9jacodekids
Meet Nigerian CEOs of EdTech startups who have raised $100K+ in funding rounds
Sub-Saharan Africa stands out with the highest rates of education exclusion among the six developing world regions, as noted by the World Bank.
This concerning trend has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a rapid uptake of new educational technologies across the continent.
Amidst this backdrop, the EdTech industry has witnessed significant growth, with its value soaring to $106.46 billion in 2021. Projections indicate a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1% by 2026, culminating in an estimated value of $457.8 billion.
Within Nigeria, the burgeoning e-learning sector is poised to reach $107.90 million by the close of 2024, presenting a lucrative opportunity for private investors to explore.
However, Nigeria’s education landscape is marked by stark disparities in quality, particularly between urban and rural areas. Urban schools enjoy superior infrastructure, well-trained educators, and ample resources, leaving their rural counterparts at a disadvantage.
Compounding these challenges is the issue of insufficient funding and resource mismanagement, hampering the education system’s ability to cater to the needs of its burgeoning population.
Despite financial constraints, several EdTech startups have persevered in their mission to bridge the education gap, expanding their reach to underserved areas. Some have successfully secured substantial investments exceeding $100,000, showing investor confidence in the sector’s potential.
Behind the success of these ventures are chief executives who guide their companies towards the mission of democratizing education. These leaders play a pivotal role in driving innovation and addressing the pressing needs within Nigeria’s educational sector.
10. Ojiugo Uche- Co-founder/CEO, Genti Media
Ojiugo Uche, co-founder and CEO of Genti Media, has a versatile professional background across diverse sectors, encompassing consulting, research, education, and human rights advocacy. Her tenure in organizations such as BudgIT Nigeria and McKinsey & Company, where she held significant roles including Head of Research and Business Analyst respectively, bestowed upon her invaluable expertise in data analysis, project management, and research methodology.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Uche champions education and cultural preservation, exemplified by her authorship of “Koyon Turanci da C’lela.”
Genti Media, launched in 2021, and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, operates as an audio media platform specializing in African audio content, offering a diverse array of stories, dramas, and educational materials in various African languages.
Bolstered by seed capital of $230,000 Genti Media thrives in the incubator/accelerator stage, poised for further growth and innovation in its mission to amplify African voices. Investors of Genti Media include the CcHub Mastercard Foundation Ed-Tech Fellowship Program.
9. Ugochukwu Nkwocha- CEO, 9jacodekids
Ugochukwu is the CEO and founder of 9jacodekids. A graduate of Electrical/Electronic Engineering with a master’s degree in Computer Network Administration and Management from the University of Portsmouth, Ugochukwu founded the company in 2016.
9jacodekids Academy is Nigeria’s leading STEM education institute providing coding and robotics programs for kids aged 4 to 16 years. 9jacodekids Academy offers STEM education, specializing in coding and robotics programs tailored for children aged 4 to 16.
Since its establishment in 2016, it has instructed over 5000 students, both locally and internationally, in fundamental coding competencies encompassing web design, mobile app design, game design, robotics, and artificial intelligence
In April 2022, it secured a significant seed investment totalling $350,000, marking a pivotal moment in its journey. The seed round was funded by Bolaji Balogun, as part of the Ultima Lions’ Den Season 2 reality TV show.
8. Eyitayo Ogunmola-CEO, Utiva
Eyitayo Ogunmola is the CEO and founder of Utiva, a tech-driven virtual environment that enables people to learn advanced tech skills and move into new jobs in tech founded in 2018.
He has served as a Lead Partner at FliT Inc. Additionally, Eyitayo has contributed his expertise as an Advisory Board Member at Zummit Africa and as a Community Fellow at Facebook, where he received funding to scale Utiva’s operations across new cities. Before his current roles, Eyitayo held positions at prestigious organizations such as Creative Associates International and Acceltage Consulting.
It has served over 110,000 Alumni from 30 cities, 300 coaches and mentors, and over 500 hiring partners.
Utiva raised $500,000 in funding to scale up and develop FLiT into a Pan-African digital apprenticeship programme for young Africans- from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE).
