Talstack, a startup aiming to address the talent shortage and upskilling challenges in Africa, recently secured $850,000 in a pre-seed round of funding. Ventures Platform, a pan-African early-stage investor, led the investment, with participation from Voltron Capital and Golden Palm Investments. TLcom Capital, an Africa-focused growth fund, also joined as a backer, marking its first pre-seed investment from its second fund, TIDE Africa Fund II.

The investment will be utilized to support Talstack’s mission of providing businesses with a comprehensive platform for upskilling their employees. The platform offers competency- and gap-assessment tools, content, courses, and insights from renowned African professionals and entrepreneurs. Talstack aims to deliver tailored and context-specific training programs that cater to the unique needs of African businesses.

Why the Investors Invested

The decision to invest in Talstack was driven by several compelling factors. Firstly, the investors recognized the global concern surrounding talent shortages, particularly within the tech industry. Surveyed organizations revealed that over 50% had experienced a loss of competitive advantage due to these shortages. With projections indicating that 77% of the 150 million new jobs created by 2030 will require digital skills, the investors identified a pressing need to address this issue in Africa.

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Furthermore, Africa faces specific challenges related to talent shortages, including the digital divide and unequal access to quality education. Upskilling employees has been a persistent headache for African enterprises, with existing training options often being expensive, lacking contextual relevance, and failing to align with specific growth or development outcomes in the African context. By investing in Talstack, the investors aim to fill this gap by providing accessible, relevant, and effective upskilling solutions tailored to the needs of African businesses.

Additionally, the investors share a deep belief in the importance of investing in talent upskilling to facilitate the regional and global scaling of African companies. They perceive this as a significant opportunity to create more jobs and stimulate economic output in Africa over the next three decades. Hence, they view Talstack as a strategic enabler for developing a highly competent workforce across all levels and driving sustainable growth in the African business landscape.

A Look at Talstack

Talstack was founded by Seni Sulyman and Kayode Oyewole, seasoned investors and operators within the African tech ecosystem. Seni Sulyman previously held the position of Vice President of Global Operations at Andela, where he played a pivotal role in scaling the company across Africa. Kayode Oyewole, a partner at Ventures Platform, possesses deep insights into the challenges faced by founders and senior leaders in scaling their teams’ capabilities.

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As a startup, Talstack primarily targets the African market, recognizing the significant demand for upskilling solutions in the region. The company aims to provide online courses, mentorship, and an all-in-one platform tailored to the specific needs of African businesses. Setting itself apart from traditional training agencies, Talstack offers customized training programs delivered by top experts with direct operating experience within Africa’s vibrant startup ecosystem.

While initially focusing on soft skills, Talstack plans to expand its course catalog to encompass a comprehensive range of cross-functional and domain-specific skills and competencies highly sought after in Africa. Currently, the startup is conducting a closed pilot program with eight paying customers and intends to onboard additional professionals while gradually opening access to a wider set of employers in the future.

Talstack’s vision revolves around empowering African businesses by bridging the talent gap and contributing to the growth of regionally and globally competitive companies in Africa. By leveraging the expertise and insights of African professionals and operators, Talstack aims to equip businesses with the necessary tools to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

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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