Steven De Backer, born and raised in the DRC, lived in Tanzania, Burundi, and South Africa. His career began innovatively, founding Belgium's first online trading platform. Transitioning into law, he practiced as a corporate lawyer across Africa for over 15 years, earning recognition as one of the continent's leading lawyers. His expertise, spanning banking, telco and natural resources, took him to over 40 African countries. Steven was frequently confronted with the challenge of accessing reliable legal and regulatory information, a problem that led him to establish Afriwise in 2018.
Steven’s early work with financial data laid the foundation for his understanding of legal data's potential. He sees a parallel between the two, especially in the era of AI, where vast amounts of raw data can be analysed for impactful insights. With a rich background in law and technology, having lectured on the subject since 1998, and his technological acumen, Steven is on a mission to bridge the legal and regulatory knowledge gaps across Africa. His leadership at Afriwise is a dedication to enhancing Africa's economic development through legal intelligence and innovation. This synergy of law, technology, and passion for Africa positions Afriwise at the forefront of legal transformation on the continent.
