The startup, founded by Massimiliano Spalazzi, former CEO of Jumia Nigeria, and Olumide Soyombo, co-founder of Bluechip Technologies, aims to transform Africa’s talent industry and provide businesses worldwide with high-quality data and AI expertise.

The funding round comes as global demand for AI talent is outpacing supply. 

According to Google’s 2024 Data & AI Trend Report, more than half of digital leaders are struggling with a shortage of skilled professionals in AI and data analytics.

JADA plans to train over 100 professionals annually through its proprietary four-month programme. The training, targeted at experienced professionals with at least two years in data and analytics, machine learning, or generative AI, combines technical and soft skill development. Participants receive stipends during the programme, though specific figures remain undisclosed.

“Our academy is built to develop world-class talent capable of leading businesses through data and AI transformation,” said JADA CEO Piero Trivellato, a veteran in management consulting and AI-focused leadership roles.

The company’s ultra-selective recruitment process employs an AI-powered algorithm to screen candidates across multiple dimensions, including technical assessments, case studies, and culture-fit interviews. This rigorous approach ensures that only the most qualified individuals make it into JADA’s training cohorts.

JADA’s business model is designed to address critical pain points for companies looking to integrate AI into their operations. In offering access to a highly trained talent pool in Africa, JADA enables clients to bypass traditional recruitment challenges while benefitting from the region’s cost-effective yet high-quality workforce.

“Our approach focuses on professionals who can deliver immediate value to clients,” said Olumide Soyombo. “We want to create a sustainable model where cash flow from successful projects is reinvested into scaling our talent pipeline.”

JADA’s initial focus is on businesses in Europe and the Middle East, leveraging Africa’s favourable time zones and English proficiency to meet client demands. The company plans to expand its reach geographically, aligning with client requirements for additional language capabilities and regional presence.

JADA has built itself as a global competitor in the data and AI outsourcing market, stressing advantages in cost, language, geography, and talent quality. “Africa is rapidly emerging as the next frontier for tech talent,” said Spalazzi. “Our mission is to harness this potential and deliver value to businesses globally.”

While the startup has begun operations in Nigeria, it plans to scale across Africa to maximise its impact. “Our expansion will follow our clients’ needs,” Trivellato added, noting JADA’s focus on long-term client partnerships and evolving talent solutions.

The funding will enable JADA to bridge the AI talent gap and establish Africa as a global hub for high-quality data and AI expertise.

Designed to empower sellers and advertisers with cutting-edge technology and data-driven strategies, Programmatic Advertising opens up new avenues for collaboration and campaign optimization in the rapidly evolving digital advertising landscape.

With an extensive and high-quality audience reach of over 27 million unique visitors per month across multiple African countries, Jumia Advertising represents a huge opportunity for brands and SMEs to reach more online shoppers.

The Jumia Programmatic Advertising service enables advertisers to control their targeted audiences, budget spends and enhance the performance of their campaigns through a real time dashboard. They can leverage two distinctive collaboration options tailored to their specific needs.

The first option, “Preferred Deal,” is available for both sellers and advertising agencies, allowing brands to utilize their first-party data, ensuring campaigns are precisely targeted and optimized.

The second type, “Private Auction,” is exclusively available for advertising agencies, providing an opportunity to launch awareness campaigns targeting e-commerce customers at significantly lower costs per thousand impressions (CPM) compared to benchmark CPM rates.

“We’re excited to unveil Programmatic Advertising as a transformative solution for our esteemed partners. At Jumia, we’ve consistently championed innovation in digital advertising, and this underscores our dedication. Through Programmatic Advertising, we seek to empower sellers and advertisers across Nigeria, arming them with advanced tools and data-driven insights to attain outstanding campaign outcomes,” stated Massimiliano Spalazzi, CEO, Jumia Nigeria.

This launch is part of Jumia’s strategic plan to increase revenue and accelerate its path to profitability. Jumia Advertising ranked third (and first in Africa) in Digital Ad Revenue Growth in 2022 in the world’s top 10 fast-growing digital advertising players, by e-marketer – Inside Intelligence.

This was the first physical event hosted by the company post-COVID which featured vendors on its platform and top management of Jumia Nigeria. The teams shared insights, plans and strategies for the upcoming 10th-Anniversary Sales Campaign and other efficient ways to improve the overall business.

Jumia committed to using several marketing strategies, including billboards, radio,  influencers, social media campaigns and games to create awareness on the anniversary sale. During the presentations, vendors were encouraged to take advantage of the Jumia Express offering to enable free delivery to consumers during the sale. 

There were also calls to leverage Jumia Advertising for more visibility to their stores, Jumia Logistics for convenient delivery across Nigeria and JumiaPay for safe and seamless payments. The event’s highlight was when the Jumia anniversary video was played with noticeable excitement from the vendors who were eager to have it downloaded to their phones.

“This is a special milestone for us all, as it signifies 10 years of e-commerce in Nigeria. Over the past decade, Jumia has partnered with forward-thinking businesses and brands to create an impact across key value chains, providing convenience and better shopping experiences for consumers. Furthermore, we have created limitless opportunities for SMEs to grow, which has had a positive impact on the economy. We are excited to celebrate 10 years together with our vendors who have made it possible for us to offer the best shopping experience to consumers across Nigeria,” said Massimiliano Spalazzi, Jumia Nigeria CEO. 

Participating vendors will have access to millions of consumers on the Jumia platform to sell their products and grow their business.

“I am excited to be part of the Jumia’s 10th-anniversary sale where both vendors and sellers would benefit from them. I must appreciate Jumia for helping us, SMEs like me grow and reach more consumers. I started my business on the platform over 5 years ago from literally nothing to being one of the top phone vendors,” said Abdul-Hafeez Olayinka, Owner of Bafur Store.

Jumia’s 10th anniversary sale will feature deals from top brands like Samsung, Coca Cola, Adidas, Oraimo, Nivea, Diageo, Xiaomi, Itel, Unilever, Nestle, Apple, Anker, Nokia, Pernod Ricard, Reckitt Benckiser, Binatone, TCL and more.

“We would like to take advantage of this opportunity to give back to the communities where we operate, and what better day than today to show love to families in underserved areas? We hope that our relationship with the Lagos Food Bank will have a positive influence on a number of families and demonstrate that we care,” stated Massimiliano Spalazzi, CEO of Jumia Nigeria.

“We are grateful for this partnership, especially coming from a company that has had a significant impact on local communities around the country.”

According to Michael A. Sunbola, Executive Director of LagosFood Bank, “Jumia’s charitable contribution shows a sincere dedication to giving back to the community. These food packages will undoubtedly bring joy to many families on Valentine’s Day.”

This project, which is part of the Temporary Emergency Food Support Program (TEFAP) of LagosFood Bank, aims to provide immediate food, nutrition, and relief assistance to low-income households in Lagos and its environs.

LagosFood Bank is a non-profit, nutrition-focused initiative committed to fighting hunger, reducing food waste and solving the problem of malnutrition through targeted programs.