With a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.12% between 2025 and 2033, Africa’s EdTech market is predicted to go beyond $20 billion by 2030. 

Driven by over 400 million smartphone users and surging demand for mobile learning solutions, Nigeria and Africa at large are currently at the epicentre of this digital learning adaptation.

But behind this growth are innovators building and implementing solutions from ideas, tirelessly working to ensure everyone is included in the edtech disruption. 

These startups are joining the likes of AltSchool Africa, Edukoya and uLesson to bridge the gap in Africa’s educational sector, providing access to quality learning and helping learners of all ages and backgrounds to thrive.

The top 10 edtech startups to watch in 2025 include:

1. Teesas

Since its launch in 2021, Teesas has been ensuring affordable and accessible education. In 2024, it reached over 500,000 families through its app, making quality tutoring affordable. 

The company’s OmoTab 2S, an interactive device designed to make learning engaging for young students, made education even more desirable.

Teesas’ innovation lies in its comprehensive preparation tools for college entrance exams like WAEC and JAMB. In analysing 40 years of past exam questions and providing over 5,000 tutor-led video explanations, the company has enabled 97% of its users to score above 200, with 15 scoring above 300. It has also introduced offline learning solutions to tackle internet accessibility issues, ensuring inclusivity across Nigeria.

The company made waves with its participation in the federal 3MTT program, training over 1,000 students in cutting-edge fields like AI/ML, Cloud Computing, and Product Management. 

Partnerships with government bodies, like the visit from Communications Minister Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, and its collaboration with Adamawa State aimed at revitalizing public education affirmed Teesas’ place among the top edtech startups to watch in 2025.

With over one million learners globally and recognition for its hybrid learning models, Teesas is adequately blending technology, innovation, and inclusivity.

2. TechQuest Academy

TechQuest Academy’s mission to build a tech-savvy generation touched new points in 2024. Named one of Africa’s top 50 EdTech startups by HolonIQ, the company is building impactful initiatives. 

The TechQuest-Gener8tor Pre-Investment Accelerator Fellowship was an outstanding program built on a partnership focused on providing Nigerian startups with mentorship, growth strategies, and access to venture funding.

The Academy has also partnered with the likes of VMware and Huawei ensuring certified training in ICT infrastructure and cloud services for students to learn industry-relevant skills. Added to these, TechQuest launched MissionT, Nigeria’s first indigenous teaching app, which provides STEM and ICT content to secondary school teachers.

Noteworthy community events included a career fair connecting students with experts and the hosting of the Global Fashion Experience, blending technology and creativity to inspire innovation. The founder, Dr. Charles Emembolu, featured in EduTimes Africa, highlighting TechQuest’s first-of-its-kind initiatives like Nigeria’s first university-embedded incubator.

In bridging digital literacy gaps and promoting entrepreneurship, TechQuest is being watched to see how it drives Nigeria’s tech industry forward in 2025.

3. Tespire

Tespire, based in Northern Nigeria, is tackling inefficiencies in school administration with its innovative digital tools. Founded in 2022 by Abdulkadir Suleiman Lapai and Umar Madugu, the startup has simplified revenue collection and administrative processes for underserved schools, enabling them to retain more resources.

In 2024, Tespire began expanding its presence to Abuja’s tech space and announced the upcoming completion of its pre-seed fundraising round. The funds will drive its mission to digitize education, offering tools like internet-enabled tablets to improve school operations.

Tespire’s user-centric approach and focus on underserved regions make it a very important part of the quest for equitable education in Nigeria, placing it among the top 10 edtech startups to watch in 2025.

4. Klas

Founded in 2022 by Nathan Nwachuku and Lekan Adejumo, Klas is bolstering online education with its all-in-one platform that enables users to create and sell e-books, courses, and live classes. 

In 2024, Klas secured $1 million in pre-seed funding, led by Ingressive Capital, with contributions from Techstars, HoaQ, and angel investors. 

This funding is helping the company build educational systems for educators and learners across diverse subjects, including coding, finance, art, and languages.

