Andela has acquired Woven, a technical assessment platform based in Indianapolis, to focus on specialised talent rather than “generic software engineers.” This acquisition is important for Andela’s mission. They believe that by 2026, writing code will be simple, but engineering with AI will be more valuable.
The financial details of the deal are not public, but the reasoning behind it is clear. Andela, led by CEO Carrol Chang, already owns Qualified, which manages standard code testing. So why buy Woven?
The answer is their unique “Game Film” approach. Traditional tests, such as LeetCode problems, check whether a programmer can solve specific problems. Woven, founded by Wes Winham, uses a different method. They place candidates in a messy, broken codebase with a pretend angry customer who says, “Fix this bug before the system crashes.”
This approach tests skills like grit, debugging, and systems thinking—things that AI can’t easily mimic yet.
A key part of the announcement was the internal memo that came with it. Andela has changed what it means to be an “Engineer” in the AI era. According to Chang, companies are no longer looking for “Java Developers.” Instead, they are racing to find three new types of roles that barely existed two years ago:
- The Builder: The person who not only uses tools like ChatGPT but also writes the code behind them (including large language models and retrieval-augmented generation).
- The Integrator: The person who connects AI systems to essential tools like Salesforce or Slack.
- The Scaler: The person who ensures that AI systems function well even when used by millions of people at once.
With Woven’s technology, Andela can now identify these roles more effectively, distinguishing “prompt engineers” from true AI-Native Engineers.
Why This Matters for Africa
For Africa’s tech scene, this is a significant message. Andela started in Lagos with the goal of proving that talent is everywhere. By using Woven’s “AI Fluency” engine, Andela is enhancing the entire continent’s talent pipeline.
The message to developers in Nairobi, Cairo, and Cape Town is clear: Stop memorising code. Machines can handle that now. To get hired in 2026, you need to show that you can use AI to solve real problems. “If the hiring landscape is an ocean of similar boats,” Chang said, “our vision is to become the ocean.”
By acquiring Woven, Andela aims to be the key player in this space. In a world where AI writes code, the most valuable company will be the one that can identify who is truly qualified to manage it.
