by Twenty years ago, Serge Amouzou was still a young man living in the West African republic of Togo. Today, he lives in San Francisco and is the founder and CEO of Finpro(Opens in a new window) (formerly Finmod). This fintech start-up applies artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques to help businesses predict financials.
Amouzou recently discussed Finpro and his path to its creation with Dan Kihanya of Founders Unfound(Opens in a new window) podcast. A serial entrepreneur himself, Kihanya uses his platform to showcase founders from underrepresented communities, both in tech and beyond.
What is Finpro?
According to Amouzou, Finpro’s technology allows teams to forecast financials 10 times faster than the hours typically spent creating business models in spreadsheets. It does this by pulling from multiple data sources, such as accounting software, bank accounts and payroll systems. You can even throw your own inputs into the mix, like projected employee numbers or your own revenue projections. Once all this data is entered, Finpro uses its algorithms to surface information and make recommendations.
Another important aspect of Finpro is its reporting capabilities. Often, businesses do not have a standard format for financial reporting, which makes it difficult to communicate financial data between teams. Finpro’s forecasts apply to everything, including marketing budgets, sales, revenue, headcount and expenses, so every team can generate their reports using the same common template. This, in turn, allows executives to log into the software and see a complete picture of the company.
A founder’s journey
Founding a fintech start-up was not always Amouzou’s goal. He moved to the United States in 2005 to live with his mother, who was already in Baltimore, and continue his studies. Because of his lifelong interest in the sciences, his first ambition was to become a neurosurgeon. However, the allure of computer technology and the entrepreneurship it encouraged steered him steadily in that direction — and much earlier in life than you might imagine. He incorporated his first business, a web development company, while still in high school.
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Among other gems in Amouzou’s conversation with Kihania is how English became his third language (after French and his native language Ewé) once he arrived in the United States. He became so proficient in the language in just six months that he received a special academic commendation from then-President George W. Bush.
To learn more about Amouzou’s entrepreneurial journey, listen to his full interview(Opens in a new window) on the Founders Unfound podcast.
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