How to Build a $100M Global Business with Wilfrid Obeng Co-Founder of AudioMob

Ever wondered how to build a global, $100M-valued business? With this week’s episode of Blocks2Bags — you don’t have to anymore. Our hosts Bejay Mulenga MBE (@bejaymulenga) and Sebuh Mesfin (@sebuhmesfin) sat down with co-founder of AudioMob, Wilfrid Obeng (@wilfridobeng), who built the niche audio company from the ground-up, revolutionising the in-game advertisement landscape by replacing traditional video ads with audio ads. Despite only being established in 2020, AudioMob has propelled itself to success that’s gone beyond the borders of the UK, with offices in Abu Dhabi and New York. Tap in to take yourself from Blocks2Bags, learning insights from a leader in his industry about how you can break barriers in entrepreneurship, too.

KEY BLOCK GEMS FROM WILFRID OBENG AND AUDIO MOB

1. Technology has carved equal ground; take a chance — Entrepreneurship as a notion can appear immediately riddled with barriers; but with digitalisation as a means to connect for anybody and everybody, think about the way these instantly accessible resources are something you can harness.
2. Vision requires structure — Having an idea is great, but you can’t simply start there. Building something to last requires patience, a plan, and knowledge of what it even is you’d like to cultivate. Think anything from having the data to back up potential challenges in your entrepreneurial venture, to knowing why you want to take your business to a certain region.
3. Why case studies matter — Wilfrid’s top hack for growing your company? Case studies. Maybe not what comes to mind upon initial consideration, but a definite necessity to move past blocks in the road.
4. Going global is more than going global — Taking your business abroad is a great idea in theory, but what does internationalisation really mean? Consider more than just the initial appeal of a location — what benefits does it offer you that can mean permanency and sustained results for your entrepreneurial venture. 
5. Talk less, ask more — If you’ve tuned into Blocks2Bags before and the word ‘networking’ isn’t permanently ingrained into your mind — you haven’t stuck around for long enough. A unanimous point of importance across the various entrepreneurs we’ve sat down with, connecting with others can be the springboard that takes you to the next level. 
   
   
   

Without even knowing about AudioMob — you know about AudioMob. 

For the 3B+ gamers globally, it’s safe to assume we are collectively familiar with in-game advertisements. For mobile-gamers, the intrusive video advertisement after a level is especially infamous, dampening the flow and quality of gaming on mobile platforms which have otherwise been streamlined to offer an experience that retains the scale of play on larger devices. But, if you’ve noticed in any capacity that these video advertisements have been replaced by audio advertisements overlaid as you play a level through without interruption — then, you know about AudioMob.

 

Here at Blocks2Bags, we’re always looking for entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries to address gaps in the market in creative ways; this week’s guest, Wilfrid Obeng, is no different. An ex-Google engineer turned co-founder of AudioMob alongside Christian Facey, their number-one audio discovery platform is “driven by a goal to help advertisers better reach their consumers and help game developers better monetise their games. […] by allowing users to programmatically insert audio ads into mobile games”. 

 

The niche approach to a seemingly small problem has been incredibly lucrative, with the 2020 established company valued at £100M,  And beyond just the literal proof of success, it’s indicative of systemic boundary-pushing, with the low proportion of Black founders in the industry meaning breaking-in comes with several challenges. With AudioMob’s expansion to a global market, opening offices in Abu Dhabi and New York, the venture only seems to be going up.

Sit down with us this week as we trace Wilfrid’s journey from Blocks2Bags — and what foundership means in today’s globalised landscape.

Watch the episode on Youtube.

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