Nigerian-Born Engineer Akinbile Raises $3.8m For AI Startup

Nigerian-born software engineer Saheed Akinbile has raised $3.8 million in seed funding for Minicor, an artificial intelligence startup he co-founded to help businesses connect AI applications with older software systems. The San Francisco-based company announced the funding on October 14. The round was led by Brad Gillespie of IA Ventures,……

Nigerian-born software engineer Saheed Akinbile has raised $3.8 million in seed funding for Minicor, an artificial intelligence startup he co-founded to help businesses connect AI applications with older software systems.

The San Francisco-based company announced the funding on October 14. The round was led by Brad Gillespie of IA Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Paul Graham, Pioneer Fund, Robinhood Ventures, Garage Capital, Rebel Fund, K5 Global and 20VC.

Akinbile who grew up in Lagos before moving to Canada at 18 and later settling in San Francisco. His career has taken him through the automotive, financial services and technology industries.

His Nigerian background is notable in a global technology environment where perceptions of Nigerians are sometimes shaped by reports of cybercrime. Akinbile’s work, however, is in software engineering and the development of business technology.

“I grew up in Lagos, moved to Canada at 18, and now call San Francisco home,” he said on his official website.

He initially planned to study mechanical engineering in Canada but eventually chose software engineering at the University of Ottawa.

“I came to Canada planning to become a mechanical engineer. Software won me over, and I went on to study software engineering at the University of Ottawa. I never lost my love for things that move,” he said.

Akinbile later worked at Ford, where he was involved in automotive technologies, including automatic parking, camera and sensor systems, and vehicle controls.

“At Ford, I worked on automatic parking in a driver’s chosen spot using cameras and sensors, and on calculating trailer safety boundaries. I also helped build software that let drivers adjust steering feel, suspension stiffness, and acceleration,” he said.

His professional experience also includes roles at Morgan Stanley and Kinaxis. He subsequently contributed to Software for Love and worked on Lucky Star, a lottery product under ESS Nigeria Limited.

“I’ve also worked at Morgan Stanley and Kinaxis, helped build Software for Love, and found my way into building companies,” he said.

Akinbile has also identified Nigeria’s development as a personal motivation.

“Making Nigeria a better place to live is one of the things that drives me,” he said.

Minicor, which he co-founded with Faizaan Chishtie, develops technology that enables AI applications to interact with older business software, particularly desktop systems that lack application programming interfaces (APIs).

Its platform allows developers to convert desktop workflows into API endpoints, making it possible for newer applications to communicate with existing systems without businesses having to replace their software.

The startup’s admission into Y Combinator’s Spring 2026 batch followed seven applications and three interview invitations.

Minicor’s focus on desktop automation emerged after a prospective customer needed to connect an AI product to a medical records system that did not have an API.

The company says its platform has recorded 2.5 million automation executions. Its founders have also reported processing thousands of workflows weekly and helping a customer move from proof of concept to production within three weeks. These figures have not been independently verified.

Minicor operates in a competitive automation market that includes established providers such as UiPath and Microsoft Power Automate. The company has not publicly disclosed its valuation, revenue or number of paying customers, and has not announced plans to establish operations in Nigeria.

Akinbile has also spoken about his interest in mentoring and exchanging ideas with others.

“I enjoy mentoring people and meeting others who are curious about the world and willing to try something,” he said.

Get a curated selection of the latest Nigeria and global news, right in your email.