7. Dimeji Falana-CEO, EDVES
Dimeji Falana is the co-founder and CEO of EDVES, an Education tech startup founded in 2016.
Falana is a tech entrepreneur with a background in Computer Science and Business Administration from the University of Chester. With over a decade of experience in software and digital innovation development, he has served as a trainer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) AITI Summer program, where he imparted his knowledge to aspiring tech enthusiasts.
In 2018, the startup bagged the Best Edtech Prize in Switzerland, awarded by Seedstars, with a grant totalling $50,000 generously funded by the Jacobs Foundation.
It raised an additional investment of $120,000 from Chinook Capital and GC Fund CChub. In 2021, EDVES received a substantial seed investment of $575,000.
As a full-featured school management software that automates all K-12 school processes to enhance education, EDVES has raised a total of$766,500 in seed funding.
6. Sam Emmanuel-CEO, Semicolon
Sam Emmanuel is the CEO of Semicolon Africa, a tech-enabled educational startup founded in 2018 and based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Before his role at Semicolon Africa, Emmanuel was a Client Partner at Teradata in the Greater Detroit Area from August 2016 to September 2018. From January 2014 to December 2015, he worked as a Sales Manager at SAP in the EMEA region.
As a Middleware Territory Sales Manager at Oracle from 2012 to 2014, Emmanuel managed and optimized the sale of Fusion Middleware to clientele within the financial services, telecom, oil & gas, and public sectors.
Semicolon is a Nigerian EdTech startup which offers Professional Training and Coaching services. It raised a seed round of $1.2 million in funding from Angel and VC such as Launch Africa’s Zachariah and Janade Du Plessis, as well as Cosonance Investment Manager.
5. Nathan Nwachukwu-CEO, Klas
Nathan Nwachukwu is the CEO of Klas, an Edtech startup founded in 2022. Nwachuku obtained a high school diploma from Graceland International School in Port Harcourt.
In 2020, he got a scholarship to pursue studies in Software Engineering at Carleton University, Canada. He dropped out of the program at Carleton University to found Klas. The initial prototype of Klas emerged in December 2021. Subsequently, in January 2022, development commenced on the refined iteration of Klas, culminating in its official launch in April of the same year.
It first secured $300,000 in angel investment with backing support of venture capitalists such as Techstars Toronto and Voltron Capital,
Klas, a platform that enables users to create and sell ebooks, courses and live classes, received a total of $1.36 million in the pre-seed funding round.
As of February 2024, it raised $1 million in pre-seed funding to scale its online teaching platform globally. The funding was led by Ingressive Capital, with participation from Techstars, HoaQ Capital, and several angel investors.
In 2021 the startup raised an angel round of $180,000, with which it launched the platform and got into the Techstars Accelerator program the following year. Some investors in that round include founders of Nigerian tech startups like Piggyvest’s Odun Eweniyi and Spleet’s Tola Adesanmi.
4. Osayi Izedonmwen-Founder/CEO, Teesas Education
Osayi Izedonmwen is the founder and CEO of Teesas Education. As the Founder and Chairman of Imose Technologies Limited, he spearheads one of Africa’s leading mobile technology firms, expanding its footprint across eight African countries.
Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Osayi worked with ExxonMobil, where he held various managerial and engineering positions. As Manager of Central Area Operations, he demonstrated exceptional leadership in overseeing multiple producing assets and a floating export terminal, ensuring safe and reliable operations while managing cross-functional teams.
Osayi’s tenure at ExxonMobil also saw him serve in key roles such as Asset Engineering Supervisor and Development Planner, where he played a pivotal role in evaluating strategic opportunities and coordinating multifaceted projects within the oil and gas sector.
Teesas, an Africa-focused EduTech App delivering innovative educational content in local and national languages, raised $1.6 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Tolaram Group’s Africa managing director, Haresh Aswani, with participation from Olivegreen Advisory Partners, an Africa-focused venture studio, and other angel investors.
