Nairobi, Kenya (August 10, 2022) — Moody’s Corporation and Village Capital have launched their second Future of Work Africa program, this time accelerating 45 startups building for-profit, market-based solutions in education and employment that can help young people in sub-Saharan Africa better prepare for the future workplace.
Selected from a pool of 196 applicants, the 45 startups are sourced from 23 countries in the region and will be distributed between two cohorts - a core cohort of 15 startups, and an expanded cohort of 30 startups that will undergo self-guided training, extensive virtual support and engagement with mentors.
“Meaningful employment for African youth is foundational to improving financial health and driving a strong economy. With one-third of the 600 million young people entering the global labor market by 2030 projected to be a young African, there’s a great need to strengthen models that bridge the skills gap, enhance employability, and prepare job candidates for the shifting job landscape. Entrepreneurs across the region are already developing scalable solutions and we’re proud to continue supporting them through this program,” said Audrey Mate, Program Manager - Africa, Village Capital.
Each startup selected for the accelerator will work closely with mentors, potential clients and partners, as well as investors to help scale their impact, using tools developed to help their self-evaluation, such as Village Capital’s Abaca.
Below are the startups selected for the Future of Work Africa 2022 program.
Cohort 1
- Amplified Careers Centre (Zimbabwe) career counselling programs and services, career information materials, trainings and continuous support systems.
- Chuuse (Nigeria) is building a hybrid school to help African youths learn in-demand technology skills that companies need, specifically in the tech space.
- Eloh Enterprise (South Africa) is a mobile application that connects customers to accessible, reliable, pre-vetted service providers with just a tap/click on their smartphone.
- Farwell Innovations Ltd (Kenya) develops and deploys web portals and end-to-end eLearning platforms to corporate organisations.
- Fundis (Kenya) is a gig matching platform that connects clients to Africa's informal sector workers enabling them to find & hire competent, vetted & certified artisans.
- Kazi Remote (Kenya) is a social enterprise that leverages youth talent to provide digital services to companies in transcription, captions, subtitling, content writing, and translation on a gig-based model.
- LetaWera Technologies (Kenya) is a mobile application that enables customers to connect with gig service providers within their neighbourhoods conveniently.
- Onesha Technologies (Kenya) is a digital marketplace for SMEs to hire affordable, skilled, and vetted African freelancers and creatives on demand.
- Project CodeX (South Africa) is an upskilling institution that provides programming skills training to youth from under-resourced, underrepresented communities.
- Twende Pamoja (DRC) is a social enterprise that works to alleviate extreme poverty by providing income-generating asset loans and training to low-income individuals.
- Scalein (Nigeria) connects sales talent to opportunities across Africa within minutes.
- Stranerd (Nigeria) is a classroom management and exam preparation peer learning platform that enables easy, convenient and accessible learning.
- Talenteum (Mauritius) is a Pan-African platform designed to help companies source and employ remote-working teams based mainly in Africa.
- UmuravaWork (Rwanda) is a pan-African customised Freelance Talent Marketplace and Workforce Outsourcing Platform, connecting Africa's Top Freelance Talents to jobs and projects in the in-demand sectors both locally and globally.
- Waape (Uganda) uses AI to connect teams to Africa's top tech and creative talent.
Cohort 2
- Ada Animation, (Kenya), is a creator and developer of African animation content, and a provider of animation skills training through enhancing access to education material and provision of skill development opportunities for Animation Creatives.
- AI Made in Africa, (Kenya), is a tech talent marketplace that enables global clients to hire high-quality, vetted, skilled data and engineering African talent.
- ArchonPrime Ltd, (Kenya), is a training and placement organisation that empowers individuals through skill development training enabling access to jobs and alleviation of unemployment.
- Barakah Yields, (Mauritania), is a social impact company focused on digital skills training for the 21st century economy and driving entrepreneurship in Saharan Africa.
- Davtonlearn, (Nigeria), is a developer of a modern, customisable learning management & e-learning platform for companies in Africa.
