Emmanuel Richard is the founder and chief executive officer of Feteflex, a digital marketplace for booking event service providers.
Richard is passionate about using technology to address everyday challenges hence; he was inspired to established Feteflex to make event planning seamless and stress-free.
“I’m passionate about using tech to address everyday challenges, hence, I embarked on an entrepreneurial journey by founding Feteflex, to make event planning seamless and stress-free,” he said.
Feteflex, a business Richard started with his personal income was registered in 2023.
“During my six-month internship, I used my salary to bootstrap the business. My family also provided financial support, and my team members made sacrifices to help with the project.
“In October 20, 2024, we secured our first external funding of a million naira through the Goshen Impact Fund. This achievement marked a turning point as we got additional resources including $5,000 in AWS credits and N1.1 million in prototype funding through Project I2M, and N1.6 million in grant funding,” he said.
The Caleb University student said the platform is meant to empower African event organisers tackle bottlenecks and other concomitant challenges.
“Our mission is to empower event organisers and businesses across Africa by eradicating booking struggles, payment issues, and visibility challenges, among others.
“We aim to make event planning seamless, secure, and accessible through a centralised platform that fosters trust and efficiency for service providers and customers,” he said.
Richard disclosed that his unhealthy experience inspired him to venture into Feteflex platform.
“When my brother was planning his wedding, my family was responsible for organising various aspects of the event, including finding a venue, caterers, DJs, and MCs, and it was incredibly stressful.
“Besides, I attended a concert organised by my school. Though the artist was paid over N7.6 million he failed to show up, leaving the attendees disappointed. To make matters worse, the organisers were unable to recover the money due to the lack of secure systems for refund guarantees.”
Drawing experiences from these, he decided to bridge these gaps in the event planning space.
“Feteflex was created to address these pain-points. It features an escrow payment system that ensures funds are only released after services are delivered.
“Additionally, it provides event service providers with a platform to showcase their services and book clients easily, while giving customers the confidence to plan events without the fear of scams or disappointment,” he stated.
Speaking on the business niche of Feteflex, he said, it addresses the unique challenges faced by African event organisers and service providers by providing transparent, and seamless booking experience tailored to the local market’s needs.
“A key feature that sets us apart is our escrow payment system, which ensures that funds are only released once services are delivered. This process builds trust between customers and service providers, eliminating the risk of scams or service failures,” he said.
Though the business has grown to a team of 10 members, his expansion plans focus on strategic growth in both geographic and product areas.
“We aim to establish a strong presence in Nigeria by increasing our user base and onboarding service providers. This will involve forming partnerships with major industry players, enhancing our technology, and implementing localized marketing campaigns,” he said.
Richards said that the Nigerian events industry is vast and full of opportunities, which highlights the strong demand for reliable event services.
“Events are an integral part of Nigerian culture, ranging from weddings to corporate gatherings, which create a significant market for event planning solutions.
“We are looking to capitalise on this opportunity by addressing the unique challenges in the market. With more than 3,500 positive responses to our business model, 90 percent of which came from Nigerian users; it is clear that there is substantial demand for a platform like ours,” he said.
However, he noted that starting Feteflex presented several challenges to him such as transitioning from ideation to execution, building a strong team, and accessing resources and funding, among others.
Nevertheless, he said the company was able to overcome these obstacles by applying for grants and participating in incubator programmes, which provided essential financial support and mentorship.
My advice to entrepreneurs is simple: never give up. The journey will be tough, but perseverance is key to thriving.
Besides, he said that execution is also critical in the business. He urges upcoming entrepreneurs not to wait for the perfect moment; before starting with what they have and refine as they go.
Moreover, he counsels young entrepreneur to seize every opportunity to learn and grow.
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