"AT SOME POINT, I HAD DROPPED OUT IN MY HEAD LIKE A MILLION TIMES. THEN I’D REMEMBER I STILL HAD ASSIGNMENTS DUE." - CALEB PAMILERIN SOBALOJU

By Mercy Ojegbola 

Pamilerin Sobaloju is the Founder and CEO of Fluxt, a conversational fintech platform rethinking how people access and use money across different literacy levels, languages, and borders.

He didn’t grow up as the “smart kid.” Often seen as the black sheep of the family, he didn’t fit into traditional expectations early on. That perspective shaped how he sees systems today — many are not broken because people can’t use them, but because they were never designed for them in the first place.

Growing up in Owo, Ondo State, he experienced firsthand the challenges of financial access, often handling transactions on behalf of his family due to complex and unintuitive banking systems. That early exposure became the foundation for what he is building today.

He began building businesses at 19 and went on to launch multiple startups that failed, each one shaping his approach to problem-solving and execution. Along the way, he worked across fintech and blockchain companies as a design lead and design engineer, gaining hands-on experience in building financial products and understanding where existing systems fall short.

With Fluxt, he is building a system where financial services feel as natural as conversation — enabling users to send, receive, and manage money through chat or voice, from local payments to cross-border transactions.

He is a recipient of the ₦50 million Student Venture Capital Grant, awarded to a select group of founders building scalable, high-impact solutions in Nigeria.

NCB: Hello @⁨Caleb. Good evening

 Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: Hi, Good evening. I hope you're well?

NCB: I am doing great, thank you. Thank you very much for honouring me again.

 Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: Thank you for Having me. It's an honour to be here.

NCB: First of all,

Congratulations on your win.

 Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: Thank you, Mercy, it's indeed a win. One of my strong business values i Learnt from Vandabelt "The men who built America"

NCB: You are welcome.

Can you take us through your entrepreneurial journey?

How did it start?

What is your drive?

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: I started building businesses at 19 , mostly with confidence, vibes, and very little idea what I was doing.

My first startup lasted about a year. We even had a partner in the UK, so in my head, I thought, “global company already.” It failed calmly, respectfully… but very clearly.

 After that, I built about three more startups. All failed too. At some point, I had to pause and ask myself, “Is it the ideas… or is it me?” (It was me.)

But each failure taught me something how not to build, how not to partner, and most importantly, how not to ignore the actual problem.

The idea for Fluxt started when I was around 20. Back home, on a farm in Ondo State Owo local government. I was basically the “family fintech app.” If money needed to moved, it was my job. Meanwhile, my dad uneducated and my mom is educated, yet the systems weren't built on their local realities. So I saw the problem early. I just didn’t know how to solve it yet.

It took a few failures, a lot of learning, and some humility to realize that building isn’t about chasing ideas it’s about understanding people.

That’s really what drives me now. Not just building something that works, but building something that actually makes sense to the people using it and solves a real problem.

And this time, I’m not building on vibes. I’m building on experience and a healthy fear of failing the same way twice.

 I hope I could find better words that explain those moment of failures after validation.

NCB: Now, this is a journey built on process and hence, progress.

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: You can strongly say that.

NCB: I sure can.

How and when did you get to know about this competition?

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: I believe December. yeah

NCB: Can you tell us more about the competition, perhaps an overview.

Not many people know about it.

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: I would not call it a competition, but of course we compete in a way. It is called Student venture capital. The Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG) is a Federal Government of Nigeria initiative launched by the Ministry of Education to fund student-led innovations. It provides up to ₦50 million in equity-free pre-seed or seed funding, plus mentorship and incubation, targeting STEMM-focused startups from tertiary institutions across the country

NCB: What was your experience like during the process that lead to the final stage?

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: At the beginning, it just felt like another application. You fill forms, submit, and move on with your life because 30,000+ people applied… so you don’t want to get your hopes up too early. Much more, I have applied for over 500+ applications and about 50 vc's. But as I moved forward, it became more real.

Each stage forced me to slow down and really explain Fluxt properly not the way founders hype things, but the way normal people understand it. And that was harder than I expected. You can’t hide behind buzzwords (AI powered, built on blockchain were my lines when I started out... hahaha); you actually have to know what you’re building and have a strong resolve not vibes. The bootcamp and final stages were probably the most interesting part. You’re surrounded by other builders, all solving different problems that scares your own idea or stance, and I quickly realize it’s not just about having an idea, it’s about clarity, execution, and how well you understand your own space and the power of strong resolve. There were moments I questioned things like, “Is this clear enough?” or “Are we thinking big enough?” But I think that’s part of it.

Overall, it didn’t feel like a competition alone, it felt like a process that forced me to become a better founder and strategy lead at Fluxt.

And by the time I got to the final stage, I wasn’t just pitching Fluxt… I actually understood it better than when I started, the goal was to learn how to speak clearly before walking to the Shark Tank. The moment challenge my resolve when one of the Evaluator's suggested an alternative business to me, and I said "I believe Fluxt is the future that has come to stay with us now, and I believe strongly that I am building an Incredible and unbeatable product". My resolve was bold enough to be believed.

NCB: What are the new things you learnt during this process that you think every entrepreneur should know?

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: Be so sure about what you're building, sure enough to speak, to think, to stand in rooms and speak boldly. Talking about your venture everyday to anyone and everyone. When everyone was running rat race to learn script, I was very sure I needed no script because I look into the mirror everyday and Pitched when no one was watching, to everyone in moment I was unsure and shy, all I needed was to learn how to speak clearly. Importantly, have a strong resolve about what you're doing and be so sure that you can't break your resolve. Have a long term goal for your business, and be sure of your "why?", that's what keeps you running when you're tired and disappointed. You will have too much of disappointment in your lifetime as a business owner. And I believe when the reason of a thing is not known, the abuse is inevitable. Learn to fail fast and build network for leverage and have very strong business values. One of my top values is Hard work 

NCB: Fail fast!

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: High recommendation.

NCB: What is next after this win?

 Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: Very good question. 

The honest answer? It’s not about spending, it’s about not wasting it. Push funds into operation Strategy and growth

Compliance and onboarding stack

Pilot launch in Nigeria, then 

NCB: How did you manage building something this as massive as Fluxt with your education?

 Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: At some point, I realized I couldn’t approach school and building Fluxt the same way as everyone else. The structure of classes and academic routines didn’t always align with how I think or how I work, so I had to sit down and be honest with myself about my priorities.

 School and building Fluxt don’t exactly cooperate. There were days I was in class physically, but mentally debugging product decisions. I had to accept early that I couldn’t do everything the “normal” way, so I started negotiating with myself, what actually matters right now?

At some point, I had dropped out in my head like a million times. Then I’d remember I still had assignments due.

Adding another course at Miva didn’t help my sanity either. It was a lot. There were moments I genuinely wondered what I signed up for.

 But I think the turning point was understanding that this wasn’t just about surviving the moment, it was part of the process. Learning how to manage pressure, make decisions, and stay grounded when things feel chaotic.

It’s not perfect, and I’m still figuring it out. But I trust that everything I’m going through is shaping me into a better founder and leader

NCB: What has it been like lately?

Messages from family, friends, and well wishers.

How do you feel?

 Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: Overwhelmed, had to put my phone off at some point. But I deeply appreciate the messages and all the support.

I feel good, yeah.

NCB: Congratulations once againn. We have come to the end of the interview. Thank you

Caleb Pamilerin Sobaloju: Thank you for the privilege and honour of having me