Scaling with Intention | Inside Madica’s Lagos Immersion Trip

In the heart of Africa’s innovation capital, Madica founders explored what it truly takes to scale - from mastering capital strategy to designing culture with intention.

Lagos - Africa’s commercial heartbeat and the continent’s boldest startup arena. The city hums with grit and possibility. It’s loud, relentless, and  mirrors the founders who call it home - ambitious, creative, and unafraid to build against the odds! After earlier immersions in Cape Town, London and Nairobi, Lagos became the perfect setting to imagine what scaling would look like when done with clarity, and purpose.

From October 11th to 16th, 2025, Madica founders, mentors, and partners gathered for a week  centred on one theme -scaling with intention. The Lagos Immersion Trip combined hands-on strategy workshops, culture design sessions, and ecosystem engagements that challenged founders to refine how they lead, grow, and tell their stories.

Learning by Doing: The Scale Up! Masterclass

The first few days at Lakowe Lakes set the pace. The Scale Up! Masterclass, led by Christian Rangen and facilitated by Rumbi Makanga and Vishal Shah of Strategy Tools, dropped founders into an intense, hands-on simulation that traced the full entrepreneurial journey - from idea to exit.

Working in teams, they structured funding rounds, analysed term sheets, and designed long-term capital strategies using Strategy Tools’ visual canvases. The pace was relentless, collaborative, competitive, and charged with the same urgency that defines early-stage building. It was less about theory and more about muscle memory, making calls under pressure, balancing investor expectations with founder conviction, and learning to think a few moves ahead. Every decision forced founders to see how financing shapes not just growth, but culture and control.

The energy was raw and generous. Teams argued, debated, learned, and laughed, all while unpacking, scaling beyond  capital strategy and taking away valuable lessons on how to lead, decide, and adapt when everything is on the line. 

Building Culture Before It Builds Itself

After two intense days of strategy and simulation, the evenings at Lakowe Lakes offered space for reflection. Facilitated by Lisa Mikkelsen of Flourish Ventures, the Madica Leadership Circles brought founders together to slow down, share values, and connect on a more personal level.

Gathered after dinner, founders spoke openly about what drives them, the principles behind their companies, and the moments that shaped their leadership styles. The conversations were honest and grounding, strengthening the bonds within the group.

The following day, those reflections carried into the Designing Startup Culture from Day One workshop. Using the Startup Culture Design Canvas, founders worked with Lisa to translate their values into action, defining the behaviours, rituals, and decision-making principles that would shape their company culture. The sessions unpacked what culture really means beyond slogans or framed values, and how it shows up in everyday life. From who gets heard, to how conflict is handled, what gets celebrated, and what quietly slips by, founders explored how their role and responsibility in building company culture. Using the Startup Culture Design Canvas, founders also translated values into action, mapping tangible behaviours, decision-making principles, and rituals that foster alignment and trust. The conversations were candid, vulnerable, and drew from the realities of leading small, fast-growing teams through change.

“The session on culture and people was exactly what we needed.”

- Marie-Reine Seshie, Kola Market‍

Of the many insights drawn, a shared truth emerged: great culture isn’t something that forms after success - it’s what makes success possible. 

Leading with Confidence

Alongside the workshops, founders took part in guided board simulation sessions. These were practical exercises that enabled founders to strengthen how they;  communicate (balancing transparency with context), articulate growth, pivots and learnings, and leverage stakeholders for guidance, connections and action.

The simulations offered a rare chance to practise board engagement in a supportive environment, receiving constructive input from mentors and Flourish and the Madica team while gaining a clearer view of how governance evolves as companies grow. It was a reminder that leadership isn’t only about vision, but also about accountability and openness.

“Board simulations created a safe space for honest, constructive feedback.”
- Youcef Rahmani, ToumAI

Connecting with the Ecosystem

Beyond the workshops and curated sessions, the Lagos Immersion was also about connection, bringing founders face-to-face with investors, operators, and fellow builders shaping Africa’s tech landscape.

During the week, founders meet investors and ecosystem players in Lagos in collaboration with Delta40. The informal meet-up provided space for open conversation over cocktails, shared stories, and mutual curiosity. 

The immersion trip culminated at the Moonshot by TechCabal Conference, where our founders joined hundreds of innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders. 

Finding the Right Market Position

At Moonshot, one session in particular struck a chord with our founders “Don’t Make Mouthwash, Make Halitosis,” led by Emeka Ajene, founder of Afridigest. Using examples from brands like Listerine and Flutterwave, Emeka explored how strategic positioning can transform how startups are perceived and adopted, turning a good product into a must-have. His five-part framework challenged founders to clarify their competing alternatives, unique attributes, and the specific value that makes their offerings stand out.

The session was dynamic, relatable, and deeply practical! A crash course in communicating value with precision and authenticity. For many founders, it underscored that clarity is currency. Positioning isn’t about grand vision statements; it’s about helping customers and investors instantly understand why you matter, right now.

Scaling with Intention

As the week drew to a close, the lessons from Lagos began to settle in. The city had tested and taught in equal measure. Every conversation, every exchange from strategy sessions to quiet evening reflections - carried a shared truth: growth isn’t a straight line, but a process of clarity, conviction, and connection.

In a single week, founders experienced the full rhythm of building with moments of pressure and release, strategy and stillness. They left with sharper perspectives, yes, but also with a stronger sense of self and of one another. The trip reminded everyone that while the entrepreneurial path can be isolating, the journey doesn’t have to be walked alone.

Lagos left its mark, not through the noise or the speed, but through the stillness it demanded in between. It reminded founders that scaling isn’t only about raising capital or expanding markets; it’s about building cultures that last, and communities that hold you up when things get hard.

‍

“The retreat deepened my knowledge of funding and networking, and reminded me that collaboration and preparation are key to successful investment efforts.”
- Achraf Chabbouh, Anavid

‍

“The retreat was an invaluable opportunity to reconnect and forge new connections.”
- Wafa Dhifi, Pixii Motors

‍

“Founders left curious and open, fostering collaboration.” - Yoeal Haile, Madica Mentor

‍

Each Madica Immersion trip, from Cape Town to London, Nairobi, and now Lagos, is designed to go beyond exposure. It’s about helping founders grow through experience, peer learning, and shared reflection. The Lagos edition combined strategic thinking with practical application, introspection with action, and local insight with global connection. As Madica continues to nurture a new generation of mission-driven founders, the message from Lagos was clear:

Scaling isn’t just about speed - it’s about intention, design, and community.