New Brunswick startup hub Venn Innovation has added a new board member: Welkom-U Chief Executive Oluwatosin "Tosin" Ajibola, whose company finished a closed test of its software last month.

Ajibola, a recent immigrant to Canada, started Welkom-U with his three co-founders last year with plans to help newcomers to Atlantic Canada integrate into their communities. Now, he oversees a team of 11 people.

He won the 2020 RBC Student of the Year Leadership Award at University of New Brunswick, and Welkom-U won PlanetHatch’s Startup Up VISA award earlier this year. And last month, Ajibola and his co-founder, Babajide Sosan, ranked 26th in Atlantic Canada’s 30 under 30 Innovators list from Atlantic Business Magazine.  

“Having been through the Venn Garage as a founder, I understand their vision and work,” said Ajibola in a press release.

“I am dedicated and committed to the development of our region, and I look forward to contributing to the team and to the overall vision and goals of the organization."

Ajibola and his team won access to Venn’s startup incubator, Venn Garage, in August 2020 via the organization’s inaugural open pitch competition.

Welkom-U’s onlne platform will offer a suite of services including information about local customs and help with accessing documentation for the credit checks required to rent most apartments.

The company is also preparing to raise a pre-seed funding round in January. By then, they expect to make Welkom-U available to students throughout Atlantic Canada, with a national expansion to come later.