Dive Brief:
- 2U co-founder Jeremy Johnson has raised venture capital for a new company that will train people in Africa to work remotely as computer coders for technology firms in the U.S.
- The company, Andela, will teach students in a four-year program through a flipped classroom method, with a physical campus in Lagos, Nigeria, according to EdSurge.
- Andela has enrolled its first class, and the 28 students are already working as developers for tech companies.
Dive Insight:
Johnson founded Andela along with Christina Sass, and the company’s seed investors include Steve Case, Omidyar Network, Founder Collective, Rothenberg Ventures, Learn Capital, Melo7 Tech Partners, and Chris Hughes. Part of the attraction for employers is that Andela is “more selective than Harvard,” as it boasts on its website, accepting less than 1% of applicants. According to EdSurge, 5,200 people applied for the first class, commuting from across Nigeria. Students are paid $500 per month and work remotely during the work hours of their employers. The company is considering adding campuses in Kenya and Ghana.