- Enkindle Global Service, (Nigeria), is a developer of enriched learning and educational content that upskills learners' soft skills and enhances access to opportunities for Africans.
- FixChap, (Tanzania), is a digital marketplace platform that enables a seamless connection between service providers such as electricians and homeowners in need of home repair, and maintenance services.
- Freelance Academie, (Sénégal), is a skills training platform and a provider of coaching services to college students and unemployed individuals to enhance their access to freelance opportunities in specific sub-sectors like graphic design.
- Interna, (Nigeria), is a talent marketplace that enables local and global companies to find, hire and retain vetted Nigerian talent.
- Job Vacancies in CAR (JVC), (Central Africa Republic), is a talent sourcing agency that is dedicated to training, professional coaching, and talent sourcing in the Central African Republic.
- JoBee, (Sénégal), is a talent marketplace that connects high-quality talent to startups and utilizes an inclusive approach to talent sourcing focused on soft skills.
- Legal Tech Kenya, (Kenya), is a consulting and technical services provider that enables the modernisation of legal services provision through the deployment of technology solutions.
- Main Solar Academy Ltd, (Nigeria), is an accredited, Technical, Vocational Education Training (TVET) Institute that provides technical, and vocational training in solar energy tools and solutions essential for employment.
- Mara Academy, (Benin), is a youth-focused, online training and certification platform that provides career development skills training.
- Mawu Africa, is an e-commerce marketplace platform that organises African artisans, and creatives and connects them to global markets.
- Merafe People Solutions, (South Africa), is a Human Resource Development consulting company that offers skills development training to enhance access to employment opportunities, and improve productivity in the workplace.
- Mon Artisan, (Côte d'Ivoire), is an online marketplace that connects skilled artisans and craftsmen to middle-class customers looking for qualified service providers for skilled work opportunities.
- Mr. Mak Learning, (South Africa), is a developer of a localised business education curriculum and an impactful premium business learning platform.
- MT Freelance, (Ethiopia), is a service-based website platform that connects digitally skilled Ethiopians to global job opportunities.
- NinaGina Consulting, (Kenya), is a provider of exceptional training and consulting services that enable clients to achieve financial freedom and wealth creation.
- Nyereka Tech, (Rwanda), is a provider of STEM technology tools, solutions, and training to help individuals and students develop and enable their ability to function in a tech-enabled environment.
- OnLocum, (Kenya), is an on-demand healthcare staffing platform that seamlessly connects flexible, available healthcare professionals to short and medium-term work opportunities in healthcare facilities.
- Outsource Recruitment Agency, (The Gambia), is a talent market intermediary that provides a recruitment service to match potential employees with employers.
- Prodigee Pro (Ghana), is a web-based platform that utilises a data-driven approach to aggregate jobs and incentivises applicants to apply ensuring companies have access to quality talent.
- Qazzi, (Kenya), is an online talent marketplace platform that connects businesses to experienced professionals affordably, and on-demand.
- Raoatech It-Electromech Limited, (Nigeria), is a digital ecosystem solution provider that features a digital marketplace for digital content through its LearnerKia application, a school management system, and coding and robotics training.
- ScholarX (LearnAM), (Nigeria), develops and publishes audio-visual content on its LearnAM mobile platform, in local languages featuring localised content, to improve the digital literacy and vocational skills of Africans.
- The Learning Core Company (Heels & Tech), (Nigeria), is a women-focused training platform that provides skills training in technology.
- Ultratude Tech Ltd (Mzizi), is a software development company that specialises in the development of the Mzizi school management solution(SMS) that enables schools to manage their financial, academic, administrative, e-learning, and communication functions.
- Ziada, (Kenya), is a tech-enabled ecosystem that connects service providers to local clients and provides market linkage, tools/ equipment rental, and business advisory services.
For more information and media inquiries, reach out to Eva Waweru at Village Capital (eva.waweru@vilcap.com).
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