The Women and Career Foundation has awarded seed funding to three Nigerian education technology startups, providing critical support to scale their solutions into viable businesses.
The beneficiaries, The VARLC Project, Ntapi Inc., and Neuronest, were selected after completing a rigorous 12-week training under the Women and Career EdTech Fellowship Programme, 2025, designed to equip founders with the skills, networks, and resources needed to drive innovation in the education sector.
The Fellowship Programme offered a structured curriculum covering entrepreneurship, product development, business growth, mentorship, capacity building, expert-led sessions, and hands-on projects, preparing startups to tackle key challenges in the EdTech space.
The three startups shared N7 million in seed funding. The VARLC Project received N4.5 million for its peer tutoring platform that enhances university students’ learning experiences while providing tutors an income opportunity. Ntapi Inc., awarded N2.25 million, runs a social-learning platform offering personalised lessons in multiple Nigerian languages and a marketplace connecting content creators with learners. Neuronest received N750,000 to expand its AI-powered adaptive learning platform, designed to personalise K–12 education for neurodiverse learners, including children with ADHD and dyslexia.
At the Lagos event, guest speaker and CEO of INGRYD Academy, Khadijat Abdulkadir, encouraged the founders to balance boldness with caution, stressing that taking risks is essential for entrepreneurial success. Angel investor Ifeanyi Akosionu also urged participants to pursue novel yet relevant ideas and remain persistent even when early traction is slow.
Programme Director of Women and Career, Emeka Amadi, said the NGO is working to secure additional financial and business support from partners such as Mastercard and Co-Creation Hub. “This fellowship is not just a programme; it’s a call to action to empower EdTechs with the tools to solve real problems in education through innovation,” Amadi stated.
The initiative underscores the foundation’s commitment to developing EdTech solutions that actively contribute to the future of education and technology in Nigeria.
