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Funding for African startups …Ghanaian fintech ‘Built’ makes list of top 60 businesses
Indigenous technology companies continue to gain local and international recognition as they commit to making life easy for individuals and businesses by developing innovative products and services.
The spotlight today is on the team at Built Financial Technologies Limited, a Ghanaian financial technology company (fintech) that is enabling access to business and financial software tools for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa.
Early this week, the firm was selected as one of the 60 companies across Africa as beneficiaries of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund in Africa — an initiative aimed at supporting black-founded startups on the fast-growing technology landscape.
Selected start-ups, per the announcement, would receive non-dilutive awards of between $50,000 and $100,000 and up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credit in addition to hands-on business and technical mentorship from Google’s network of mentors and facilitators, while learning the best practices on a range of tech-related topics and strategies.
The co-founders of ‘Built’ comprising Ms. Mary-Anne Aikins, Ms. Rosemary Kwofie, Mr. Yusif Katulie and Mr. Edward Neequaye are excited about the acknowledgment as the company continues to “build the digital infrastructure that SMEs need to launch, manage and grow their businesses.”
Impact
The young entrepreneurs, in an interview with The Spectator, described the award as a “further validation” of the impact the company had made over the years, indicating that the honour would inspire them to greater heights as they continue to make valuable propositions and stand tall in the financial technology space.
“It is a win for us and for the SMEs we support, as this is going to provide more fuel to keep building relevant solutions for SMEs in the markets we operate in,” Mr. Neequaye, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company said.
Mr. Katulie noted: “What makes us different is our approach to solving the access to credit gap in the market, first by building a financial operating system for SMEs to handle all financial transactions such as invoicing, accounting, payroll, payments, Point of Sale (POS) and secondly, building an ecosystem/suite of financial services.”
Company
The company has been in existence for the past six years and has supported over 20,000 SMEs. The ‘Built’ platform, according to the co-founders, currently with over 6,000 businesses, among other things, enables businesses to accept faster payments from their customers, from mobile money to card payments.
Its financial services again allows SMEs to access loans, via a microcredit subsidiary called ‘Thrive Microcredit’, and from financial partners offering insurance, savings, investments, hire purchases, among others.
With subsidiaries in Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the company aims to “normalise growth and prosperity for Africa’s SMEs, most of which currently do not grow beyond the level at which they started.”
The company again has the ‘Built Accounting’ mobile application on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store which continues to attract positive reviews from owners of small businesses.
Female co-founders
Rosemary and Mary-Anne, the two female co-founders at the company have an interesting connection and are impressed with their contributions to the growth of Built Technologies.
They both attended Archbishop Porter Girls’ Senior High School in Takoradi and the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) where they studied Business Administration, majoring in Accounting, and are now helping to provide solutions to small businesses.
Rosemary Kwofie
Rosemary is an entrepreneur with over six years of experience in finance and management consulting for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) while Mary-Anne is an Entrepreneur and a Chartered Accountant with over six years of experience in accounting, taxation and finance for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
As Chief Operating Officer, she handles business development and partnership with financial service providers and ensures “operational excellence” across various departments of the company.
The passion to co-found ‘Built’, she explained, was born out of her volunteerism with the Yale University alumni and American Field Service (IEP Ghana) where she trained businesswomen in bookkeeping and other trade practices at Yamoransa, near Cape Coast in the Central Region.
“The results of that work inspired me to commit to helping SMEs owners grow and drive financial inclusion for them,” she said.
She was among 24 students selected out of over 1,000 applicants for the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (KL-YES) Programme in the USA, where she lived and studied for a year in Frazee, Minnesota.
She has final level qualification from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and is currently the treasurer of the KL-YES Ghana Alumni Association. She was Peace volunteer for the 2012 Ghana Elections and worked at University of Ghana Staff Basic School as a volunteer ICT Tutor from 2012 to 2014.
Mary-Anne Aikins
As Chief Financial Officer, she works with the accounting team to provide virtual accounting services to users of the ‘Built’ platform and ensures “risk management practices are in place for disbursement and collection of loans.”
