Apisentry

APISentry is a pioneering cybersecurity startup founded in Nigeria in September 2023 by Sylvia Onwukwe, Damilola Enikanoselu, and Emmanuel Ezehiwele. The company emerged from a critical market need identified through their previous venture, Wired Assurance, a security testing firm that conducted penetration testing and detected numerous API security flaws across African businesses. As cyberattacks targeting APIs are projected to cost businesses over a trillion dollars by 2025, APISentry developed a comprehensive API security platform specifically tailored for early and growth-stage tech startups across Africa. The platform addresses the fragmented nature of traditional cybersecurity solutions, which often result in high costs, multiple alerts, and significant security gaps.

At its core, APISentry leverages AI-powered advanced real-time protection to safeguard organizations’ APIs against emerging threats. The platform operates through a dual-mode system: a learning mode that flags suspicious activities and an active mode that blocks potential threats in real-time. This innovative approach has proven highly effective, with the company successfully mitigating over a million cyberattacks to date. In one notable case, APISentry helped a financial institution prevent a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack by implementing rate-limiting measures that blocked malicious traffic while allowing legitimate operations to continue uninterrupted. The solution combines advanced threat detection with compliance maintenance and performance enhancement, providing organizations with comprehensive API security in an increasingly dynamic cybersecurity landscape.

APISentry’s impact extends beyond Nigeria, with a growing customer base across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Namibia, demonstrating the company’s commitment to addressing Africa’s escalating cybersecurity crisis. The startup has gained significant recognition, winning a $1,000 cash prize at The Builders Summit’s Startup Innovation Challenge and participating in prestigious accelerator programs including the BRAIN Accelerator in Cape Town and the Founders Connect competition. Under the leadership of CEO Emmanuel Ezehiwele, APISentry aims to contribute not only to effective API security solutions but also to economic growth and workforce development in African markets through security compliance support, education and training programs, cybersecurity internships, and initiatives empowering women in tech. With ambitious expansion plans for Africa and Europe, APISentry remains at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation for today’s digital enterprises.