India · Fortune Technology
These cofounders quit corporate jobs, took on $100K in credit card debt, and slept in a Denny’s—now their $1.2B company is
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Some of the world’s most successful companies revved up their success in the least glamorous of places.
Key facts
- Today, Esusu is valued at $1.2 billion and reaches about 5 million rental units across all 50 U.S. states, representing around 12 million people
- This past December, Esusu raised another $50 million in Series C funding, which valued the company at $1.2 billion
- 326 investors said no to us on the first go-around, myself and Samir [Goel] had $100,000 in credit card debt, we’ve been kicked out of a Denny’s because we couldn’t afford a hotel room,” Wemimo
- The business’ 12 million customers and counting are all on a journey to strengthen their financial standing; in 2025 Esusu has helped 272,361 renters establish credit scores for the first time, a 34%
Summary
While growing fintech company Esusu to be a billion-dollar success, its creators were even willing to sleep in a Denny’s to get their dream off the ground. “326 investors said no to us on the first go-around, myself and Samir had $100,000 in credit card debt, we’ve been kicked out of a Denny’s because we couldn’t afford a hotel room,” Wemimo Abbey, cofounder and co-CEO of Esusu, tells Fortune. For years, the cofounders juggled rising credit checks and full-time jobs with scaling Esusu: a fintech company that helps renters build credit by reporting on-time rent payments to credit bureaus. Abbey was raised in what he calls the “slums” of Lagos, Nigeria, by his mother and two sisters.