Klas offers a closed ecosystem where all essential tools—scheduling, payments, community features, analytics, and video conferencing—are integrated seamlessly. 

Unlike competitors that rely on third-party solutions like Zoom, Klas developed its proprietary video platform, KlasLife, to enhance user experience. The platform now serves over 5,000 creators running online schools and 300,000 learners across more than 30 countries.

With a user-friendly design for beginners, Klas has been particularly successful in Nigeria, its primary market. However, its expansion into India and North America reveals that the company has even bigger plans to dominate globally. The startup is also planning enterprise solutions targeting large companies, ensuring its growth continues in 2025.

5. 9jacodekids 

Since its inception, 9jacodekids Academy has focused on training children aged 6 to 16 with skills in coding, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). With a mission anchored in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, 9jacodekids is changing how young minds approach problem-solving and creativity.

In 2024, the academy gained global attention when two of its students, Fathia Abdullahi and Tobiloba Owolola, were featured on BBC Africa for building robots that addressed everyday challenges. Fathia designed a robot that folds T-shirts, while Tobiloba created one that detects and removes obstacles. 

These achievements reveal the academy’s focus on project-based learning and its emphasis on real-world applications.

Parents have also recognised the academy’s impact, commending its ability to shift children’s interests from passive activities like watching cartoons to more constructive pursuits like coding. Through its design-thinking approach and hands-on teaching, 9jacodekids is building a new generation of tech-savvy innovators ready to tackle global challenges.

6. Edves

Among the top 10 edtech startups to watch in 2025, Edves is one leveraging cutting-edge tools to enhance learning and administration in K-12 schools. In 2024, the company partnered with the Enugu State Ministry of Education to launch the Smart & Green Schools Initiative, aiming to bridge the digital divide and improve education quality in the state.

This initiative involved constructing 260 smart schools and training teachers and students with tablets, ensuring access to modern educational resources. Edves also introduced AI-powered tools to personalise learning experiences and identify at-risk students, enabling targeted interventions to improve outcomes. These advancements align with the state government’s goal to allocate over 30% of its budget to education, a historic achievement in addressing funding and infrastructure gaps.

Beyond its work in Enugu, Edves continues to support schools across Africa by offering comprehensive SaaS solutions that integrate curriculum management, performance tracking, and administrative tasks. Its focus on digitising education and ensuring collaboration among educators has placed it among the top edtech startups to watch in 2025.

7. Semicolon Africa

Another top edtech startup to watch in 2025 is Semicolon Africa which continues to drive digital growth on the continent. In 2024, it made headlines with its collaboration with First Bank of Nigeria Limited, which expanded opportunities for trainees and boosted its influence in Africa’s tech sector. 

Semicolon’s focus on promoting inclusivity shone through its Women-In-Tech Initiative, which promotes the participation of women in Africa’s digital economy through mentorship and community-driven programs.

Another highlight was the December 2024 visit from California’s Transport Secretary, pointing to Semicolon’s prospects for global collaboration. This visit asserted its mission to make Africa a hub for digital innovation and also hinted at future partnerships with California, home to Silicon Valley. With a goal to train one million software engineers by 2030, we are watching to see Semicolon Africa’s impacts across the continent from the new year and beyond.

8. GOMYCODE

GOMYCODE was recognised in 2024 as one of TIME Magazine’s Top 250 EdTech Companies. This accolade shows its influence in enhancing tech education in Africa. 

One of its key achievements was its partnership with Doballi, a Dubai-based recruitment platform. This collaboration has created a seamless pathway for African tech talent to secure global job opportunities, addressing the lack of standardised training for tech professionals across the continent.

In Nigeria, GOMYCODE played a good role in the 3MTT Initiative, which aims to prepare the workforce for a tech-driven world. Again, the startup hosted career development events, such as the Data Analytics: Prospects and Opportunities talk, which empowered individuals with insights into high-demand tech fields. With over 40,000 individuals trained in 30 cities across Africa and the Middle East, GOMYCODE is accelerating Africa’s transition to a digital economy and also facilitating global economic growth by connecting enterprises with vetted African talent.

