Ezra Olubi

In the 2020 Founders Connect interview, Ezra recalls that a computer brought into his home by a family friend sparked his curiosity during secondary school. He began programming and later studied computer science. His account connects that technical curiosity with another lasting habit: examining inherited beliefs and asking how context shapes the way a person sees the world.¹

Ezra met Shola Akinlade at university through a shared interest in programming. They became friends, exhibited projects together and later worked as freelancers. An early digital wallet and payments interface gave Ezra direct experience with the problem. When Shola later invited him to build Paystack, the decision rested on a tested working relationship and a problem they had understood over several years.^1,2

Paystack was founded in Lagos in 2015, joined Y Combinator that year and launched publicly in 2016. Stripe acquired the company in October 2020 to accelerate commerce across Africa. Ezra led its technology function through 2025. His public operating role at Paystack ended that year, while his status as a co-founder remains part of the company’s documented history.^2,3,4