Nigerian startup 1Plify, a global admissions portal allowing students to connect directly with learning institutions around the world, has been selected to take part in the first acceleration programme run by French incubator NUMA in Bangalore, India.
Disrupt Africa reported earlier this week Paris-based incubator NUMA was expanding its operations, launching NUMA Casablanca in Morocco as well as hubs in Russia – NUMA Moscow – and India – NUMA Bangalore.
NUMA has selected 11 startups to take part in its first six-month accelerator programme in Bangalore, which will see startups assisted by mentors and entrepreneurs in residence, with access to operational, legal and marketing support as well as office space.
One of these startups is Nigeria’s 1Plify, which allows students to connect directly with universities across the world, and has partnered with institutions in the United Kingdom (UK), France, Cyprus, India, Dubai, Vietnam and Philippines.
“We are delighted to join NUMA. As we continue to make admissions easier for students through our portal, the acceleration programme is a good step in aiding our growth efforts. It is great to have an international accelerator such as NUMA supporting us on this mission,” said Oluwatobi Soyombo, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of 1Plify.
“The entire NUMA Bangalore team is excited to have 1Plify as one of the first cohort of startups we will be accelerating. We are revved up to deliver maximum value to these startups. Everything has been put in place to fast track the growth of all the startups we have on board. We are convinced that the next six months is going to be redefining for these startups,” said Naresh Narasimhan, CEO of NUMA Bangalore.
NUMA has partnered Airbus Bizlab – a global aerospace business accelerator where startups and Airbus intrapreneurs work towards transforming ideas into businesses – to launch the Bangalore hub.
“Being one of the fastest growing & emerging economies in the world, India was definitely a sought-after destination for us to set up NUMA. The vibrant ecosystem and the growing numbers of startups in India certainly fall in line with our plans. We believe that our six-month programme coupled with NUMA’s incredible knowledge base and the co-working environment in the heart of a thriving ecosystem will certainly help a lot of budding entrepreneurs in achieving their dream,” said Frédéric Oru of NUMA.
