In a significant move that underscores its rapid growth trajectory, Kenyan edtech platform Craydel has officially launched its services in Burundi and Tanzania. This strategic expansion marks the company’s entry into its sixth and seventh African markets, solidifying its position as the first Kenyan education startup to establish a true continental presence.
This recent development is the fourth market expansion for Craydel in under a year, demonstrating an aggressive scaling strategy. The platform now operates a comprehensive network across East, West, and Southern Africa, with a presence in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and now, Burundi and Tanzania.
Craydel’s expansion is aimed at capturing a burgeoning market of African students seeking higher education opportunities abroad. According to industry estimates, approximately 400,000 students from the continent pursue overseas studies annually. Craydel’s leadership believes this significant market is currently underserved by a fragmented and outdated system of traditional recruitment agents.
Manish Sardana, the co-founder and CEO of Craydel, highlighted the core problem the company aims to solve. “Across Africa, students face the same challenge: limited, biased advice from a fragmented agent system,” he stated. The traditional model often leaves students with incomplete information and limited choices, hindering their ability to find institutions that truly match their academic and career aspirations.
At the heart of Craydel’s value proposition is its proprietary, AI-powered university matchmaker tool. This platform empowers students by providing a comprehensive and unbiased resource to search, compare, and apply to a wide range of international universities and colleges.
“At Craydel, we’re flipping that model—putting control back in learners’ hands with seamless access to the tech to search, match, and apply to their best-fit universities,” Sardana explained. This learner-centric approach is a cornerstone of the company’s strategy.
The platform is free for students to use. Craydel’s business model is based on partnerships with educational institutions, which pay a commission for each successful student enrollment facilitated through the site. Following its entry into Rwanda in May, Sardana confirmed the startup is in its growth stage, actively expanding its partnerships with overseas institutions to offer an even broader array of options for African students.
Founded in 2021 by Manish Sardana, John Nguru, and Shayne Aman Premji, Craydel has successfully raised over $2.5 million in venture capital from prominent investors, including Enza Capital and Angaza Capital.
While the global student recruitment market is dominated by international giants like Canada’s ApplyBoard and Australia’s IDP Education, Craydel is carving out a niche with its unique, Africa-focused strategy. The company is betting that its locally-rooted, pan-African model will provide a distinct advantage in building trust and navigating the continent’s fragmented education markets more effectively than its global competitors.
With proven playbooks for new market expansion, we’re scaling fast, with the learner always at the center. Our expansion to Burundi and Tanzania is part of our journey to deploy the Craydel platform across Africa.
Manish Sardana
The company is strategically positioned within Africa’s estimated $30 billion annual edtech market, a sector buoyed by the continent’s rising youth demographics and a growing demand for global education pathways. Craydel’s management has indicated that further market launches are on the horizon as the company continues its aggressive push towards continent-wide impact and profitability.