3. Ope Bukola-CEO, Kibo School
Ope Bukola has been the Co-Founder and CEO of Kibo School since 2021. In addition to her role at Kibo School, Bukola serves as a Board Member at Zeta Charter Schools, where she contributes to the development of high-performing educational institutions with a holistic approach to student growth and success.
Previously, Bukola held pivotal roles at Google, where she served as a Product Manager and Product Lead for Google Classroom, instrumental in driving its growth to over 40 million active users. Her expertise in educational technology also extends to her tenure at Amplify Education, where she contributed to the development and launch of mCLASS Beacon, a formative assessment platform.
Kibo School, an online school set to offer several STEM degree programs targeted at students in Africa, received $2 million seed funding round led by Neo, a prominent venture capital firm founded by one of the co-founders of Code.org in 2022 and raised a pre-seed fund of $400,000 bringing its total to $2.4 million.
3. Honey Ogundeyi-Founder CEO, Edukoya Nigeria
Honey Ogundeyi is the Founder and CEO of Edukoya, an Edtech platform she established in May 2021.
Prior to Edukoya, Ogundeyi served as the Founding Country Director for the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) from September 2019 to February 2021.
Ogundeyi was the Founding Chief Marketing Officer of Kuda, Nigeria’s premier digital-only bank, from July 2018 to August 2019. Furthermore, Ogundeyi’s entrepreneurial journey includes founding Fashpa.com, Nigeria’s pioneering online fashion retailer, from April 2014 to December 2018.
Edukoya is an EdTech that connects African learners with digital curriculum content and on-demand teachers. In 2021, the startup raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding led by European VC firm, Target Global. It is termed the largest pre-seed round raised by an African EdTech platform to date.
2. Adewale Yusuf-CEO, Altschool
Adewale Yusuf is a dynamic entrepreneur with a proven track record of leadership across various sectors. Currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer at AltSchool Africa since November 2021, he oversees strategic initiatives in education and innovation.
Yusuf co-founded TalentQL in November 2020, where he drives the company’s mission to revolutionize talent acquisition in the tech industry. He is also a Board Advisor for the Life Beyond Disability Foundation since November 2021. Furthermore, his founding role at Techpoint. Africa since December 2014 solidifies his position as a thought leader in African entrepreneurship and technology.
AltSchool Africa was founded in 2021 and currently has 60,000 learners served on the platform across over 100 countries and secured the UK’s ASIC accreditation.
The Edtech startup raised a total of $4 million in the funding round. It first raised $1 million pre- seed funding in 2022 and another $3 million in funding back in April 2023 from the Rwandan $30 million tech fund with Angaza Capital, which is a venture capital firm that takes care of the innovation funds in Rwanda.
1. Sim Shagaya-CEO, uLesson
Sim Shagaya is the founder and CEO of uLesson Education Limited – an app built to make education available to learners across Africa.
As the founder and former CEO of Konga.com, one of West Africa’s foremost electronic commerce platforms, he played a role in revolutionizing the region’s digital landscape. Additionally, he established E-Motion Advertising, a prominent out-of-home media company that garnered attention in the industry.
His entrepreneurial prowess and strategic vision led to the successful acquisition of E-Motion Advertising by Loadstad Media in 2019.
ULesson sells digital curriculum to students through SD cards. It has raised a total of $25.6 million in a funding round.
In December 2021, it closed a $15 million Series-B investment from Nielsen Ventures and Tencent, as well as existing investors, Owl Ventures, TLcom Capital, and Founder Collective.
This is the largest investment in an African Edtech company. Earlier in January of 2021, it had raised $7.5 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Owl Ventures and in 2019 uLesson received a $3.1 million seed round led by TLcom Capital.
Note: The individuals featured in this compilation have been carefully selected by a distinguished panel of editors, experts, and analysts at Nairametrics.
It is important to note that none of the individuals listed have solicited their inclusion. While this list aims to be comprehensive, it is by no means exhaustive. Numerous other contributors have played significant roles in advancing the Edtech sector in Nigeria.
This compilation is exclusive to Nairametrics and may be updated periodically to reflect changes and advancements in the field. Feedback will be appreciated.
