Tespire, a promising EdTech startup which was birthed in Northern Nigeria, is set to announce the completion of its pre-seed fundraising round by the end of the month. Founded by Abdulkadir Suleiman Lapai, a long-time technology entrepreneur, and Umar Madugu, an experienced cybersecurity expert, Tespire has steadily been growing its presence from its base in Northern Nigeria to the emerging tech ecosystem in Abuja. The startup, which was officially incorporated in 2022, has quickly become a name to watch in Nigeria’s EdTech space.
The idea for Tespire stemmed from a decade-long effort to address the challenges facing schools in Nigeria. Schools, especially those in underserved regions, have been losing a significant portion of their revenue due to inefficient administrative processes, including difficult and time-consuming manual payment collections. Tespire has set out to fix this by building infrastructure that empowers school owners with digital tools like tablets and internet access to simplify these processes. By helping schools streamline their revenue collection and administrative tasks, Tespire is also laying the groundwork for harnessing valuable data that will eventually drive personalized learning through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Tespire’s vision goes beyond just fixing administrative issues. They are committed to using the power of data to increase access to quality education across Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African countries, starting with local schools and scaling toward a broader national and international market. With plans to position itself as a key enabler of AI-driven education solutions, Tespire is poised to change how students learn and how schools operate.
The team, based in Astound Innovation Hub in Abuja for the past eight months, has been working tirelessly to refine its product and scale operations. Tespire’s pre-seed fundraising round is a significant milestone in their journey, and the announcement is expected to create waves in the EdTech ecosystem.
Led by two proud sons of Niger State– Nigeria, CEO Abdulkadir Suleiman Lapai and CTO Umar Madugu, the company has garnered attention not just for its technology but for its mission to make education more accessible and efficient, especially in Nigeria’s underserved regions.
The forthcoming pre-seed announcement is a testament to Tespire’s commitment to transforming education in Nigeria, and with strategic partners like MTN Nigeria, Flutterwave, and Remita already on board, Tespire is well on its way to achieving its ambitious goals.
Tespire is gearing up for even bigger milestones as it eyes a future Seed round in the coming months. The pre-seed funds will help the startup scale its services, starting with the acquisition of more schools and focusing on improving young learners’ access to quality education.
