How Jumoke Dada is using Taeillo to redefine the Nigerian furniture space with AR/VR

What would you do as an African parent if you discovered that your daughter used the fees for her master’s degree to start a business? I think Jumoke Dada’s parents would not mind today since she started Taeillo, an Afrocentric furniture business with little to no capital, and turned it into a lucrative venture that has raised over $2.8 million investment in 5 years.
The furniture and interior decor space is not a traditional niche. Still, Jumoke Dada is redefining the space, adding innovation to her business by employing an Afrocentric style and AR/VR technology. Taeillo is the first furniture company in Nigeria to incorporate these emerging technologies to help better its customer service experience.
Jumoke Dada spent less than two years in the Nigerian corporate industry before becoming the founder and CEO of one of the biggest furniture companies in Nigeria and Kenya, Taeillo.
Read Also: Taeillo raises $2.5 million fund from new partnership with Aruwa Capital
How did it all start?
Jumoke Dada did not expect to run a business all by herself in her formative years. Growing up as an introvert, She claims that her mother considered her someone who was not vocal enough even to run a business. But here we are.
Coming from a family of architects who worked in civil service, Jumoke had been made to believe this was the pathway for her, especially by her dad. It could have been an easy ride for her as she was already exposed to the industry and could leverage family connections.
I come from a family of architects, so I already had like my life planned out.
Jumoke Dada on childhood ambitions
However, during her 3rd year at the University of Lagos, where she was studying to earn her bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Jumoke Dada had the most significant opportunity in the field, which turned out to be an eye-opener for her future.
After participating in a building project, she realized how difficult it would be to advance to the industry’s desired level and decided to make changes for herself.
I had seen one of the biggest buildings anybody would want to be part of in the architectural industry. I don’t think architecture was for me because at what point would I get to this stage? So I said, okay, you know, what, I’ll be able to express myself more with interior designs.
Jumoke focused on furniture design and manufacturing, but with a twist. She decided to introduce the concept of Afrocentric styles. She also noticed a loophole in the industry; furniture makers tended to target only wealthy people. So the desire to change that narrative became the goal of her business.
With very little capital, Jumoke Dada leveraged technology to start her business and get it operational. She started by posting furniture designs online without actually having physical ones. She made her first sale on Facebook, which helped her gain visibility, and eventually began the success story of Taeillo.
Read Also: Extended Reality (XR): Here is why Nigeria should not miss the wave
Redefining the Nigerian furniture space whilst leveraging AR/VR technologies
According to Jumoke Dada, one of Taeillo’s core missions is to provide better services for its customer and remain ahead in the game. One of the solutions devised to achieve this was introducing AR/VR to its business operations.
While several international brands like IKEA have adopted this technology, Taeillo claims to be the first furniture brand to implement the feature in Nigeria. Fortunately for Jumoke, her experience as a game developer exposed her to the concept and the benefits it holds for businesses. She created the virtual environment that now serves as the company’s VR showroom.
In an interview with Eberechukwu Etike of Technext, Jumoke explained that the company’s financial limitations at the time motivated her to incorporate this technology. After all, a virtual showroom is cheaper than renting space to showcase the products.
I think it’s because there was no money. Yeah, so, it’s just the t...