Nigerian Innovator BoluwatifeBen-Adeola: From University of Lagos Lecture Halls to Global Tech Leadership

Oyebisi Maria

In the rapidly evolving world of technology, Nigerian-born technologist Boluwatife
Ben-Adeola stands as a testament to the global impact of homegrown talent.

From his foundational education in Lagos to groundbreaking projects across continents,
his journey exemplifies the potential of Nigerian professionals on the international
stage.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
from the University of Lagos in December 2019, Ben-Adeola demonstrated exceptional aptitude in his field. While still in his final year, his proficiency in competitive programming caught the attention of global financial giant Bloomberg.

Excelling in their rigorous interview process, he secured a coveted software engineering position in their London office—a remarkable feat for a student yet to complete his degree.

At Bloomberg, Ben-Adeola worked on the Evaluated Pricing Service (BVAL), a
critical tool for providing accurate pricing of fixed-income securities such as bonds and loans.

Global Impact at Palantir Technologies
Seeking new challenges, a year after, Ben-Adeola joined Palantir Technologies as
a forward-deployed engineer.

This role combined his technical expertise with client-facing responsibilities, allowing him to apply his skills directly to the complex, real-world problems. His first assignment led him to South Korea, where he was
part of an elite three-member team tasked with securing a partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries Samho, a global leader in shipbuilding.

The team grew in size and successfully secured a $20 million contract within a
year. Notably, Ben-Adeola was promoted to Technical Lead just six months into
the project—a rapid advancement that underscored his leadership abilities and
technical prowess.

He spearheaded initiatives to improve production line quality and integrated big data analytics into safety procedures, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and safety standards.

Building on this success, he led a logistics optimization project in Central and
Eastern Europe, further solidifying his reputation as a global innovator capable of
delivering impactful solutions across diverse industries.

Driven by his curiosity, Ben-Adeola took a six-month sabbatical to self-study
“Mechanistic Interpretability”, a niche yet burgeoning field in artificial intelligence
research focused on understanding the inner workings of AI models.

During this period, he published several in-depth technical expositions and delivered multiple youtube talks, amassing over 20,000 reads and 19,000 views respectively.

Eager to apply his expertise to product development, Ben-Adeola co-founded
AnswerGrid alongside former Palantir colleague Noah Ohrner.

Recognizing a gap in tools available to management consultants and investment analysts for their web research tasks, they developed an AI research agent designed to
revolutionize how professionals access and interpret unstructured data from the
web to accelerate their workflows.

Their innovative approach quickly gained traction. Less than a month into their
venture, they were accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator startup accelerator
program—an honor reserved for less than 1% of applicants.

This milestone came with a substantial $500,000 investment, prompting the duo to relocate to San Francisco for the summer batch of the program. There, they actively engaged with new customers and built relationships with investors.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Throughout his international endeavors, Ben-Adeola remains deeply connected to
his Nigerian roots.

He participates in mentorship programs and speaks at events aimed at nurturing the next generation of Nigerian tech talent. By sharing his experiences, he inspires aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs to pursue their ambitions on the global stage, emphasizing the value of determination and continuous learning.

Boluwatife Ben-Adeola’s journey from the University of Lagos to leading roles in
global technology firms is a compelling narrative of talent meeting opportunity.

His accomplishments at Bloomberg and Palantir, coupled with his pioneering work
with AnswerGrid, highlight the significant contributions that Nigerian-educated
professionals can make it internationally.

His story challenges prevailing narratives and underscores the importance of investing in local talent development.

As he continues to push the boundaries of
technology and innovation, Ben-Adeola not only advances his own career but also
shines a spotlight on the vast potential within Nigeria’s tech community.

His achievements herald a future where Nigerian professionals play a central role in
shaping global technological advancements.