DRC Impact Angels, the most active angel syndicate operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is thrilled to announce a significant investment of $80,000 in Itot Africa. This leading edtech start-up, based in Lubumbashi, provides training and digital educational tools to corporates, SMEs, NGOs, and individual entrepreneurs in the Republic Democratic of Congo (“DRC”). The investment was made in collaboration with ABAN (the African Business Angels Network) and co-financed through the ABAN matching fund called Catalytic Africa, with additional support from the incubator Centre d’Innovation de Lubumbashi (“Cinolu”).

The purpose of this investment is to enable Itot Africa to establish a new office in Kolwezi, the largest mining city in DRC. Furthermore, Itot Africa aims to expand its digital offerings through its flagship product, Okademy. By leveraging this additional funding, Itot Africa will provide training, digital and coding business services to the local ecosystem, including mining companies, as well as international clients with operations in Kolwezi. This marks the fourth transaction of DRC Impact Angels in the country and the second one outside of Kinshasa, the main city of DRC.

Why the Investors Invested

The decision to invest in Itot Africa was driven by several compelling factors. Itot Africa is one of the few tech ventures in DRC, and notably, it is female co-founded. This unique positioning enhances its potential for growth and impact in the market. Additionally, the investment represents a significant milestone for the ecosystem for two reasons. Firstly, it is the second-largest edtech deal in DRC this year, following Schoolap’s repayment of a $500,000 convertible note in February 2023. Secondly, it is the second co-investment by Catalytic Africa/ABAN into DRC Congo, underscoring the positive operational and financial performance of DRC Impact Angels in the country.

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DRC Impact Angels chose to invest in Itot Africa based on a fact-based assessment of the company’s growth potential and the quality of its founders. By supporting local founders and facilitating their national and international growth, DRC Impact Angels aligns with its core investment thesis. The collaboration with ABAN and the continued partnership with Cinolu further strengthen the investment’s value proposition and amplify the positive outcomes expected from this venture.

A Look at Itot Africa

Itot Africa, founded in 2018, is a pan-African tech venture operating out of Lubumbashi, DRC. The company specializes in offering training, digital educational tools, and IT consulting services to corporates, SMEs, NGOs, and individual entrepreneurs primarily in the DRC market. The startup’s commitment to enhancing digital education and providing innovative solutions positions it as a leading player in the edtech space.

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Itot Africa’s founders, Samy Mwamba, Henrique Mukanda and Kileshe Kasoma, have demonstrated their ability to create value for both local and international customers. The startup has now secured the support of DALHAP Investments Ltd, an international impact investor that was the first to invest in the startup. This partnership reflects DALHAP Investments Ltd’s continued commitment to supporting Itot Africa’s growth and development not only in DRC but also across Africa and in the USA.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

DRC Impact Angels, an investment club operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is pleased to announce a new investment in ITOT Africa, a leading start-up in the field of information technology and digital education — based in Lubumbashi.

Founded in 2018, ITOT Africa provides training and other digital educational tools to businesses, SMEs, NGOs and individual entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) and internationally, with a branch being opened in the United States. ITOT Africa also owns www.okademy.africa, the first on-demand training platform in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

The startup is also one of the few technology companies in the DRC to be co-founded by a woman.

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In terms of partnership, ITOT Africa collaborates with several leading international entities including Amazon, GIZ and Enabel. ITOT Africa was also a finalist in the technology start-up competition organized by the American University Yale.

In addition, ITOT Africa is a key player in the DRC’s technological ecosystem, being also a founding member of Ukamili Digital City — the Katanga technological collective aiming to make the Lush region — a leading international technological center.

In this context, ITOT Africa is the fourth transaction of the DRC Impact Angels investment club in the DRC and the second outside the capital Kinshasa.

This is an important transaction for the ecosystem:

This is the first transaction in the digital and technological education sector in the DRC — demonstrating the maturity of the ecosystem.

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It is also the first company co-founded by a woman in the DRC to receive local institutional funding.

DALHAP Investments Ltd, an international impact investment fund and first historical investor in ITOT Africa, will also continue to support the company in its growth and development in the DRC but also in Africa and in the United States in particular, alongside DRC Impact. Angels.

ITOT Africa is a pan-African technology company based in Lubumbashi that offers training, digital educational tools and other digital education consulting services to companies, SMEs, NGOs and individual entrepreneurs, mainly in the DRC but also in the international.

Comments from ITOT Africa — “With this investment, ITOT Africa will strengthen its educational tools offering, expand its client portfolio in the DRC and internationally, strengthen its institutional shareholder base and once again demonstrate the ability of Congolese start-ups to provide world-class services”.

Comments from DRC Impact Angels — “ITOT Africa’s mission in DR Congo is a perfect fit with the impact that DRC Impact Angels (DIA) seeks in the country, for example by supporting charismatic and talented teams with both world-class technical skills, strong business acumen and understanding of the DRC operational ecosystem. Furthermore, it is another testament to DIA’s ability to transact nationwide in the DRC and the Congolese business community to work together. Of course, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to support a tech company co-founded by a woman. We are very happy to welcome ITOT Africa to the DIA family.”

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Comments from DALHAP Investments — “ITOT Africa is the sixth gender investment in a technology start-up co-founded by a woman, concluded by the DALHAP family in Africa. It is also our first investment in the DRC made a year ago but certainly not the last! Since our investment in 2022, ITOT Africa has not ceased to impress us with its operational performance but above all with the significant impact that ITOT Africa has on the lives of Congolese citizens, especially women. The DRC is a strategic country in our investment policy and we are happy to have identified and supported the right team. We are particularly delighted with this new partnership with DRC Impact Angels, which is a strong signal of the operational solidity, financial health and relevance of ITOT Africa in the economic and technological landscape of the DRC, Africa and in the digital and technological education sector”.

DRC Impact Angels is an investment club specializing in financing and supporting technology start-ups and innovative SMEs in the Democratic Republic of Congo. DRC Impact Angels is an affiliate member of the African Business Angels Network (“ABAN”) and has previously invested in the agribusiness, financial services and industrial production sectors in the DRC.

DALHAP was established in 2018 integrating environmental, social and governance issues throughout its investment process. Thus, DALHAP targets target companies having a tangible impact on the most disadvantaged populations while preserving and respecting the environmental and operational framework of the beneficiaries. This is an approach that gave rise to the acronym DALHAP (“Do As Little Harm As Possible”), the eponymous name of the investment vehicle.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard