Edwin Ajogun
Colchester,United Kingdom
Summary
Dynamic professional with expertise in program operations and ecosystem growth, adept at driving organisational success through partnership development. Demonstrates exceptional cross-functional collaboration and external representation skills, ensuring operational excellence and effective budget monitoring. Proficient in data management and project management tools, with strong communication skills that enhance stakeholder management and fundraising efforts. Thrives in fast-paced environments, committed to advancing career goals by leveraging core competencies to foster innovation and sustainable growth.
Overview
1
1
year of post-secondary education
10
10
years of professional experience
Work history
Senior Programme Manager, Investment - Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship
Royal Academy of Engineering
London
2025.12 - 2026.08
- Led end-to-end delivery of £1.3m Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship, overseeing programme strategy, delivery, reporting, and stakeholder engagement with fellows, mentors, investors, and partners.
- Created Governance and Risk Reporting framework using RAID framework.
- Support Director’s fundraising efforts by creating concept notes and sales pipeline of corporate funders.
- Conducted periodic 1-to-1 tracking sessions with 45 fellows, fostering founder-facing support and establishing robust feedback loop between programme participants and senior stakeholders.
- Developed comprehensive reporting framework using FlexiGrant, Power BI, and Excel to track outcomes, create dashboards, and support reporting to Enterprise Committee, while managing pipeline of 89 VC professionals across two cohorts.
Programme Manager, Enterprise - Enterprise Fellowships
Royal Academy of Engineering
London
2024.03 - 2025.12
- Delivered 3 cohorts of a £1.2m annual grant and accelerator programme for engineering researchers and graduates, overseeing programme operations from selection to award and coordinating with stakeholders.
- Created AI framework on Copilot for auto analysis of grant applications to cut review time by 90%.
- Created pitch decks, financial models and market analysis documents for 8 founders in raising £18m from a network of venture capitalists.
- Optimised workflows across founders, reviewers, coaches, and partners, ensuring high-quality delivery and a positive applicant experience.
- Leveraged applicant and engagement data to drive a 75% increase in application growth and a 30% uplift in Net Promoter Score to 90.
- Developed Excel-based reporting model that identified key rejection categories, leading to a 45% improvement in application quality.
Global Partnerships & Platform Manager
GreenHouse Capital
London
2022.07 - 2024.03
- Operated across venture capital, partnerships, founder support and portfolio operations for a VC platform managing over £1bn in assets (£700m Fintech Assets), ensuring operational excellence in programme delivery.
- Designed and executed partnership sourcing strategy and led sales efforts to generate $1.5m revenue through corporate funded accelerator programmes by Google, Microsoft, Shell Foundation and Access Bank Africa US, UK Nigeria, China, India and Kenya.
- Executed financial analysis and capital deployment strategies, leading due diligence and creating investor memos to facilitate the disbursement of $25m across 2 funds.
- Managed a $523k annual budget and portfolio reporting for 74 investee startups, contributing to a 15% uplift in portfolio value to $1.2bn.
- Managed a budget of $535k and line managed 8 people.
Country Manager
Eko Innovation Centre
Lagos
2021.09 - 2022.07
- Created bid documents to secure over $15m in grant funding for Nigeria’s largest grant accelerator from Accenture.
- Designed and implemented partner-funded accelerator programmes for fintech, deeptech and SaaS startups, driving engagement with 256 startups while coordinating deliverables across mentors, partners, founders, and internal teams.
- Served as the lead business coach for 35 founders, providing tailored guidance on growth and investment readiness.
- Managed a cross-functional team of 9, overseeing financial management, marketing, operations, and facilities to ensure operational excellence.
- Supported startups in securing $2m in investment and coached 67 founders on business model development and scaling strategies.
Group Head, Corporate Innovation Development
LoftyInc Allied Partners
Lagos
2020.01 - 2021.06
- Led corporate innovation initiatives and venture-building activities, collaborating with founders, investors, and corporate stakeholders to drive strategic partnerships that increased AUM by 25% to $570m.
- Generated $11.2m through secured partnerships while facilitating the deployment of $10.8m in new capital into startups, enhancing the financial ecosystem.
- Delivered comprehensive stakeholder reporting and monitoring outputs for a $1m Bill & Melinda Gates-funded drug consumption and reporting programme, ensuring adherence to financial governance, risk and KPIs within a four-month timeframe.
Founder
Emedrep
Lagos
2016.04 - 2019.07
- Established company brand for improved visibility and recognition.
- Increased staff productivity by introducing efficient work protocols.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers, secured competitive pricing and terms.
- Led team to achieve 2500 business customer acquisition on time and within budget with a CAC of £230/C for CLTV of £300k.
- Drove sales through effective marketing strategies.
- Fostered an inclusive workplace culture that values diversity, boosted employee morale considerably.
Education
BSc - Computer Engineering
Obafemi Awolowo University
NigeriaNewton Venture Capital Programme
London Business School
LondonMSc - Management
University of Lincoln
Lincoln, LincolnshireLevel 5 Coaching Certificate - Coaching
South West Councils
United, Kingdom 2025.05 - 2026.07
Skills
- Program Operations
- Ecosystem Growth
- Grant writing
- Sales and Partnerships
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- External Representation
- Operational Excellence
- Budget Monitoring
- Data Management
- Project Management Tools
- Communication Skills
- Stakeholder Management
- Fund Raising
- Fast-Paced Environment Adaptability
ADDITIONAL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
- Africa Startup Ecosystem Expert, Sharkbite Innovation GmbH Aug 2019 to Jan 2023
- Managed 150 hub relationships, accelerated 15 Fintech startups, created investment memos for disbursing £2m in grants to Fintechs, designed metric-based selection systems and supported $350k in programme activity.
- Programme Director, Passion Incubator May 2015 to Jan 2020
- Led startup support activity, launched 13 fintech startups and supported valuation growth of 25 startups to a combined $134m.
TOOLS
Excel (advanced), AI Automation Tools (Advanced), SQL, Power BI, Airtable, FlexiGrant, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Notion
Mentorship and Ecosytem Support
Fellow, ZincVC accelerator London 2024- present
Fellow, Lagos State Entrepreneurship Trust Fund, Nigeria 2020-Present
Mentor, Bridges for Enterprise, New York and India 2021 - Present
Expert, Sharkbite Accelerator, Germany 2022 - 2024
Mentor, Africa Business Initative, Continental 2026 - Present
Timeline
Senior Programme Manager, Investment - Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship
Royal Academy of Engineering
2025.12 - 2026.08
Level 5 Coaching Certificate - Coaching
South West Councils
2025.05 - 2026.07
Programme Manager, Enterprise - Enterprise Fellowships
Royal Academy of Engineering
2024.03 - 2025.12
Global Partnerships & Platform Manager
GreenHouse Capital
2022.07 - 2024.03
Country Manager
Eko Innovation Centre
2021.09 - 2022.07
Group Head, Corporate Innovation Development
LoftyInc Allied Partners
2020.01 - 2021.06
Founder
Emedrep
2016.04 - 2019.07
BSc - Computer Engineering
Obafemi Awolowo University
Newton Venture Capital Programme
London Business School
MSc - Management
University of Lincoln