Nigerian EdTech startup Teesas raised $1.6 million to expand and launch new tutor marketplace

Osayi Izedonmwen took a break from the production of electronic gadgets under his company Imose Technologies after seven years to pursue an idea he had been experimenting with for a long time:
An edtech startup called Teesas, which currently provides video classes and other digital instructional material to learners in Nigeria.

Teesas, which only launched a few months ago, has had a quick start, resulting in a $1.6 million pre-seed fundraising round. Izedonmwen intends to use the funds to expand into new regions, develop a marketplace that connects students with teachers for private courses, and broaden its product offering.

Teesas' content is associated with Nigeria's national curriculum and is available to learners in both live and recorded formats, with a monthly subscription starting at $6. The startup also offers local language classes in addition to traditional schoolwork.

Izedonmwen started working on Teesas’ design and development after visiting India. He explained "I was considering India since they are technologically advanced and have some large companies spearheading the edtech revolution, such as Byju. "I went out there to spend some time getting to know the model and looking for ways to improve on what they were doing then we applied Indian adaptation."

He further said, "Teesas will have the greatest impact on Africa's educational future. And I want to make sure I'm giving it my all in driving that transition, which is why I'm putting my whole attention on it," he added, that a part of their next strategy will be to expand into new markets in Francophone, East, and Southern Africa.

However, Teesas is now among the list of emerging African edtech startups that have recently secured funding from investors betting on Africa’s growing edtech industry, which has recently seen a boom fueled by the covid pandemic's growth.