Remoteli, a Ghanaian startup that links African tech talent with remote work opportunities, has secured a pre-seed funding round of £250,000 ($314,824) to scale its operations and expand throughout Africa. The round was led by Jeremie Frimpong, a Ghanaian-Dutch professional footballer playing for Bundesliga club Bayern Leverkusen.
This investment follows the trend of football players investing in tech startups, for instance, French footballers Aurelien Tchouameni, Jules Kounde, and Mike Maignan invested in a $3 million funding round for StarNews Mobile, an African mobile video network, in 2023.
Samuel Brooksworth, the founder of Remoteli, started the company to bridge the gap between talented graduates struggling to find employment and organizations in need of growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained that the investment from Jeremie Frimpong, a professional footballer, aims to propel Remoteli towards their goal of providing employment for one million people by 2030. A part of their collaboration with Frimpong includes the Pathways project, designed to assist young footballers whose careers did not take off. Through the provision of new opportunities and support in training and upskilling, Remoteli aims to help these athletes establish potential off-field careers.
Frimpong resonates with Brooksworth’s vision and expressed his commitment to creating opportunities for people and places with limited resources, which aligns with his own background. He stated his belief in what Remoteli is striving to achieve and his immediate interest in the idea when it was pitched to him by Brooksworth.
Remoteli, focusing on organic growth, has minimal fundraising initiatives and a bootstrapping strategy. The startup offers AI-powered software that pairs organizations with skilled tech professionals.
Additionally, it is developing a collection of tools and resources aimed at empowering global companies by linking them with talented African professionals. These range from project management tools and communication channels to time tracking and invoicing solutions, all customizable to each organization’s requirements.
The startup claims to have direct employment for over 100 individuals and support for over 100 committed clients. It has recently extended its operations to Kigali, Rwanda, and aims to expand further across Africa in 2024. Remoteli is also looking forward to a Series A fundraising round later this year.
