Two Young Nigerians Win $50K to Connect U.S. Jobs

Two Nigerian founders in their early twenties are building a bridge between struggling American small businesses and talented workers back home who need dollar income.

Jubelo Oyeniran, 22, and Ayorinde Alase, 24, just won $50,000 in non-dilutive funding for Kairos Nexus Global. Their platform connects cash-strapped U.S. startups with pre-vetted Nigerian professionals who can do the same work at significantly lower cost.

The math is simple but powerful. A mid-level developer in America costs over $100,000 annually. Through Kairos, small businesses can hire comparable talent for up to 60% less while providing life-changing dollar salaries to Nigerian workers.

Oyeniran, who's studying forensic accounting, handles the business strategy and financial architecture. Alase, a former insurance professional now pursuing his PhD in computer engineering, built the AI systems that verify identities and validate skills.

They're solving a trust problem that's plagued platforms like Upwork and Fiverr for years. Open marketplaces leave businesses guessing about who they're really hiring. Inflated portfolios, identity issues, and contract disputes create friction that discourages small companies from hiring internationally.

Kairos integrates identity checks, skill validation, and escrow-backed payments directly into every engagement. Trust isn't assumed. It's engineered into the system.

The Ripple Effect

The impact flows both directions across the Atlantic. Nigerian workers gain access to stable dollar income in an economy where currency devaluation makes local salaries worth less each year. Nigeria has one of the world's largest youth populations and a growing base of English-speaking digital professionals hungry for opportunity.

Meanwhile, American small businesses get a lifeline. Nearly half fail within five years, often because payroll costs drain their runway before they find product-market fit. Lower operating costs mean founders can build longer, test ideas faster, and eventually scale up to hire locally.

For Maryland-based startups where Kairos operates, accessing verified global talent can mean the difference between shutdown and survival. The $50,000 from the Pava Innovation Award is going toward AI vetting systems, compliance tools, and platform engineering.

The founders project $500,000 in annual revenue within three years. They're starting with Nigeria but designed the system to scale across emerging markets where talent is abundant but opportunity isn't.

It's a model where everyone wins: businesses stretch their budgets further, workers earn transformative income, and communities on both sides of the ocean grow stronger together.

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