9. HyperionDev

HyperionDev, headquartered in South Africa, made great advancements in 2024, including raising R95 million ($5 million) to bolster its expansion efforts in South Africa, the UK, and new markets. Its partnerships with institutions like Stellenbosch University, Imperial College London, and the University of Manchester have further strengthened its global reputation.

The company’s impact lies in its mentored coding bootcamps, which provide learners with job-ready tech skills. By the end of 2024, HyperionDev had helped over 2,000 graduates secure roles at top-tier employers, such as Amazon, Barclays, and government entities like the NHS. Graduates experienced a 237% increase in earnings, showing the life-changing opportunities provided by the platform.

HyperionDev’s innovative business model includes university-branded bootcamps, which garnered over 6,000 student registrations in just three months. Positioned within the growing $117 billion online micro-credential market, HyperionDev is expanding its footprint in Europe, North America, and Africa. With a mission to bridge the global tech skills divide, it remains focused on its vision to make tech education accessible worldwide.

10. Transition School

Transition School has earned its place among the top EdTech startups to watch in 2025 due to its achievements and impact in 2024. Known for its commitment to providing accessible, high-quality education, Transition School continues to enable thousands of learners to transition into tech careers within three months through interactive, real-time online sessions led by experts.

In 2024, Transition School expanded its reach, surpassing 30,000 active learners from over 10 countries, supported by a network of 100+ expert instructors. These instructors delivered workshops across trending fields such as web development, no-code applications, UI/UX design, digital marketing, data analysis, and AI. Popular offerings included “Learn PowerBI Basics in 4 Hours” and “Introduction to Data Visualization with Python,” which blended foundational knowledge with practical applications, preparing learners to excel in data-driven roles.

Transition School also introduced free and accessible courses, such as “Master Digital Marketing Basics” by Paul Adewumi, and provided recorded sessions like “Technical Writing for Beginners” by Vladimir Izmalkov. These offerings broke down limitations to education, making it possible for learners from diverse backgrounds to acquire skills without financial obstacles.

The platform’s emphasis on project-based learning further enhanced its work. Workshops such as “Create Your First Chatbot Without Code” and “Build a Membership Site Using Webflow” provided students with hands-on experience and tangible portfolio projects. This practical approach helped learners stand out in the competitive tech industry.

In January 2025, Transition School announced a collaboration with LemFi, scheduled to launch very soon. The #CodeWithLemFi initiative aims to combine Transition School’s expertise with LemFi’s vision to change lives through tech education. This strategic partnership sets the ball rolling for what is expected to be a great year for the startup.

The center reported the impressive pass rate despite only about 24% of almost two million students who sat for the UTME conducted by the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) scored above 200.

Christina Smit, who graduated from secondary school in 2021 and had sat for UTME,  previously almost resigned to fate that perhaps she was not destined to school in Nigeria until she encountered the learning centre. She scored 255.

Another student, Treasure David, said, “The weekly CBT assessment tests at the Teesas were a game changer. Many of the questions I encountered in JAMB were covered at the Teesas Learning Centre. Scoring 321 in JAMB wouldn’t have been possible without Teesas.”

Ochuole Ogar, who scored 284, said physics used to be very difficult before she joined Teesas.

“The classes were conversational and engaging, which helped me excel in my exams. One time, I arrived late to class, and the tutor gave me a full revision of what was taught. That dedication made all the difference,” she said.

Teesas Education has technology-enabled hybrid learning centres in Lekki and Ikeja. 

The learning centres offer real-time computer-based WAEC, UTME and post-UTME practise tests and mock trials that can be accessed online and offline via its eponymous mobile and web app, Teesas Education App which is available on the iOS and Google stores.

The Matric service, which is available on the Teesas Education App, gives candidates access to a compilation of 40 years of UTME and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) practice test questions, and answers and tutorial videos based on the likeliest topics from previous years.

Technology came in and gradually bridged that gap, facilitating the edtech sector; although not yet decentralized across the globe, as the recent Global Education Monitoring Report, and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics revealed that 244 million children and youth between the ages of 6 to 18 were still educationally excluded in 2021.

