Building Bytes

Hosted by Insights Lab

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Latest episode

Jul 2026

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About the show

We tell relevant stories about Ghana’s tech ecosystem to drive growth and innovation hosted by four software entrepreneurs Akweley, Caleb, Poga and Yaw with a new episode published every Friday of the week.

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60 recent

July 24, 20261 hr 3 min

Stop Chasing Funding. Build This First. | The Venture Building Playbook

The startup world loves to celebrate ideas. But ideas alone don't build companies. 🚀In this episode of Building Bytes, we sit down with Daniel Merki, Managing Director of Boxplay Ventures, to explore the infrastructure behind successful startups—and why the most important parts of building a company are often the least visible.From legal structures and accounting systems to operational processes, venture builders are creating repeatable frameworks that help startups move from experimentation to scale. Daniel shares insights from building companies across Ghana and Nigeria, explains the "Corporate Co-Founder" model, and unpacks the lessons he's learned from both successful ventures and costly entrepreneurial mistakes.This episode covers:• What venture building actually means—and how it differs from traditional venture capital• Why legal, financial, and compliance systems are the biggest source of technical debt for many startups• How shared services help startups scale faster and more efficiently• Lessons from building VDL Fulfilment across Accra and Lagos• The operational realities of logistics in African markets• How venture builders think about equity, sweat equity, and founder ownership• Why Boxplay maintains a 20% equity floor for founding teams• The hard lessons learned from running a restaurant business in Osu• Revenue vs profitability, burn rate, and sustainable unit economics• AI, automation, and the technologies creating real value in 2026• The difference between startup hype and scalable business fundamentals• What Ghanaian entrepreneurs need to rethink to build enduring companiesA Building Bytes production by Insights Lab, with production support from Hubtel, and recorded at Hubtel Academy.🎙️ Season Theme: Ghana Tech RisingThis season follows the founders, operators, investors, and ecosystem builders creating the systems and infrastructure that will define Ghana's digital future.Distribution PartnerThis episode is also featured on Tech Labari https://bit.ly/4oCH7CA — Ghana's leading platform for tech news, insights, and innovation stories.📺 Catch Building Bytes on MX24Thursdays at 8 PM | Sundays at 7 PMBehind every successful startup is a stack of systems, processes, and infrastructure. This conversation explores what it takes to build companies that last.

July 23, 202644 min

From Crypto to Payment Infrastructure: How Moolre Survived Africa’s Fintech Reset

Africa’s fintech story is often told through apps, wallets, and transactions. But beneath every successful fintech product is something deeper: infrastructure.In this episode of Building Bytes, we sit down with Yusif Ya-Adzagey, Founder & Managing Director of Moolre Ghana Ltd, to explore what it really takes to build financial systems across Africa—from engineering reliable payment rails to navigating regulation and expanding across borders.From personally building early web and mobile platforms to securing regulatory licensing from the Bank of Ghana as an Enhanced Payment Service Provider, Yusif shares the realities of building fintech infrastructure under African constraints.We discuss:• Building fintech systems from first principles• Why trust matters more than speed in payments• The engineering realities behind moving money reliably• What most startups misunderstand about payment infrastructure• How regulation shapes fintech product design• The realities of licensing with the Bank of Ghana• Expanding fintech products across African markets• Pan-African fintech: operational reality vs startup narrative• Focus, diversification, and building multiple companies• The uncomfortable truths about African fintech• Infrastructure discipline vs innovation hype• The future of financial systems in AfricaWe also explore the Moolre Startup Cup — a four-month buildathon where teams build real products using Moolre’s APIs across Collections, Disbursements, and USSD infrastructure.Featuring:Yusif Ya-Adzagey — Founder & Managing Director, Moolre Ghana LtdHosted by:Caleb LampteyPoga KuofieYayra OforiBuilding Bytes is proudly brought to you by Insights Lab, with production support from Hubtel, and recorded at the studios of Hubtel Academy.Distribution PartnerThis episode is also featured on Tech Labari https://bit.ly/4oCH7CA — Ghana’s leading platform for tech news, insights, and innovation stories.📺 Watch Building Bytes on MX24:Thursdays at 8 PMSundays at 7 PMIf you’re building fintech products, thinking about infrastructure, or curious about the future of African financial systems, this episode is for you.

July 22, 20261 hr 13 min

He is building Ghana's biggest AI company

Africa’s AI future will not be built by adoption alone. It will be built through infrastructure, research, engineering discipline, and locally relevant innovation.In this episode of Building Bytes, we sit down with Darlington Akogo, Founder & CEO of minoHealth AI Labs, to explore what it really takes to move Africa from consuming AI tools to building world-class AI systems from the ground up.From healthcare diagnostics and medical imaging to agriculture and industrial intelligence, this conversation dives deep into the realities of building deep tech companies in emerging ecosystems like Ghana.We discuss:• Why Africa must move from AI adoption to AI invention• The AI infrastructure stack behind healthcare-grade systems• Data collection, model validation, and clinical deployment• The challenges of building reliable AI in low-resource environments• AI opportunities in healthcare, agriculture, and industry• The realities of scaling deep tech startups in Africa• AI hype vs real value in 2026• What investors misunderstand about AI startups• The future of African AI innovationFeaturing:Darlington Akogo — Founder & CEO, minoHealth AI LabsHosted by:Caleb LampteyPoga KuofieYayra OforiBuilding Bytes is proudly brought to you by Insights Lab, with production support from Hubtel, and recorded at the studios of Hubtel Academy.Distribution PartnerThis episode is also featured on Tech Labari https://bit.ly/4oCH7CA — Ghana's leading platform for tech news, insights, and innovation stories.📺 Watch Building Bytes on MX24:Thursdays at 8 PMSundays at 7 PMIf you’re building, investing in, or simply curious about the future of AI in Africa, this episode is for you.

May 11, 202648 min

Ghana Tech Is Rising… But Most Startups Won’t Make It — Here’s Why

Ghana Tech is rising… but not the way you think. 🇬🇭🚀 In this season opener of Building Bytes, we set the stage for “Ghana Tech Rising” by unpacking the real story behind the headlines — from declining funding numbers to the shift toward profitability, infrastructure, and real business models. This isn’t about hype. It’s about what’s actually changing — and what it really takes to build in Ghana today. This episode covers:The drop from $120M+ to ~$56M–$90M — and what it actually signalsWho is really “rising” in Ghana Tech (and who isn’t)The shift toward fintech infrastructure, agritech platforms, and energy innovation. Startups like Zeepay, Complete Farmer, Kofa, and Affinity Africa — and what they reveal about investor confidence. The execution gap: why most startups fail beyond the idea stage. AI in Ghana — hype vs reality. The real constraints founders face (and the hidden advantages Ghana has). What “Ghana Tech Rising” should actually mean going forward. A Building Bytes production by Insights Lab, with production support from Hubtel, and recorded at Hubtel Academy. 🎙️ Season Theme: Ghana Tech Rising. This season follows the builders, systems, and companies shaping Ghana’s digital future — beyond the hype. 📺 Catch Building Bytes on MX24Thursdays at 8pm | Sundays at 7pm. From bold insights to grounded realities, this episode reframes the conversation around Ghana’s tech ecosystem — and challenges what it really means to rise. #ghanatech #buildingbytes #insightslab #africantech #startupghana #digitalafrica #ghanastartups #africainnovation #ghanatechrising

