Technology software learning startup, Andela has launched in Kampala, Uganda, its third African market after Kenya and Nigeria to help technology companies build high-performing engineering teams with Africa’s most talented software developers.
Andela says it has already signed up 800 developers in the city after a May call for applications from which 8 were accepted into its first ever cohort in Uganda.
“The Kampala tech scene is vibrant, growing, and full of entrepreneurial spirit and untapped potential,” says Andela Chief Strategy Officer Wambui Kinya. “Andela is excited to support and contribute to the growth of the Ugandan tech ecosystem by providing a hub for brilliant minds to learn and collaborate.”
According to a recent Indeed report, there will be 1.3 million software development jobs created in the next ten years and only 400,000 domestic computer science graduates to fill them.
With 70% of its population below the age of 25 — the second youngest country in the world — Uganda represents a massive opportunity for Andela to equip the next generation of technologists and innovators in Kampala with the expertise they need to accelerate the advancement of their local communities through technology. As the global technology market continues to grow at a rapid pace, companies are looking outside of local markets to find top development talent.
Andela aims to bridge this talent gap by connecting Africa’s most talented developers with the companies looking for them. In the past three years, the company has grown from a founding team of six to over six hundred employees based in its Lagos, Nairobi, San Francisco and New York offices. Four hundred of those are Andela Developers, the majority of whom are working as full-time engineering team members at high-growth technology companies.
“When we launched in Nigeria three years ago, there’s no way we could have predicted how much of a continent-wide phenomenon Andela would become,” says co-founder and CEO Jeremy Johnson. “The response we’ve received from the technology community in Uganda over the past year has been overwhelming and has made it clear why Uganda is a natural next step on our path to unlocking the potential of thousands of world-class developers across the continent.”
Founded in 2014, Andela has raised $40M in venture funding from investors including Mark Zuckerberg’s Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Spark Capital. With more than 80 current company partners and growing demand, Andela is on track to nearly double its base of elite, Africa-based software developers by the end of the year.
