Talent Nation, a startup co-founded by Nigerian entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji and South African-born entrepreneur Kesiah Valkin, has raised an undisclosed pre-seed round. The company plans to train and deploy one million AI engineers from Africa into businesses worldwide over the next decade.
Who Is Backing the Round
Enza Capital and London-based LocalGlobe co-led the round. Future Africa, Kaleo Ventures, Ajim Capital, Solving.org and Accelerate Africa also participated. The company has not disclosed how much it raised.
The Team Behind the Bet
Aboyeji is executive chairman. He previously co-founded Andela, Flutterwave and Moove. Valkin is chief executive and co-founded London-based 01 Founders.
How the Learn2Earn Academy Works
Talent Nation runs its training through an academy called Learn2Earn. The academy recruits, trains, certifies and places engineers with organisations that want to build and manage their own AI capabilities.
Applicants start with an online assessment, followed by in-person trials that test technical aptitude, problem-solving and critical thinking. Candidates who meet the standard can move straight to deployment. Others enter training programmes lasting three, six or 12 months. Training mixes peer-led learning, engineering projects, intensive buildathons, internships and hands-on work experience.
Early Numbers From the Pipeline
The company says it has received more than 63,000 applications in 18 months and assessed over 32,000 candidates. About 1,400 fellows are enrolled across nine campuses in six cities, and fewer than 3% of applicants are admitted. Its engineers already work with clients that include the telecoms infrastructure group IHS Towers.
Training Without Upfront Fees
Talent Nation says candidates will not pay upfront fees. Revenue from enterprise engagements funds the training of new engineers, and graduates who get jobs contribute toward future cohorts. If the model holds, the academy can grow without pricing out the people it wants to reach.
Why Talent Is the Target
Businesses are under pressure to adopt AI, but many struggle to hire engineers who can turn AI models into reliable, production-ready systems. As AI tools generate more code, the people who can test outputs, connect systems and make sure software works in real conditions become more valuable.
Aboyeji argues that talent is now the main constraint on progress in AI. He says Talent Nation wants to make certified engineers available at a fraction of what it costs to hire from frontier AI labs or traditional consulting firms. Valkin says wider AI adoption depends on making engineering skills affordable to businesses of every size. The company sums up its pitch with the slogan “AI for the rest of us”.
What Investors Are Saying
Sir John Lazar, general partner at Enza Capital and president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says the firm backed the company because of its founders’ record in spotting engineering talent and connecting African professionals with quality work at global standards.
The Gap Between Ambition and Evidence
One million engineers in ten years is a steep climb from 1,400 enrolled fellows today. The company has not published a detailed timetable for scaling its campuses, funding or placements. The real test will be whether enterprise demand keeps pace with graduate numbers, and whether placed engineers deliver results that bring in more clients.
For now, Talent Nation has the backing, the early applicant interest and a financing model built around its own graduates. Whether that adds up to a million engineers will depend on execution over the coming years.