This was despite the heat of the pandemic which accelerated the edtech sector in 2020.

But then, players in the field are strongly coming together to tackle this issue. Ranging from primary and secondary education to digital skill acquisition and others, these startups are not limited across Africa; but to mention a few, they include:

1. uLesson

Leveraging technology to enable students learn at a convenient pace, uLesson is making education self-fulfilling and exciting for learners at primary and secondary levels.

Its simplified teaching methods are designed to carry students along individually and holistically, depending on their learning abilities, so no one is left behind.

Founded barely four years ago by Sim Shagaya, a technopreneur and serial investor who also founded 

Konga, Lesson has already raised $25.6 million, backed by investors such as Nielsen Ventures, TLcom Capital Partners, Founder Collective, Tencent, Owl Ventures, among others.

The startup affirms to have over 3.5 million downloads with increasing user interest, 10.6 million lessons watched, 810k+ live lessons attended and more than 3.6 million questions attempted.

2. AltSchool Africa

What makes AltSchool interesting is its non-traditional approach to grooming individuals from zero to hero within a targeted period. The edutech platform takes up students with or without technical knowledge and trains them to become experts in fields such as product design, product marketing, product development, software engineering, data analysis and data science.

AltSchool transitioned from TalentQL to build a broader foundation where students can kickstart their dream tech career; fresh out of high school, seeking extra education, or want to transition to a career in tech, anyone goes, AltSchool will give you the skills and insight to achieve the success you desire.

In February 2022, the startup raised $1 million in pre-seed funding to bolster its efforts in edutech. According to the founders Adewale Yusuf, Akintunde Sultan and Opeyemi Awoyemi, the fund was launched into building its content and curriculum, technology infrastructure and community concept, so students can meet offline to network and learn together.

3. Teesas

What I love most about Teesas is its connection to the African root and its zeal to bridge the educational gap in the continent through an inclusive approach. In its drive to enhance education in Africa through technology, the startup combines local and global learning, it provides educational tablets to students so they are not limited by a lack of technological reach to take part in education across the globe.

Founded by Osayi Izedonmwen, Teesas started a donate program last year, ensuring no child is left behind, but everyone gains access to quality education for free and collaborating to achieve its goal.

Teesas enables students learn alphabets, greetings, songs, folktales, history and lots more both in indigenous and English languages. Its expert tutors provide live classes with personalized experiences to every child, with gamified teaching methods, animations and musicals that will grasp every child’s learning interest.

4. Edukoya

Lagos- and London-based Edukoya was founded by CEO Honey Ogundeyi, who was also the founding CMO of Kuda, a Nigerian neobank. The startup was built on a model that reaches parents and learners 100% online, providing support for examinations and day-to-day learning, including homework.

Edukoya focuses on students in grades 10 to 12 and those taking exams into tertiary institutions. This is different from other edtech platforms that targets mainly grades 1 to 12.

The edtech kick-started its journey less than two years ago and is backed by Target Global and other angel investors such as Shola Akinlade, Ed Robinson, Raffael Johnen, Babs Ogundeyi and others.

5. Edves

Another edtech startup focused on ensuring the development of individuals with in-demand skills, Edves digitizes teaching and learning a secure School Management Software.

The startup, which has already enrolled over 400,000 students, is present in 10 countries, with 29,000+ educators, 25,000+ administrators and is currently leveraged by over 1500 schools. 

Backed by Launch Africa, Chinook Capital Limited, Future Africa, Beta Ventures, Growth Capital and Seedstars, Edves was founded by Dimeji Falana and Dare Adebayo Edves. Its partners include MTN, Paystack, Interswitch, Flutterwave and 9mobile.

Its technology enables users track daily expenses, generate bills, process payment receipts, manage inventory, track defaulters and automate every step of the financial reporting process, as well as real-time monitoring by parents.

6. RiseBack

RiseBack recently launched for African students in September 2022. The edtech company offers affordable college degrees to students in partnership with leading Indian Universities, enabling them gain quality education and higher-paying jobs after graduation, without worrying about student debt.

