Celebrating Excellence: Japaflex Founder, Ajibola Agbaje, Scoops Historic Double Win at the Black Business & Tech Awards 2025

Ajibola Agbaje, Japaflex Founder.

What an unforgettable night! The prestigious Black Business & Tech Awards (BBTA) 2025 brought together the brightest minds, most resilient entrepreneurs, and influential leaders across the Tees valley region’s booming innovation ecosystem. In what was one of the most competitive lineups of the night, Ajibola achieved a truly remarkable double win, taking home both the Innovation in Tech Award and the highly coveted Tech Ambassador of the Year.

The high-profile ceremony underscored the growing significance of the Black tech community in the North East. Among the distinguished guests cheering on our finalists was the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Chris Cooke.

Mayor Cooke commended the rapid growth of the region's Black tech sector, warmly applauding the visionary founders who are driving deep, meaningful impact through everyday technological innovation. For Ajibola, a data scientist and product development professional with over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience, who also dedicates his time as a mentor with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, this milestone belongs to the wider global diaspora.

Japaflex has been widely celebrated for solving some of the most isolating challenges of modern mobility: the profound disconnection, loneliness, and uphill battle immigrants face when trying to build meaningful networks in unfamiliar cities.

Olawale Bamidele, Winner of Digital Tech Transformation Award

Honoring the Trailblazers: Spotlight on Olawale Bamidele

The evening was a reminder of the powerhouse of diverse talent reshaping tech both locally and globally. The community continues to be inspired by figures like Olawale Bamidele, a UK-based Product Designer, community builder, and founder of UX Thrive; a design community that has impacted thousands of creatives across Africa and beyond.

Olawale, who has led design teams at Scud Technologies and created widely used Figma ecosystem tools like FlagFetch and FigmaPlugins.net, has mentored over 300 aspiring designers. His tireless work in closing the mentorship gap and shaping user-centered products earned him the Tech Impact Award at the Black Business Community Awards Teesside 2024, the Africa Hero Award, and a well-deserved spot among Nigeria’s Top 10 Product Designers.

It is innovators like Ajibola and Olawale who remind us why the Black Business & Tech Awards exist: to provide a platform, a microphone, and a celebration for those who build bridges, foster community, and drive forward the future of technology.

Congratulations once again to the winners.