Get Guardian on GoogleAs businesses accelerate investments in artificial intelligence (AI), difficulties connecting the technology to existing computer systems are emerging as a major obstacle to its deployment, a challenge Nigerian-born software engineer Saheed Akinbile is seeking to address through his technology startup.
Akinbile’s San Francisco-based company, Minicor, has raised $3.8 million in seed funding to develop software that enables AI applications to communicate with older business systems that lack modern integration capabilities.
The funding, announced on October 14, was led by Brad Gillespie of IA Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Paul Graham, Pioneer Fund, Robinhood Ventures, Garage Capital, Rebel Fund, K5 Global and 20VC.
The development comes as Nigerian businesses explore AI adoption, with PwC’s 2025 Nigerian CEO Survey reporting that 81 per cent of surveyed chief executives expected AI to become integrated into their business processes and workflows within three years. However, connecting newer technologies to existing infrastructure remains a challenge for many organisations.
Many businesses, particularly in healthcare, banking and logistics, still depend on desktop applications that were not designed to communicate with newer digital platforms. Replacing such systems can be expensive and disruptive, while integrating them with AI applications often requires specialised technical work.
Minicor’s platform seeks to address this problem by converting desktop workflows into application programming interfaces (APIs), allowing different software applications to exchange information and perform tasks without requiring businesses to replace their existing systems.
The company reportedly focused on desktop automation after a prospective customer sought to connect an AI application to a medical records system that lacked an API. Its technology uses AI to create and repair workflows, while providing activity logs, video recordings, and human approval controls to monitor automated operations.
Akinbile co-founded Minicor with Faizaan Chishtie. The startup was admitted into Y Combinator’s Spring 2026 programme after seven applications and three interview invitations, marking a significant step in its development.
Born and raised in Lagos, Akinbile moved to Canada at 18, initially intending to study mechanical engineering before switching to software engineering at the University of Ottawa. His professional experience includes roles at Ford, Morgan Stanley and Kinaxis, spanning automotive technology, financial services and software development.
At Ford, he worked on automotive technologies involving cameras, parking assistance and vehicle controls. He also helped build Software for Love and worked on Lucky Star, a lottery product under ESS Nigeria Limited, before co-founding Minicor.
Minicor says its platform has recorded 2.5 million automation executions and processes thousands of workflows weekly. The company also reported taking a customer from proof of concept to production within three weeks, although these figures have not been independently verified.
The startup faces competition from established automation providers, including UiPath and Microsoft’s Power Automate. Its ability to attract and retain customers will depend on the reliability of its technology, security safeguards, and the value it offers businesses. The company has not disclosed its valuation, revenue, or number of paying customers.
Although Minicor is headquartered in the United States and has not announced plans to establish operations in Nigeria, Akinbile has identified making Nigeria a better place to live as one of his personal motivations. The investment highlights the contribution of Nigerian-born technology professionals to developing solutions for global business challenges.
