations with Sila and Route Fusion. Compared to competitors like Wise and PayPal, Plaude stands out by offering faster transaction speeds, lower fees, and dedicated trade finance features, making it a unique player in cross-border payments. To continue expanding, Plaude is raising a $1.2M Seed round.
Get more information about Plaude here. Check out their deck here.
Click below to book a meeting with Olatomiwa and Ibukunoluwa.
2️⃣ Fernando Cortes ushers in a new era of gaming with Bloomverse’s blockchain-powered rewards
Fernando Cortes has 20+ years of experience as a startup entrepreneur, having led over 10 successful startups, and a background as a pro gamer. He believes that gaming should offer more than entertainment; it should provide players with opportunities to achieve rewards that resonate in their real lives – a vision that forms the foundation of Bloomverse, a blockchain-based gaming platform that combines competition, entertainment, and real-world rewards.
Bloomverse offers daily PVP and PVE challenges, tournaments with large participant pools, and skill-based betting systems, allowing gamers to win big cash prizes and exclusive items. It sets itself apart by integrating brands, online stores, and service providers within its core mechanics, fostering a dynamic ecosystem that includes in-game advertising, loyalty rewards, and product promotions. The Solana-based blockchain also provides players ownership over their achievements and assets.
Bloomverse is actively building partnerships, including collaborations with Amazon and Solana, to offer immersive, in-game shopping and reward opportunities for players. Plans for scaling user acquisition, launching proprietary items, and hosting major gaming tournaments are underway. Bloomverse is currently raising a $500K Seed round to further develop its platform and expand its market reach.
Find out more about Bloomverse here. Check out their deck here.
Click below to book a meeting with Fernando Cortes.
3️⃣ Leah Kyaio is building respect and inclusivity into workplace communication with RespexTech
Leah Kyaio is a seasoned entrepreneur dedicated to reshaping workplace communication with 30+ years of expertise in DEI, conflict resolution, and organizational transformation. Having built and scaled four previous businesses focused on DEI, conflict resolution, and communication, Leah identified a gap in real-time tools that could support respectful, inclusive communication at scale. Thus, RespexTech was born from her deep commitment to creating work environments where everyone’s voice is valued and respected.
Built like a ‘Grammarly’ for respectful communication, RespexTech provides instant feedback and alternative suggestions across platforms to help employees maintain respectful, inclusive language in all typed communications. Drawing from Leah’s extensive research, the software incorporates a framework of respect and inclusivity developed over three decades in DEI. It’s compatible with major platforms and scalable for SMBs looking to integrate DEI principles seamlessly.
Organizations in the US spend up to $8B on DEI initiatives, yet 46-81% of these efforts fail to yield the intended results. RespexTech offers an affordable and effective solution, with a projected annual investment of $1,200-$6,000 per client to reduce litigation risk by up to 75%. The company is targeting a growing market of HR consultants and SMBs, with projections of 28.2% annual revenue growth. RespectTech is now raising $1.8M to finalize its MVP and onboard its first 250 clients.
Learn more about RespexTech here. Check out their deck here.
Click below to book a meeting with Leah Kyaio.
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Until next time!