Morganable Technology / startups
A Nigerian-born software engineer is helping businesses tackle one of the problems slowing artificial intelligence adoption: connecting modern AI tools to older computer systems.
Lagos —
Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses work. Companies are exploring tools that can organise information, support employees and handle routine tasks. However, introducing AI is not always as simple as installing a new application.
Many organisations still depend on computer systems built years ago. These programmes may hold important records and support daily operations, but they were not designed to work with modern AI tools. Connecting them can take time, cost money and require specialist developers.
This is the challenge Minicor wants to solve.
The San Francisco-based startup, co-founded by Nigerian-born software engineer Saheed Akinbile and Faizaan Chishtie, has raised $3.8 million in seed funding to develop technology that helps AI applications work with older business software.
The funding round was led by Brad Gillespie of IA Ventures. Other investors included Y Combinator, Paul Graham, Pioneer Fund, Robinhood Ventures, Garage Capital, Rebel Fund, K5 Global and 20VC.
The investment will support the company’s product development and growth as it targets businesses that want to adopt AI without replacing the systems they already use.
Why older software can slow down AI adoption
Many businesses rely on software that has served them for years. Hospitals, for example, may use desktop programmes to manage patient records. Financial institutions also depend on established systems to process information and support daily services.
These programmes may still perform their original functions. The difficulty is that some were built before cloud services and AI applications became common. As a result, they may not have a simple way to share information with newer tools.
Developers often connect applications through application programming interfaces, known as APIs. In simple terms, an API is a bridge that allows two computer programmes to exchange information.
When older software does not have an API, connecting it to another application can become complicated. Developers may need to build a custom connection or create a series of steps to move information between systems. This can take time and require ongoing maintenance.
Replacing the old software is not always a practical option. It may be expensive, disrupt daily operations and force employees to learn a completely different system. Organisations may also have years of records and established processes tied to the software.
This leaves businesses with a problem: they want to use modern AI tools, but their existing systems may not be ready to work with them. Minicor is developing its product to address that gap.
How Minicor’s technology works
Minicor is building a platform that allows AI-powered applications to interact with traditional desktop software, including programmes that do not offer modern APIs.
The platform is designed to turn a described task or workflow into an endpoint that another application can use. An endpoint is a defined way for one programme to request a service from another.
For example, a healthcare company may develop an AI tool to help organise information. However, a hospital’s older records programme may not provide a direct way for the two systems to communicate.
Minicor’s technology is designed to help the AI application carry out tasks through the existing programme. This could allow the hospital to explore automation without immediately replacing its records system.
The company combines AI agents with structured automation. AI can help create and repair workflows, while routine tasks follow defined steps. This is important because an AI agent that has to interpret a computer screen and decide what to click every time may produce inconsistent results.
A structured process can make routine work easier to repeat and monitor. Minicor also offers features such as activity logs and video recordings of automation sessions. These can help developers review what happened during a task and investigate problems.
The goal is to make automation useful in real business operations, not just during a product demonstration.
The Nigerian-born co-founder
Akinbile’s background gives the startup a Nigerian connection. He grew up in Lagos and moved to Canada at the age of 18. He initially planned to study mechanical engineering but later switched to software engineering at the University of Ottawa.
His professional experience includes roles at Ford, Morgan Stanley and Kinaxis. These companies operate in different sectors, including automotive, financial services and enterprise technology.
That experience exposed him to the way large organisations use software to manage complex operations. It also gave him insight into the challenges that arise when different systems do not work easily together.
Akinbile later moved into entrepreneurship and co-founded Minicor with Chishtie. The founders reportedly applied seven times to Y Combinator and received three interview invitations before securing a place in its Spring 2026 programme.
Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that supports early-stage companies with funding, advice and access to a network of founders and investors. Its backing can help young businesses gain visibility and build relationships that support their growth.
What the $3.8m funding could mean
The investment gives Minicor more resources to develop its platform and reach potential customers. However, raising funding is only one step in building a successful technology company.
The startup says its platform is already processing thousands of workflows each week across healthcare electronic health records and other older business systems. It has also reported helping one customer move from an early test to a live deployment within three weeks. These are company-reported figures and have not been independently verified.
Minicor is targeting businesses and AI companies that need new applications to work with existing software. Potential areas of use include healthcare, financial services, automotive services and logistics.
For instance, a business may want to transfer information between two programmes that do not have a direct connection. Instead of asking employees to repeat the same steps manually, it could use automation to handle the process.
That could save time, but businesses will need confidence that the technology is dependable. They will want to know that it handles information safely, records its actions and can recover when something goes wrong.
Minicor will also face competition. Established providers such as Microsoft Power Automate and UiPath already offer business automation products. The startup must show why its approach is useful, especially for organisations that depend on older desktop applications.
The company has not publicly disclosed its valuation, revenue or number of paying customers. Turning early interest into long-term customer relationships will be an important test as it grows.
A wider opportunity for AI adoption
The problem Minicor is addressing reflects a wider challenge. AI tools are developing quickly, but businesses cannot always abandon the systems that keep their operations running.
This is especially important in sectors that handle sensitive records and essential services. A hospital, for example, cannot change its entire information system overnight without careful planning, staff training and checks.
Businesses need solutions that fit their existing operations. They must also consider privacy, security, accuracy and the level of human oversight required when AI handles important tasks.
Minicor’s approach offers one possible route. Instead of asking organisations to replace all their software, it wants to help modern applications work with systems that are already in place.
Still, the company must prove that its technology performs reliably beyond early trials. Businesses will expect consistent results, strong safeguards and clear benefits before depending on it for important work.
What it means for Nigeria’s technology community
Minicor is based in San Francisco and has not announced plans to establish operations in Nigeria. However, Akinbile’s journey highlights the contribution Nigerian-born professionals can make to technology development in international markets.
It also shows that innovation is not limited to building chatbots or consumer applications. Some important technology challenges involve connecting different systems, improving existing processes and helping organisations use new tools without disrupting their work.
For Nigeria’s technology community, the story offers an example of how technical skills and industry experience can contribute to products serving customers around the world.
The $3.8 million funding round is an important early milestone for Minicor, but it does not guarantee success. The company must now show that its platform can solve a difficult problem at scale and earn the confidence of businesses.
As more organisations explore artificial intelligence, the need to connect new tools with older systems may continue to grow.
Minicor is positioning itself to serve that need. Its next challenge is to turn that opportunity into a reliable product and a sustainable business.