Her passion for helping SMEs build “credible financial profiles” was born out of her stint with the global accounting firm PKF Ghana which gave her insights into the difficulties SMEs face in keeping reliable and adequate financial data.
Over the years, she has trained over 500 business owners on the importance of bookkeeping and how to use technology to improve their operations for growth.
She holds a professional qualifying certification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana where she is a member and is a student member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana.
With the support from Google, the team at ‘Built’ say they are “drawing closer” to becoming the most preferred platform for SMEs across Africa.
By Ernest Nutsugah
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Is the “Rev” title biblical?
In many Ghanaian churches, pastors are often introduced as “Reverend” or simply “Rev.”
The title is seen as a mark of respect, yet its biblical basis continues to stir debate.
While some Christians argue that it is a harmless way to honour church leaders, others insist it is unbiblical and should not be used at all.
Those who question the title usually point to the Bible itself. Nowhere in Scripture did Jesus or the apostles use “Reverend” for themselves or for one another.
Instead, they addressed each other as “brother” or “servant.” In Matthew 23, Jesus even warned his followers not to seek titles such as “rabbi” or “father,” teaching that all believers are equal under one God.
Critics also note that Psalm 111:9 describes God’s name alone as “holy and reverend” in the King James Bible.
To them, this means the word should be reserved for God, not for human beings. Others go further, citing Job 32, which cautions against giving flattering titles to men.
For such voices, the modern use of “Reverend” risks elevating pastors beyond what the Bible prescribes.
On the other hand, defenders of the title argue that it is not meant to replace God’s reverence but simply to acknowledge a minister’s role.
In many churches, “Reverend” is given to ordained ministers who have undergone training, much like the way a doctor is addressed as “Dr.”
The Bible itself, they point out, encourages believers to honour their leaders, with 1 Timothy 5:17 stating that elders who direct the affairs of the church well are “worthy of double honour.”
In this sense, the title is seen as a formal courtesy rather than a theological statement.
Supporters remind critics that Christianity does not operate in a vacuum but within cultural settings.
In Ghanaian society, respect for elders and authority is central to social order. Just as chiefs are addressed with titles such as “Nana” or “Togbe,” many Christians believe it is fitting to extend a similar courtesy to church leaders.
In their view, calling a pastor “Reverend” reflects Ghanaian values of honour and respect, and does not amount to worshipping a human being.
Yet the debate is far from settled. Some argue that the title has been abused, with individuals presenting themselves as “Reverend” without any proper training or accountability.
Calls have even been made for the regulation of church titles to prevent confusion and protect the credibility of ministry. Others, however, see no harm in its continued use, so long as it is not taken beyond what Scripture allows.
At the heart of the matter lies a bigger question: should Christians stick strictly to biblical language when addressing their leaders, or is it acceptable to adapt titles as society evolves?
The conversation is not just theological but cultural, touching on how Ghana balances respect for tradition with the authority of Scripture.
The debate over the “Rev” title is therefore not one with easy answers. What is clear, however, is that it forces us to reflect on how we show honour, how we interpret the Bible, and how faith interacts with our cultural practices.
As the discussion continues in church pews and on social platforms, we ask you: should pastors and ministers be called “Reverend,” or should Christians abandon the title altogether?
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Police confirm arrest of two suspects in Asankrangwa murder case
The Western Central Regional Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two men in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 20-year-old man at the Asankrangwa Education Area on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
In a statement signed by the Head of the Public Affairs Unit, ASP Beatrice Turkson, the police said preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased was chased and stabbed multiple times by a group of people.
The incident is believed to have stemmed from a misunderstanding between the deceased and one of the suspects, identified as 36-year-old Kwasi Opong.
According to the police, swift action led to the arrest of Opong and another suspect, 23-year-old William Francis Osei. Both are currently in custody assisting with investigations, while efforts are underway to apprehend another suspect who is still on the run.
The police noted that the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Asankrangwa Catholic Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
“The Command assures the public that all persons connected to this heinous crime will be brought to justice,” the statement said.
The police appealed to the public to provide any information that could assist in the ongoing investigations.
By: Jacob Aggrey
