Kenyan edtech startup, Craydel, announced that it has secured $1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Enza Capital, a Kenyan based Venture Capital firm. Other investors include Future of Learning Fund, a Kenya-based edtech backer; BriteGaze, South Africa’s artificial intelligence fund; and Bisk Ventures and Tekton Ventures, both Silicon Valley-based venture capital firms; Kenya-based Chandaria Capital, Nigeria-based LoftyInc Afropreneurs Fund, and an array of other angel investors including founders and top executives of Africa’s leading SaaS, e-commerce and education startups.
Founded early this year by co-founders Manish Sardana, John Nguru and Shayne Aman Premji, Craydel is transforming the way students and working professionals in Africa discover, compare and apply to higher education. Its online platform has over 3,000 high quality undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational programs offering degrees, diplomas and certificates from more than 90 leading universities and vocational colleges in 15 countries around the world.
According to Craydel, the funds will be used to improve its search and recommendation technology and also enhance its online resources.
Craydel’s co-founder and chief financial officer says that, “This paradox of choice is sometimes not a good thing. So, we’re building using AI at the search and recommendation engine, which is proprietary technology to us. Through it, students or working professionals will tell us their interests, grades, budgets. We will also talk about their career aspirations and conduct aptitude assessments. The outcome of all these assessments is a curated list of the leading potential choices for them.”
“Access to higher education and skills development for Africa’s growing youth population remains fragmented, yet is a fundamental cornerstone to our accelerated development,” said Enza Capital managing partner Mike Mompi, who will be to joining Craydel’s board of directors.
“Craydel is building the rails to democratize access to higher education and to support millions of Africans up this curve.”
