Collaboration will lead to the creation of the Semicolon Frontiers Technology Fellowship for each Cohort of The Founder Institute in Lagos.
March 11th, Palo Alto, CA – The Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator program, and Semicolon, an organisation turning Africa’s vibrant youth population into an army of technologists – software developers, enterprise architects, project managers, etc., are announcing a local partnership to further connect early-stage startups with technical resources. As part of this partnership, the two organizations are announcing a mutual partnership to collaborate and work with aspiring software engineers and entrepreneurs in the tech ecosystem through Founder Institute program and Semicolon’s Techpreneurship program in Lagos, Nigeria.
“A country’s greatest investment is in its people and we must do what we can at all times to drive it—drive them.” - Semicolon
Founder Institute and Semicolon will collaborate to support and provide resources for the 40+ startups joining Founder Institute Lagos each year. In addition to supporting startup founders throughout Lagos, a goal of this initiative will be to [train entrepreneurs from the idea stage to early company stage/equip individuals with problem-solving skills for society].
According to the Regional Director, Founder Institute, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr.,
We are proud of the value that Semicolon has added so far. This collaboration will in no small way increase the value both organisations can offer the ecosystem because the connection between a world-class curriculum and quality technical resources will result in the creation of great companies in a very short time.
For early-stage founders and teams up to the challenge, the Founder Institute’s comprehensive step-by-step program provides the structure, mentor support, and global network of entrepreneurs needed to start an enduring company. The Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that focuses on people versus ideas, accepts founders with day jobs, and shares equity with all participants. Founder Institute Graduate companies include fast-rising startups across 6 continents like Udemy, Realty Mogul, Travelcar, goplaceit, Appota, and many more.
Semicolon achieves its aim through an intensive 12-month programme, we train Nigerians in core IT skills (such as software development, enterprise architecture and project management), as well as leadership, entrepreneurship and business management skills. Semicolon students work on innovation-oriented projects, take internships and work with mentors to develop hands-on experience, build their professional networks and develop innovative technical solutions to the world’s problems.
About Semicolon
Semicolon is an organisation that is passionate about identifying talented minds and targeted at training and empowering youths with problem-solving skills through an intensive 12-month techpreneurship training in Design Thinking, Software Engineering and Business Management. Across industries, there is a demand for individuals skilled enough to harness technology and develop innovative solutions for Nigeria’s problems.
Semicolon’s mission is to address this gap by building a thriving technology ecosystem through an army of technologists that will drive the economic growth of Nigeria and impact the world through innovative problem-solving. It is our vision for Nigeria to be home to a talented, thriving technology community that leads the world in innovation.
We are based in Lagos and currently have 160 natives - soon to be more - enrolled in our techpreneurship training, pushing boundaries through innovative projects and sustainable solutions. Semicolon was established in November 2018 and is led by the Chief - Sam Immanuel.
Graduates of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over $1.75BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/journey.
