Desta Makonnen

Market Entry & Expansion Advisory — East & West Africa
End-to-end market entry without the missteps that kill most launches: market feasibility, regulatory pathway
mapping, licensing strategy, local partnership sourcing, and launch execution. Track record includes securing aviation
operating licenses through direct engagement with Ghanaian regulators and launching ventures across Kenya,
Ghana, and neighbouring markets.
Capital Raising & Investor Readiness
Raise structuring, financial modeling, investor documentation, term negotiation support, and board reporting
frameworks. Co-negotiated a USD 6M institutional round with Satya and Renaissance Capital to launch FLY540
Ghana, and structured a USD 2.2M raise built to satisfy Central Bank capitalization requirements.
Fintech Strategy, Licensing & Product Development
Building financial products that regulators approve and customers adopt: e-KYC, digital wallets, and payment
infrastructure for banks, insurers, governments, and mobile networks. Designed and launched KARA, a network agnostic digital wallet with integrated overdraft capability, and led commercial strategy for an AI-driven financial
inclusion platform.