Edgetechies Blog

At Edgetechies, we believe every enterprise carries two types of value: the visible kind—revenues, customers, partnerships—and the coded kind, which sits beneath the surface. For social enterprises, that coded value lies in their ability to deliver impact while also building paths to profitability and sustainability . For years, many viewed social enterprises as charity-adjacent, destined to rely on grants or goodwill. But the truth is different. When structured right, social enterprises can be among the most resilient and scalable business models of our time. Their coded value is in how they turn human problems into market opportunities —balancing purpose with business sense. Purpose as a Growth Engine The most successful social enterprises don’t chase impact at the expense of profit. They harness purpose as a growth engine. Take SkillHer , for example. What began as a safe space for women to learn and upskill has grown into a thriving community unlocking new opportunities across N...

Helpmum Africa ; one of the startups that our business development team led by 'Damola Anjorin helped lay the foundation and continues to support, recently got selected as one of the startups to be funded in partnership by META(whatsapp) on rolling out Turn.io. This is also coming after being recently selected as the first-ever African winner of a $250,000 grant from the   Patrick McGovern Foundation  to support the deployment of the company's AI-Driven Vaccine Intervention Optimiser (ADVISER) Plus  a $50,000 grant from  Waislitz Global Citizens ; for remarkable work in tackling maternal and infant mortality alongside covid response. The team continues to make strides, with series of wins including about 12 million USD grant recently with a few other organizations. More info  here  We're proud of the team's back-to-back wins and the strategic support we've been providing over the years from the company's founding moments. Learn more about the company'...

Years ago circa 2015, I found myself standing among hundreds of brilliant young innovators in Philadelphia at the  Forbes Under 30 Summit . It was surreal, not just because I was one of only two Africans selected for sponsored participation, but because the path that got me there had been anything but predictable. It began with a problem I saw every day in Nigeria:  the gap between students who needed help and those who could offer it . The Birth of NearTutors After graduation and constantly inundated with requests for special tutoring, I cofounded  Neartutors , an online platform that connected students with verified tutors for personalized learning and exam preparation. We built it from scratch; with no funding, no high-profile mentors, just an audacious belief that  education access could be more efficient, more personal, and more empowering . Over time, we grew the platform to serve  over 6,000 users and maintained  a  4.8/5 star average review rat...

In the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship, Africa is emerging as a hotbed of innovation and opportunity. With a burgeoning ecosystem ripe with talent and potential, there's never been a better time for African entrepreneurs to step onto the global stage. However, navigating the complexities of funding, scaling, and networking can be daunting. This is where we step in – Boldview, a visionary talent investor on a mission to catalyze the growth of African startups into global powerhouses. Unlocking Potential: Boldview isn't your typical venture capital firm. They don't just invest money; they invest in people, ideas, and the future of Africa. With a keen eye for talent and innovation, Boldview seeks out promising entrepreneurs across the continent and provides them with the resources, mentorship, and connections they need to succeed on a global scale. A Different Approach: What sets Boldview apart is its holistic approach to investment. They understand that building a succe...

Getting the fundamentals right is always guaranteed to produce remarkable growth outcomes in any business, regardless of the industry. We’ve managed to prove this repeatedly with multiple businesses of various sizes we've worked with over time across different locations, operating domains & industries. This has also proven to be the case with one of our recent clients- Cakesdeporche ; a pastry services business based in Ibadan, Nigeria. The CEO engaged us to help take the business beyond a revenue plateau and attain the next level of growth. Lead Project Consultant & Engagement Manager - Mr Ajibola Kasope worked alongside other consultants, to revisit the business fundamentals and craft a new business plan, coupled with the provision of strategic business development support over the course of the engagement.  These include - helping to finetune the business objectives and support each with the right strategy, executing new product launches, strengthening multi-channel mark...

  Congrats to Biodun & his team at Helpmum.org on being selected for the Facebook community accelerator program. Proud to have seeded the development of the first company website and helped in mobilizing the very first outreach. *Cover of the brief Biodun(the founder) sent me below Initially declined to back him on a couple of other lower-potential concepts he pitched to me... ** (PS: **Chats are shared with necessary alignment for context) Including a coffee business & laboratory rats business Then he eventually came up with Helpmum after some back-and-forth ideation We scheduled a meeting which became a defining moment for Helpmum and the rest is history The startup has gone on to do amazing work in maternal health, getting a series of grants & recognitions along the way, including a recent $250k win from the Google Impact challenge The team continues to enjoy strategic business development support from us and we continue to cheer them on for more wins. *Biodun & ...

  This is a call to action for the dreamers of the world. Imagine being in a market where more people live in a high-speed mobile Internet zone than have electricity. Where farmers with $50 Android 5.0 smartphones use WhatsApp to joke with their friends on one thread and confirm market prices for cassava on another. And data for one dollar per gigabyte is used to spread viral videos through villages of women singing Michael Jackson. The art of the possible would be different in places like this. The innovative thinking that has defined the world’s best entrepreneurs would be able to create services that don’t exist today that would empower these users. This world doesn’t need imagining — there are many places like this in Sub-Saharan Africa today. Something magical is happening in the poorest countries of the world. With smartphone prices plummeting, with ever-affordable, and fast, mobile data and with increasingly user-friendly services, tech has taken off in Africa. On the other ...

  We’re witnessing a fundamental change in the way the world works: a transformation in technology, connectivity and accessibility that is driven by mobile. A transformation that is unlocking human potential and inspiring a creative revolution – one that we believe could be led by Africa. Connectivity inspires creativity. It gives us the power to imagine bigger, better ideas. Already a new generation of makers, doers and builders are launching companies that are radically disrupting established businesses and even entire industries. Today, with nothing but a smartphone and some code, you can create an auto brand, a supermarket, a fashion label or even a bank. This is happening across Africa in industries as diverse as finance, eCommerce, health, education, farming and entertainment – from small businesses like Funkidz in Kenya, which sells amazingly playful children’s furniture, all the way up to the likes of Tuluntulu, which is bringing local on-demand video to Africans everywhere...