Jon Edward Santillan, Selling to Careem, Starting his Second Company, and Building OCTA in Public – Ep.5, Season 3

Jon Santillan is the co-founder of OCTA, a platform automating financial operations for businesses — starting with accounts receivables and embedded financing. He’s a second-time founder, previously building and selling Denarii to Careem. Based in Dubai, Jon’s been operating in the region for over a decade, and he’s now focused on helping SMEs across the Middle East get paid faster, streamline workflows, and access capital when they need it.

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The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.

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Jon’s LinkedIn account: @Jon Edward Santillan

OCTA’s Website: https://weareocta.com/

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SHOW NOTES:

00:00 Introduction to Jon Santillan and the Podcast

03:06 Journey to Founding OCTA

04:49 Challenges and Solutions in Payment Collections

09:21 Revenue Streams and Business Model

17:40 Global Market Aspirations

20:22 Fundraising and Investor Relations

27:35 Early Career and SEO Expertise

32:31 Entrepreneurial Journey and Founding Denarii

45:03 Acquisition by Careem and Lessons Learned

53:35 The Role of Capital in Ambition and Creativity

54:19 Integration Process Post-Acquisition

58:00 Reflections on Selling the Company

01:01:16 Angel Investing Approach

01:03:31 Building in Public: Strategy and Benefits

01:08:28 Challenges of Being an Expat Founder

01:11:42 Advice on Co-Founding Relationships

01:18:00 Managing Investor Relationships

01:27:03 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts