Nigerian talent outsourcing and incubator company TalentQL, which only launched this month, has raised a US$300,000 pre-seed funding round led by Zedcrest Capital.
Founded by Adewale Yusuf, Opeyemi Awoyemi and Akintunde Sultan, also co-founders of Techpoint Africa, Jobberman and DevCareer, TalentQL hires, develops and manages remote talent for global companies.
The startup launched this month with plans to build a pipeline of quality talent for African companies as well as source and manage top local talent for leading international firms. Its model includes building talent campuses in less-crowded African cities with proximity to top tertiary institutions.
“Our mission is to help progressive companies build solid remote teams and a pipeline of quality talent. This pre-seed funding allows us to kickstart this mission and we are convinced that what we are doing at TalentQL will change the African talent landscape,” said Adewale Yusuf, TalentQL’s chief executive officer (CEO).
“We believe that talent is Africa’s greatest export and as such needs to be developed and refined. With over 60 per cent of the Nigerian population being under the age of 25, there is no better place than this country to begin building a home for Africa’s top talent.”
The US$300,000 funding round is led by Zedcrest Capital and also includes local entrepreneurs and investors such as Kola Aina and Prosper Otemuyiwa. Zedcrest CEO Adedayo Amzat said his company was excited to be backing TalentQL, which becomes the 20th startup in its “Ventures at Zedcrest” initiative.
“African talents are undoubtedly competing favourably globally, and TalentQL’s work will expand the available talent pool to improve further Africa’s representation in the global technology talent space,” he said.
“It is a no brainer to be betting on the team behind the TalentQL. They are entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses, and we have no doubt they will replicate the same success here.”
