AtlSchool Africa, a digital tech training institution, has raised $1 million in pre-Seed funding round led by Nigerian entertainer, Folarin Falana (Falz).
The round was also backed by other investors like Flutterwave Founder, Olugbenga GB Agboola, Paystack Founder Shola Akinlade, Nigerian musician and rapper, Akitoye Balogun (Ajebutter), Pledges, Nestcoin, and ODBA VC.
AltSchool plans to use the fresh capital to build its content and curriculum, technology infrastructure and community concept, where students will meet offline to network and learn together.
Launched in October 2021 by Adewale Yusuf, who is also the Co-founder and CEO of Nigerian tech talent developing and outsourcing company, TalentQL, Akintunde Sultan and Opeyemi Awoyemi, AltSchool provides a solution as an online school with a curriculum to improve/upskill non-technical people with technical and soft skills while partnering with higher institutions to provide diploma certificates.
AltSchool is on a mission to help an individual get started on the career they want. Whether one is fresh out of high school, seeking extra education, or wants to transition to a career in tech, it will give an individual the skills and insight to achieve the success one desires.
Talking about the platform, Chief Executive Officer of AltSchool Africa, Adewale Yusuf, said, ‘We need to find a shortcut for people, whereby they will be able to make money and provide for their family and add value to the economy. That’s one of the reasons we launched AltSchool because if a lot of people can have marketable skills, then I think we can solve a massive problem in the market.”
He further added, “We realize that the most important thing is skills. We genuinely want to give people the skills. And we know that not everybody that passed the assessment will make it to the end of school, nor are they better than those who failed. We’ll create a situation where if some can stick to the end of this semester, we’ll find a way for them to complete the programme.”
AltSchool Africa is structured around a comprehensive curriculum designed to impart the knowledge required to gain employment as a qualified software engineer without the rigours of a traditional four-year undergraduate degree programme. Students can take advantage of a flexible study schedule to complete all the modules while attending to their existing professional and personal commitments.
The startup managed to pull in those numbers via word of mouth while garnering some enviable following on social media. Some well-known personalities from tech and music are sponsoring students through the program, while others, noticing the company’s promise, are cutting checks.
Its launch was met with significant support and excitement from the local tech ecosystem, with several individuals paying the application fee for interested participants. That support has resulted in over 8,000 enrollments from over 20 countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Botswana.
In the near future, AtSchool also plans to launch the product modules, including product management, marketing and design. The company is also exploring B2B partnerships with private schools in Nigeria and Africa, using AltSchool’s curriculum in their classes.
