In 2014, Moringa School launched its maiden Software Development class in Kenya with a cohort of only four (4) students and a vision for “A world in which anyone can create their future.” At that time, there was a growing demand for skilled tech talent and companies increased investment in technology to gain a competitive advantage from their own digital transformation. This demand was not being met by the available local talent due to a lack of skills. Something had to be done.
Moringa is a multi-disciplinary learning accelerator committed to closing the skills gap in Africa’s job market by providing transformative tech-based learning. Moringa School plays a pivotal role in developing and nurturing high-potential individuals who are passionate about technology and want to take a lead role in Software Engineering and other tech-based programs.
Moringa prides itself on training 4000+ students and placing more than 85% of its graduates into leading companies throughout Africa and the world. Some of the notable companies that their graduates have been placed in include Safaricom, I&M, Andela, Sanlam, Microsoft, Cybertek and Dalberg Data Insights.
6 years after their inception Moringa School was listed among the top 50 Edtech companies in Africa by HolonIQ. The World Bank cited Moringa School as a leader in the space following its research into technology Bootcamps. Most recently, Moringa School was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers in 2021.”
Moringa is excited to have recently received an investment from Proparco (AFD Group) to support its expansion outside Kenya. This will give them a chance to start to train Software Engineers in Ghana and soon Nigeria with a plan to scale to other African countries in the next 12 months.
The investment comes at an exciting time with Moringa just agreeing to a curriculum licencing deal with the world’s leading coding Bootcamp. Flatiron School, and achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification. The stage is set for Moringa to play a significant role in developing African tech talent and connecting it to purposeful and significant earning opportunities whether full-time jobs, gig economy or becoming entrepreneurs.
Following Moringa’s recent launches with Impact Hub Accra and Social Enterprise Ghana, Moringa and Plenty Tech Jobs Nigeria have entered into a market entry partnership that will see Moringa become a key provider of tech talent for the Nigerian workforce. Plenty Tech Jobs is a leading platform for finding the best technology jobs and remote gigs in Nigeria.
The investment from Proparco will aid Moringa to prepare for Series A funding in 2023. Apart from International expansion outside Kenya, the funding from Proparco will also facilitate the broadening of the range of courses offered by Moringa. Currently, the institution offers Software Engineering, Data Science and Soft Skills courses with plans to offer courses in UI/UX design in the near future.
According to Françoise Lombard, Proparco’s CEO “Supporting the African tech ecosystem is one of Proparco’s key priorities. Through our investment in Moringa, Proparco is proud to support an ambitious Edtech in its expansion in Africa and thus contribute to bridging the skills gap that has been affecting the growth of startups on the African continent”.
Proparco is the private sector financing arm of Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group). It has been promoting sustainable economic, social and environmental development for over 40 years. Proparco provides funding and support to both businesses and financial institutions in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Its action focuses on the key development sectors: infrastructure, mainly for renewable energies, agribusiness, financial institutions, health and education.
Its operations aim to strengthen the contribution of private players to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the international community in 2015. To this end, Proparco finances companies whose activity contributes to creating jobs and decent incomes, providing essential goods and services and combating climate change. For a World in Common.
In alignment with Proparco’s aim of financing the provision of essential Edtech services, Snehar Shah, Moringa’s CEO said “The investment comes at an exciting time for Moringa as the institution expands to Ghana and Nigeria. We are keen to leverage this partnership to train many more students using the leading US Bootcamp curriculum from Flatiron School. In line with our vision of a world in which anyone can create their future, we welcome the support of Proparco to make our courses available in new markets in Africa.”
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