Many parents immigrate to America in order for their children to have the opportunity to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, not everyone has the access to do so. To help more Africans achieve this dream, co-founder and CEO Ope Bukola and her team launched Kibo School.
According to TechCrunch, the online school has raised $2 million to offer STEM degrees targeted to students in Africa.
Capital For Accessible Education
“There are so many young people getting into the technology workforce, and I really think the continent could be the place for young technologists, if only our education system was up to the task. Our mission at Kibo is to provide a better alternative to traditional education,” said Bukola, according to the outlet.
The seed funding round was led by venture capital firm Neo. Participants also included Future Africa, Pledges, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, Transcend Network, and several angel investors.
Plans For The Seed Funding
“The primary goal for the seed round is to get the degree program off the ground. We have been doing these short classes, and we’re going to keep doing them and going through the process of applying for accreditation. But our primary focus now is bringing in students for our degree programs,” said Bukola, TechCrunch reports.
Following the $2 million round, Kibo School’s total capital now stands at $2.4 million. Also, the startup has also gone on to train 400 students in 13 countries across the African continent.
New Kibo School Programs
On June 20, Kibo School opened up applications for its full-time computer science degree. The inaugural three-year degree program is open to students in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana.
“It’s an online degree, but we have target cities because it’s still really important to help students build community. So, in every city where we’re enrolling students, there’s going to be an advisor on the ground, who will organize meet-ups every month,” said Bukola.
In 2023, the school has plans to expand the programs that it offers.