December 14, 2025Episode 281 hr 9 min

GTTW: This Is How AI Will Change Law in Ghana Forever

Ghana’s legal system is shifting fast — and technology is at the center of that transformation. In this episode of Building Bytes, we sit down with Michel Nkansah, Senior Product Manager at a global law firm and Founder of LegalTech Lounge, to explore how law, product thinking, and digital innovation are reshaping the future of justice in Ghana and Africa.A Building Bytes production by Insights Lab, with support from Hubtel, filmed at Hubtel Academy Studios.Catch Building Bytes on MX24 — Thursdays at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm.Distribution Partner:This episode is also featured on (https://bit.ly/4oCH7CA), Ghana's leading platform for tech news, insights, and innovation stories.🔗 OpportunitiesJoin the GrantPilot Community for more funding & grants:https://chat.whatsapp.com/E9gskNi7wH5IWSRCoejmY5?mode=ems_copy_t#legaltech #ghana, #legal #tech #lounge, #michelnkansah, digital justice, africa legal innovation, #buildingbytes, #insightslab #ghana #aiinnovation

October 17, 2025Episode 271 hr 10 min

GTTW: Ghana’s Model Companies: Startups Worth Copying, Cultures Worth Emulating

In this episode of Building Bytes, we explore which Ghanaian companies are setting the standard — the ones proving that world-class innovation can be built and scaled right here at home.From electric mobility to agritech, logistics, and fintech, this conversation uncovers the business models, company cultures, and strategic plays that make Ghanaian startups worth learning from — and why they deserve to be seen as our own case studies, not just footnotes to Silicon Valley stories.We spotlight companies like Kofa, Farmerline, Jetstream, and Hubtel, digging into how they’ve built resilient systems, scaled impact, and redefined what it means to succeed long-term in Ghana’s digital economy.Powered by the Building Bytes PodcastProduced by Insights Lab with support from HubtelShot in the studios of Hubtel Academy📺 Catch Building Bytes on MX24 — Thursdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM.

September 29, 2025Episode 261 hr 4 min

GTTW: Forget Silicon Valley, Ghana’s EdTech Innovators are doing It differently | Ghana Tech to the World

Ghanaian edtech leaders Daniel Botchway & Senyo Mawuli Jiagge are quietly building the future of how Ghanaian students learn. In this episode of Ghana Tech to the World, they share how they’re using AI, gamification, and local context to solve the real problems behind digital learning, access, engagement, and adoption.From building products schools actually use to navigating parents, policy, and funding, this conversation reveals what it takes to innovate in EdTech from Ghana to the globe.

September 19, 2025Episode 251 hr 10 min

GTTW: From Stanford to Ghana’s Delivery Revolution: How Kwame Agyei Owusu Built Zippy Courier

What does it take to build a logistics company in Ghana that can scale across Africa? In this episode, we sit down with Kwame Agyei Owusu , founder of Zippy Courier , to unpack his founder journey — from studying at Stanford and working in China to building one of Ghana’s most innovative delivery companies powered by electric bikes and solar charging. Kwame shares: Why he left a global engineering career to start in Ghana The hard lessons from piloting Zippy (HR breakdowns, software rebuilds, market readiness) How to raise early funding when institutional investors won’t back you Breaking into big deals like Melcom His continental vision for African logistics If you’re interested in startups, logistics, or scaling African innovation — this one is for you.

September 12, 2025Episode 241 hr 9 min

GTTW: Building & Backing - Leading Paystack & Investing in Ghana with Kwadwo Owusu Agyemang

Kwadwo launched Paystack in Ghana and is now focused on backing Africa’s next wave of tech giants. In this episode of Building Bytes , he shares hard-won lessons on building in Ghana, the role of trust in scaling, and where he believes the next billion-dollar companies will come from. A must-listen for founders, investors, and anyone passionate about African innovation.

September 5, 2025Episode 2328 min

GTTW: Ghana Digital Product Awards (GDPA) is Here 🚀

Behind every seamless app, every transfer, every digital service in Ghana — there’s a builder. In this episode of Building Bytes , we announce the Ghana Digital Product Awards (GDPA) , a groundbreaking initiative to recognize product excellence and innovation in Ghana’s tech ecosystem. We break down why this matters, unveil award categories, share how to nominate, and hear insights from Code & Cocktails on the Ghana tech ecosystem survey and their iconic tech party. This isn’t just an award — it’s a movement.