RiseBack offers Skill & Professional Training & Certification Programs, US Evaluation of Degrees assistance, Recruitment assistance, Internship assistance, Incubation & Acceleration services for Students Startups.

Its focus is currently on students getting the chance to study in Indian Universities because of the schools’ reputation over the years, having created super successful alumni who are heads of Fortune 500 companies, Noble Laureates, Scientists, Academicians, IT Professionals, Serial Entrepreneurs & investors.

7. GetBundi

GetBundi has developed digital skills and STEM-related courses for secondary school students based on the West African curriculum.

The edtech is taking advantage of time to help students get equipped for the future, taking hold of the millions of tech-related jobs springing up every day. From digital marketing, coding, graphics, video editing and cybersecurity, GetBundi equips students in less than 3 months.

Launched in July 2022, the startup was founded by Osita Oparaugo. It currently has over 1,008 hours of audio-visual content on the platform covering six years of secondary school curriculum.

8. Utiva

From training users on data and numbers, to designing and creativity, business analysis, programming, cloud development product marketing and many more, Utiva is a platform for learning digital skills virtually.

Present in over 30 countries, the edtech leverages partnerships to facilitate its drive and achievements. These partners include Flutterwave, Autochek, CredPal, Nomba, Bundle, Moove, TeamApt, Cowrywise, Opay and many more.

Having trained over 30,000 students across focus aspects, Utiva was founded by Nigerian tech entrepreneur,  Eyitayo Ogunmola.

9. Classera

Backed by 500 Global, Endeavor Catalyst, Global Ventures, Sanabil, Sukna Ventures, among other investors, Classera has raised a total funding of $40 million to scale its edtech solution.

Classera utilizes a Learning Super Platform (LSP) to enhance education and corporate e-training sectors. The Silicon Valley-founded edtech was built by Mohammad Almadani and his partner Mohammad Alashmawi. It leverages artificial intelligence and social learning to provide an integrated e-learning platform and e-payment gateway “C-Pay” for pocket money, tuition payments and financing, and a specialized educational marketplace for edtech and educational supplies products “Edumalls”.

Classera’s users include over 10 Ministries of Education, private K-12 schools, universities, and corporates for e-training. It affirms to have developed over 100 strategic partnerships with global and regional players including Microsoft, Zoom, Amazon, Intel, Udemy, and HP. 

10. LearnAm

LearnAm is a localized mobile platform focused on improving digital literacy and inclusion in Africa, taking out language barriers, through audio and visual educational content.

The edtech pivoted from ScholarX in 2016. Founded by Bola Lawal, Damilola Emuze, and Maxwell Ogunfuyi, it went beyond teaching students to helping them gain access to scholarships.

LearnAm currently provides an environment for learners to acquire digital skills, personal improvement and vocational skills. Students can take courses in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, English and Pidgin languages, receive free learning resources and materials, after which they receive certificates.

The partnership will enable the deployment of FranklinCovey’s “Leader in Me” program in primary and secondary schools, as well as universities by Teesas. The company’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People video content on social-emotional learning will also be put on the Teesas Education App.

“The ‘Leader in Me’ program is a whole-school transformation model and process developed in partnership with educators that empower students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. 

It is based on principles and practices of personal, interpersonal and organisational effectiveness, and upon the powerful premise that every child possesses unique strengths and has the ability to be a leader.”

The ‘Leader in Me’ training and consultation builds on four core areas: professional development for educators, known as 7 Habits for Educators, designed for principals, headteachers and school administrators; 7 Habits for Happy Kids aimed at pre-schoolers and kindergarten; 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens for Highschool students and teens; including the 7 Habits for Families intended for parents and family learning.

Osayi Izedonmwen, Founder and CEO of Teesas, expressed his excitement about the partnership stating that the FranklinCovey ‘Leader in Me’ training and the Teesas Education App have similar goals of addressing educational gaps at the foundational level.

“As an impact-driven organisation, our content is designed to develop the total child from an academic standpoint as well as social and emotional learning. Teesas was the first EdTech in Nigeria to launch an e-learning app for children in reception (kindergarten) through primary school because we know that children need a solid foundation to be successful later in life.

