Jon Edward Santillan, Selling to Careem, Starting his Second Company, and Building OCTA in Public – Ep.5, Season 3
Description
Jon Santillan is the co-founder of OCTA, a platform automating financial operations for businesses — starting with accounts receivables and embedded financing. He’s a second-time founder, previously building and selling Denarii to Careem. Based in Dubai, Jon’s been operating in the region for over a decade, and he’s now focused on helping SMEs across the Middle East get paid faster, streamline workflows, and access capital when they need it.
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The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.
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Jon’s LinkedIn account: @Jon Edward Santillan
OCTA’s Website: https://weareocta.com/
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SHOW NOTES:
00:00 Introduction to Jon Santillan and the Podcast
03:06 Journey to Founding OCTA
04:49 Challenges and Solutions in Payment Collections
09:21 Revenue Streams and Business Model
17:40 Global Market Aspirations
20:22 Fundraising and Investor Relations
27:35 Early Career and SEO Expertise
32:31 Entrepreneurial Journey and Founding Denarii
45:03 Acquisition by Careem and Lessons Learned
53:35 The Role of Capital in Ambition and Creativity
54:19 Integration Process Post-Acquisition
58:00 Reflections on Selling the Company
01:01:16 Angel Investing Approach
01:03:31 Building in Public: Strategy and Benefits
01:08:28 Challenges of Being an Expat Founder
01:11:42 Advice on Co-Founding Relationships
01:18:00 Managing Investor Relationships
01:27:03 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts
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