By Juliet Umeh
Three promising EdTech startups are taking bold steps to fix some of Nigeria’s toughest learning challenges after receiving funding and mentorship from Women and Career, a non-governmental organization driving innovation in education and inclusion.
The startups -The VARLC Project, Ntapi Inc, and Neuronest, emerged top finalists in the Women and Career EdTech Fellowship Programme 2025, a 12-week accelerator designed to help young innovators transform their ideas into scalable digital education businesses.
The Fellowship, which recently concluded in Lagos, provided training in entrepreneurship, product development, business growth, and mentorship. The initiative focuses on equipping founders
with practical tools to develop market-ready solutions that make learning accessible, inclusive, and engaging for diverse learners.
According to Women and Career Programme Director, Emeka Amadi, the Fellowship is not just another startup competition but a call to action for technology-driven problem solving in education.
Amadi said: “This fellowship is about helping innovators turn ideas into impact. Nigeria’s education sector faces deep
accessibility and inclusivity challenges, and we believe EdTech founders must become active contributors to the future of learning.”
The three winning startups shared N7 million in seed funding to scale their solutions.
The VARLC Project, winner of the N4.5 million grand prize, is redefining peer learning in universities through a flexible app that connects students with top-performing peers for tutoring and knowledge sharing. The platform enables learners to study at their own pace while allowing high-achieving students to earn income by teaching on the app.
Ntapi Inc, which received N2.25 million, is building a social learning network that makes education fun and culturally relevant through courses delivered in Nigerian languages. The startup aims to democratize teaching for local content creators, SMEs, and organizations by making them first-party educators.
The third winner, Neuronest, focuses on neurodiverse children, learners with
ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences. With N750,000 in seed funding, the startup is developing an AI-powered adaptive learning system that personalizes education for each learner’s pace and style.
Guest speaker and CEO of INGRYD Academy, Khadijat Abdulkadir, urged the startups to combine boldness with strategic thinking in their entrepreneurial journey.
“In this field, you have to take risks,” she said. “If you build something and discover it’s not needed in your ecosystem, pivot fast. Innovation means experimenting quickly until you find what works.”
She also advised the founders to design with global scalability in mind.
Abdulkadir said: “Tech is borderless. Build for Nigeria, but think beyond it. Your solution should be strong enough to find relevance anywhere in the world.”
Backing her views, angel investor and Founder of The Angel-A Collective, Mr. Ifeanyi Akosionu, encouraged the startups to stick with their ideas through early challenges.
He noted: “Many successful businesses didn’t start perfectly. What matters is refining your product through research and persistence until the market recognizes its value.”
For Women and Career, the success of this fellowship goes beyond grants, it’s about building a community of innovators who can use technology to close Nigeria’s education gaps, from inclusion and language to accessibility and learning diversity.
Amadi revealed: “We’re already working with partners like Mastercard and CcHub to help these founders get further business support.
“Our vision is to see these EdTechs scale and make quality education accessible for every learner, regardless of background or ability.”