“What makes the FranklinCovey ‘Leader in Me’ phenomenal is that it targets both the teacher and student. This is important because teachers can only impart the knowledge that they have. So, if we empower teachers to become great leaders, we’ll be empowering our children to lead themselves and uphold strong principles,” he said.

Teesas makes learning seamless and enjoyable for learners who can seamlessly connect with educators on the platform.

With the deployment of technology and adoption of local culture and dialects, the startup was built on a goal to eliminate barriers between tutors and students.

The startup provides high quality video tutorials delivered by highly intellectual teachers who explain foundational concepts using English and major local languages to deepen understanding. 

Bill McInytre, Vice President of FranklinCovey Education said: “We are so excited to be partnering with Teesas Education to bring you a new Leadership training paradigm for schools, students and families that is effective and all-inclusive. Over the years, the ‘Leader in Me’ model has built resilience and leadership in students, created a high-trust culture, and helped improve academic achievement. School communities in Africa can now bid farewell to the old Carrot-Stick method of Leadership, it is time to embrace the Whole Person Paradigm.”

• The 2022 cohort brings together five teams of innovators focused on tackling global sustainability challenges, from protecting our oceans and fighting climate change and plastic waste, to increasing educational opportunities across the African continent.

The Collaborative, launched in 2020, aims to identify breakthrough innovations that address systemic change to support a sustainable future.

The second cohort of five winners will join a bespoke yearlong strategic collaboration with the Institute where they will tap into the full range of Morgan Stanley’s expertise, networks and resources to help them achieve scale. Each winner will also receive an award of $250,000 to increase the impact of their initiative.

The 2022 Sustainable Solutions Collaborative cohort is comprised of a diverse group of organizations.

The other organizations in the group are CarbonBuilt, a startup from Los Angeles, California, delivering a scalable concrete product that reduces embodied carbon by 70 to over 100% compared with traditional concrete, without compromise to performance or production cost; ISeeChange, the data company from New Orleans, Louisiana, that empowers communities to report and track real-life climate change impact; Notpla, a sustainable packaging startup based in the UK, that delivers the convenience of single-use plastics without the environmental impact and OceanMind, a nonprofit based in the UK that powers enforcement and compliance to protect the world’s oceans.

“Each of these organizations has the potential to scale and contribute to creating the type of systemic change needed to achieve a more sustainable future,” said Matthew Slovik, Head of Global Sustainable Finance at Morgan Stanley.

In 2020, Morgan Stanley launched the Sustainable Solutions Collaborative to boost sustainability initiatives that would benefit from partnerships across private and public industries.

This second cohort joins a group of global innovators thinking about health care, climate solutions, plastic waste reduction and ecosystem services through re-engineered distribution methods, technology platforms and a new perspective on the importance of nature.

“We are thrilled to welcome these visionary teams into the Collaborative and look forward to seeing their solutions scale as the need to reach a sustainable future is at an all time-high,” said Shelley O’Connor, Vice Chairman and Head of External Affairs for Morgan Stanley.

For this award, the Institute engaged a diverse network of sustainability thought leaders and practitioners from across a wide variety of industries and sectors to make anonymous nominations. Morgan Stanley carried out a rigorous selection process on the nominations received to identify the innovations with the greatest potential for systemic impact that would also benefit from deep and sustained engagement with Morgan Stanley.

Teesas was launched in 2021 and delivers engaging tutor-led videos and e-books in both English and local indigenous languages and its CEO and founder, Osayi Izedonmwen says that “it is gratifying that Teesas has been recognized by Morgan Stanley as ‘a breakthrough innovation that addresses systemic change to support a sustainable future,’ and even more so as the only African start-up to make the 2022 Sustainable Solutions Collaborative cohort.

“All of us at Teesas remain committed to our mission of becoming Africa’s learning gateway because we believe that with quality education, all other sustainable development goals can be achieved.”

The Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing (The Institute) builds scalable finance solutions that seek to deliver competitive financial returns while driving positive environmental and social impact. Founded in 2013, The Institute creates innovative financial products, thoughtful insights and capacity building programs that help maximize capital to create a more sustainable future.

