Fredrick Oladipupo, a senior software engineer and entrepreneur, has been named winner of the Tech Innovation for Social Impact Award at the 2025 Crest Africa Awards. The recognition highlights his efforts in developing technology that addresses everyday challenges while promoting inclusion and community support across borders.

Oladipupo is best known as the founder of BabySteps, a parenting support application that helps families monitor their children’s developmental milestones. The app combines personalised guidance with expert insights and interactive activities, offering parents practical tools for strengthening early childhood development. Already adopted by families in Africa and the United Kingdom, the platform has been praised for making parenting more informed and less overwhelming.

Explaining his motivation, Oladipupo said, “Technology is most powerful when it solves everyday problems and makes life better for people. For me, it was important to create something that gave parents clarity and confidence, especially in those early years when guidance can make a huge difference.”

In addition to BabySteps, Oladipupo created PlatformAdvisor, a research-driven comparison tool designed to help entrepreneurs and organisations identify the right digital platforms for their operations. He described the project as “a way to give African businesses the confidence to adopt technology without fear of wasting resources on tools that do not serve their needs.”

His influence extends beyond product design. As a volunteer mentor with CodeYourFuture (CYF UK), a charity that trains refugees and disadvantaged individuals in software development, Oladipupo has been involved in mentoring aspiring developers. He teaches both technical skills and the resilience required to build careers in technology, an experience he says is as rewarding for him as it is for his mentees.

“Mentorship is about more than teaching code,” he noted. “It is about showing people that they belong in this industry and that their voices matter in shaping the future of technology.”

Crest Africa, in announcing the award, said Oladipupo’s work demonstrated how innovation grounded in empathy could transform communities. The organisers highlighted his ability to link personal experiences with scalable solutions that address broader social needs.

Looking ahead, Oladipupo said his priority would be to expand BabySteps to reach more families globally while continuing to support developers through mentorship. “The journey is not just about technology,” he said. “It is about inclusion and making sure innovation truly works for the people it is meant to serve.”

The recognition of Oladipupo at the Crest Africa Awards reflects a growing emphasis on technology not simply as an industry driver but as a tool for social change.