This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
On November 26, 2019, Sim Shagaya's edtech startup uLesson announced a $3.1mn seed round led by TLcom Capital, marking a significant milestone in the company's journey towards revolutionizing Africa's education sector.
uLesson aims to bridge the infrastructure and learning gaps in Africa's education sector by providing secondary school learners across the West African region with access to high-quality, curriculum-relevant educational content.
Founded by Sim Shagaya, a seasoned entrepreneur and former CEO of Konga, uLesson has been in development and beta testing for 12 months. The company plans to use the funding to take its product to market in West Africa before expanding to the East African market.
uLesson's mobile offering is built on three pillars: academics, media & technology, and curriculum content delivered via streaming and SD cards. The company has produced over 3,000 richly animated, personalized video learning modules, quizzes, and tests that will be available on the uLesson Android app via a subscription model in Q1 2020.
Low-income families in Africa spend up to 40% of their household income on expensive schooling and supplemental education, yet the school system across the continent records poor academic outcomes. uLesson has been designed to address these issues by leveraging mobile technology to scale access to education and learning at a fraction of the cost of traditional tutoring.
Speaking on the investment, CEO Sim Shagaya said, “Education systems across Africa are in crisis, and uLesson has been developed to radically shake-up the system and bring better access to high-quality curriculum-relevant educational content to learners across the continent.”
As part of the seed round, Ido Sum and Omobola Johnson, partners in TLcom's executive team, will join the board alongside former Konga CEO, Shola Adekoya.