Companies selected to The Elite 200 represent the top pre-seed and seed-stage startups in digital learning across the “Pre-K to Gray” space. 

Teesas will now compete for up to $1 million in cash and prizes in San Diego this April at the ASU+GSV Summit, the annual education technology event hosted by Arizona State University and GSV Ventures.

Teesas was selected from a global applicant pool of 750+ companies, the largest application pool for the GSV Cup yet. More than 175 judges from leading venture capital firms and strategic partners in digital learning like Accel, General Atlantic, Reach Capital, and Owl Ventures, among others, used rigorous criteria to determine the 200 most promising companies.

Osayi Izedonmwen, founder and CEO of Teesas said: “We are elated that we’ve been selected as one of The Elite 200 just a few months after we closed a $1.6 million pre-seed round. All of us at Teesas feel like winners already. We thank GSV Ventures for the recognition and their commitment to uplifting EdTech startups globally.”

“We’re at a critical and exciting time for the future of society,” said Deborah Quazzo, managing partner of GSV Ventures. “The pandemic has made it increasingly clear that Ed is on The Edge — on the edge of innovation, transformation, globalization. We’ve always imagined a new era in which ALL people have equal access to the future, and this year’s Elite 200 companies are emblematic of that vision. We’re proud to name the 200 semifinalists in the GSV Cup competition and look forward to having them pitch live at the ASU+GSV Summit.”

The Elite 200 companies serve learners from Pre-K to Gray, with companies well-distributed across the following categories: Early Childhood, K-12, Higher Education, Adult Consumer Learning, and Adult Enterprise Learning. The 2022 Elite 200 continue to break barriers, comprised of an increasingly diverse and global group:

• 58% of companies have female founders
• 51% of companies have founders that identify as people of colour
• 44% of companies are based outside the United States

The GSV Cup is powered by Google Cloud, HubSpot for Startups, HolonIQ, and GSV Ventures.

Teesas is an African-focused EdTech firm committed to building e-learning platforms that deliver curriculum-aligned educational content via web and mobile applications.

The Teesas educational app is aimed at children in reception and primary school grades and teaches core subjects through engaging tutor-led videos and e-books in English and local languages such as Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa, Bini, Igbo, Tiv, Ibibio and others.

The pre-recorded videos are delivered by highly qualified tutors and uploaded unto the app across different grades with adaptation to make them fun using animation and gamification to enhance engagement and understanding. 

Teesas also provides e-books and live classes to further deepen the child’s understanding and a companion app for parents that provides personalised content recommendation and real-time feedback on their child’s performance such as duration of videos watched within a course, percentage of revision quiz completed, test scores, areas of need etc.

On the other hand, GSV Ventures is a female-led, multi-stage venture capital firm focused on the $7+ trillion education sector. The fund is currently investing out of GSV Ventures Fund III and backs innovative entrepreneurs around the world in the “Pre-K to Gray” Arc of Learning.

GSV manages over $675 million in global EdTech investments. Portfolio holdings include Andela, Class Technologies, ClassDojo, Coursera, Course Hero, Degreed, Guild, MasterClass, Outlier, Photomath, Quizizz, Lead School, Brightchamps, and ClassPlus, among others.

One of such aspects is education which remains in our everyday lives and is the bedrock of all other sectors. In recent times, education has become a necessity thriving hand in hand with technology, birthing edtech.

The need to combine education and technology has been way before the pandemic which put a rigorous speed to what seemed to have been underestimated. Of course, individuals and groups took this upon themselves, building edtech companies that are thriving and making the sector scale.

Not limited to these, some edtech startups making waves and have shown promising advancement include: 

1. Edukoya

The 24/7 free learning platform enables students to master key subjects and prepare for school and university entrance exams. Edukoya affirms that 96% of its students get higher scores within a short period and students are tutored according to their strengths, helping them get better with time.

A little over a month ago, the Lagos- and London-based startup raised $3,500,000 in pre-seed funding led by European VC firm Target Global to scale operations.

