When Nigerian-born cybersecurity professional, Valeen Oseh-Ovarah, left the United States for the United Kingdom earlier this year, she was not simply relocating.

She was beginning a new chapter of purpose, vision, and innovation.

After years of investigating cybercrime and financial fraud in the U.S., Oseh-Ovarah arrived in London with a singular goal: to build a tech solution that protects students from the growing threat of online scams.

Backed by the prestigious UK Innovator Visa, which is awarded only to select global entrepreneurs with innovative and scalable ideas, she is now set to launch her first startup, TisOva.

“I moved to the UK in the last week of February 2023 with one mission,” she said in an interview from her new base in London.

“To build a solution that can protect students from the rise in online scams. TisOva is my first tech startup, and while it’s scary, it’s also incredibly exciting.”

Before relocating, Oseh-Ovarah lived in Austin, Texas, where she worked at Minim, a Motorola subsidiary, as a Technical Product Specialist and Product Owner. In that role, she supported real-time technical product issues while also contributing to user-driven product development focused on home networking and safe online connectivity.

Her earlier work at BBVA USA as a Fraud Investigator saw her analysing financial transactions, identifying fraud patterns, and collaborating closely with law enforcement and internal legal teams.

“I was helping protect the bank and its customers from financial loss,” she explained. “That role opened my eyes to how widespread financial fraud really is, and how many everyday people are affected.”

Perhaps the most defining part of her investigative career was at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Computer Forensics and Research Lab. As a Cybercrime Investigator, she worked on multiple digital investigations alongside partners like Meta, financial institutions such as Regions Bank, and U.S. federal agencies.

One of the cases she supported, under the supervision of her professor, Gary Warner, led to the successful prosecution of nine organised cybercriminals in the U.S.

“It was a powerful experience. It showed me that with the right tools and collaboration, cybercrime can be fought. But it also made me realise that prevention matters just as much as prosecution.”

While working on high-impact cases, Valeen began to notice a disturbing trend close to home. Her own friends, especially international students, were increasingly falling victim to online scams.

“Two of my student friends in the U.S. lost a lot of money. Another friend in the UK had to drop out of university after falling victim to an online scam. These weren’t isolated events. This is the reality for thousands of students each year.”

At that point, she knew she wanted to build a scalable solution. But her U.S. work visa did not allow her to start a business. That led her to explore innovation ecosystems abroad, and eventually, to apply for the UK Innovator Visa. The application process was rigorous, requiring independent assessment, proof of innovation and market need, and a well-researched business plan.

“The Innovator Visa isn’t easy to get. Your idea has to be something the market hasn’t seen before. There’s an interview, the business plan, validation. Everything has to be top-tier. So when I received it, it was more than a visa. It was a signal that my idea had global potential.”

Now based in London, she is focused on building TisOva, an AI-powered scam detection and prevention platform designed specifically for students.

According to her, this demographic is often overlooked in the cybersecurity conversation.
“Students are trusting, always online, and for many of them, it’s their first time managing money. But the systems meant to protect them don’t speak their language. That’s what TisOva aims to fix. We want to make scam detection proactive, accessible, simple and relatable.”

Though still in the early stages, Valeen has ambitious goals. She hopes to reduce scam-related incidents among students by at least 30 per cent by the year 2030 and envisions TisOva reaching students across Europe, Americas, Africa, and other parts of the world. She acknowledges that the journey hasn’t been easy.

“This is my first time ever in the UK. I came here alone, with no family, no personal network. As a Nigerian-born, Black female founder building a tech company from scratch, there are a lot of challenges. Navigating immigration, understanding the startup landscape, even finding community, it’s all new. Still, she remains undeterred.

“My investigative and Nigerian background taught me never to leave anything to chance. I know I have to be excellent. I show up prepared and do the work.”

When asked what success means to her at this point in her life, her answer is both practical and visionary. “Right now, it’s about settling into the UK and building a strong foundation for TisOva.

Long term, it’s about creating a company that protects millions of students globally. But more than that, it’s about representation.”
Valeen wants her journey to serve as a reference point for others who may not see themselves represented in tech and innovation.

“As a Black, immigrant woman in cybersecurity and tech, I want to be someone others can look up to. I want to change the image of what leadership in tech looks like. I want to be the person I wish I had seen when I was starting out.”

From investigating fraud in the United States to building a cybersecurity company in the United Kingdom, Valeen Oseh-Ovarah’s journey is a testament to the power of vision, resilience, and purposeful innovation. Her story reminds us that sometimes, protecting the digital world begins with one bold step across borders.