Odunayo Eweniyi: From PiggyVest's Savings Model to Investing in Women Founders

Odunayo Eweniyi co-founded PiggyVest and FirstCheck Africa. Her work connects a practical consumer savings problem with the harder task of getting capital to women-led technology ventures.

Source-attributed biographical feature prepared with AI assistance. No first-hand interview, independent performance audit or direct quotes invented. Image rights are not cleared and human editorial verification has not been performed. Remains unpublished pending genuine editorial approval.

Entrepreneur: Odunayo Eweniyi Country: Nigeria Sector: Fintech and investment Venture(s): PiggyVest and FirstCheck Africa

Why this entrepreneur matters

Odunayo Eweniyi co-founded PiggyVest and FirstCheck Africa. Her work connects a practical consumer savings problem with the harder task of getting capital to women-led technology ventures.

Background and entrepreneurial journey

Eweniyi is a Nigerian technology entrepreneur and co-founder and COO of PiggyVest. Her own biography also identifies her as a co-founder of FirstCheck Africa, an early-stage investor in businesses founded or co-founded by women. Her earlier ventures include the recruitment platform PushCV. A 2026 keynote published by PiggyVest describes how a story about regular cash savings inspired her team to investigate a digital approach to saving.

The problem behind the venture

For many people, keeping a savings habit can be difficult when income arrives unevenly and unexpected expenses compete for attention. A product must help customers organise their goals without making it impossible to meet essential costs. FirstCheck addresses a separate market failure: founders without existing investor networks may struggle to obtain the earliest capital even when they have a viable customer proposition.

Business model and execution

PiggyVest built a consumer-finance relationship around repeat saving and investment features; FirstCheck evaluates early-stage companies. These are very different business models. A consumer app must earn users' trust through clear product terms, security and appropriate safeguards. An investment business must understand founders, evaluate risk and be transparent about how capital is allocated. Neither model should be judged solely by download counts or investment announcements.

Practical lessons for aspiring founders

Founders can begin with a behaviour they have actually observed, as Eweniyi's savings anecdote illustrates, and test whether technology makes the behaviour easier. They should document the cost and restrictions of using their product, build support for customer mistakes and avoid presenting financial returns as guaranteed. Entrepreneurs seeking funding should establish evidence of customer demand and explain how the capital would change operating outcomes.

What ITBank will be watching

Evidence that users can save sustainably, understand withdrawal conditions and solve problems through support; and whether investment programmes help women-led companies obtain fair access to early funding.

Limits of this profile

Company and investor descriptions do not independently verify the current size of PiggyVest's user base, FirstCheck's portfolio returns or the outcomes of every customer. This is a public-source profile, not financial advice or a conversation with Eweniyi.

Editorial note: Independent desk-researched ITBank profile prepared on 28 October 2026, with AI assistance and identified sources. It is not an interview, first-hand field investigation, sponsorship, verified financial audit or investment recommendation. Biographical and venture descriptions are based on the sources linked below.