2. Teesas

Interestingly, Teesas enables its students to learn alphabets, greetings, songs, folktales and history in indigenous languages. The edtech platform has an app that enables parents to monitor their child’s learning progress in real-time.

With over 150,000 downloads on the Google Play Store despite being founded less than 2 years ago, Teesas raised $1,600,000 pre-seed funding in December last year. The funds were to enable the startup’s expansion into new markets, launch a marketplace that will link learners with tutors for private lessons, and expand the range of products in its portfolio.

3. uLesson

uLesson asserts that its app has been downloaded by over 2,000,000 people, 12,900,000+ lessons provided by the startup have been watched by students and 25,600,000+ questions from students have been answered by uLesson.

The two-year-old startup closed a $15,000,000 Series B round last year, 11 months after its $7,500,000 Series A, completed by five investors: Tencent, Nielsen Ventures, and existing investors Owl Ventures, TLcom Capital and Founder Collective.

4. Edcent

Edcent offers online courses and training for both universities and companies. The Nigerian-based company provides practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalised learning dashboard that enable users to study at their own pace, within or outside classrooms.

With users within and outside Nigeria, Edcent was also launched in the heat of the pandemic and raised pre-seed funding from CrownVest last year.

5. LearnAM

ScholarX, a Lagos-based edtech startup recently pivoted into LearnAM, a localised mobile platform that provides audio and visual educational content to improve digital literacy and inclusion in Africa.

LearnAM is a mobile platform that provides audio-visual content, in localized languages, to improve digital literacy, digital skills and vocational skills of Africans. The Startup adopts a freemium model and all of its foundational courses are free but users will be required to pay a few thousands to access more advance courses.

LearnAM is available on Android (for smartphone users). You can also access it via KiaOS (for feature phone handlers); in other words, people from low-income households who don’t have access to internet-enabled phones can use the platform on their feature phones.

The startup hit 11,000 users within two months it launched! It plans to reach over 100 million people in Africa, starting from Nigeria where it launched, with the three majority languages: Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. It also has Pidgin and English languages.

Learners can switch from the English language to any of these local languages when taking a course on the app. It is definitely an edtech startup to watch in 2022

6. Edves

Nigeria and Ghana-based Edves provides a platform where digital learning and teaching is made seamless. Via the platform, parents can monitor their children’s progress in real-time.

Last year, the edtech company serving African k-12 schools raised $575,000 seed funding led by Beta Ventures to improve its technology and reach in over 800 schools across Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.

7. Roducate

This is a comprehensive curriculum based e-learning platform launched in 2010. Everything schools need is, on Roducate. Schools can create their own platform on Roducate that mirrors the site’s main platform. The platform comes with a suite of features: Lecture Notes, Videos, Podcasts, Practice Assignments, Mock Exams and My Network–a chat function, within the app, for communication between teachers and students and among students. Learn more about Roducate here.

8. Ed Partners Africa

Ed Partners Africa makes access to quality education seamless. The edtech startup is focused on enabling access to credit for private schools providing education to the low-income populace.

Ed Partners Africa’s $1,900,000 fund raised last year enabled the company to boost its goal in bridging educational gap through school-focused lending and a hub-and-spoke based model where the company’s relationship managers work closely with the school leadership through the entire credit process.

9. Edusko

Edusko is an education marketplace for schools, parents, students, vendors, solution providers, EdTech and Original Equipment Manufacturers. Edusko leverages technology and data to make life easier for schools, parents, students, teachers, donor agencies, policy makers and leading brands that are genuinely interested in the African education ecosystem. 

The platform’s mission is to enhance the quality of and access to education in Africa by creating game changing solutions and platforms for education providers, school leaders, policy makers, teachers, parents and students.

10. Utiva

Utiva is developing talents for the future of work. The company organises a number of fellowships to help customers master certain tech skills like Digital Marketing, Data Science, Data Analysis, Product Manager, UI/UX Designer, and so on. According to them, they are the “best way to gain job-ready expertise for the careers of the future”.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is backing Utiva in a $50,000 partnership meant to help more women and girls learn more premium technology skills. See details here.