Dar es Salaam. A Tanzanian startup SmartClass has been selected to join the new cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program, joining other startups from across seven African countries.
Over the next three months, the SmartClass team will work with Google mentors and facilitators learning the best practices on a range of topics covering Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, organizational culture, growth strategies and more, a Monday statement by Google announced.
Founded in 2019, SmartClass is an online platform that connects learners or students to qualified and certified private tutors or experts both online and offline by capitalizing on big data analytics and using advanced algorithmic matching students and tutors.
“We are happy because [this] is an opportunity that has come at the right time as we are in the process of launching our mobile application,” SmartClass co-founder Adam Duma told The Chanzo. “Also, after being selected we hope we will get a lot of support.”
SmartClass says on its website that it targets to attract more than one million tutors in Africa who will be teaching more than 500 subjects.
Learners on the platform can learn anything from academics, agriculture, business and IT to languages, beauty and lifestyles among many more subjects. A student can enjoy these classes 24/7.
“For us, we want to get more students who will use this technology in learning as well as to get more teachers who will use this technology in teaching,” Duma added during his interview with The Chanzo.
Since its introduction in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 82 startups from 17 African countries, which collectively raised $112 million and created 2800 direct jobs.
Lukelo Francis is a Dar es Salaam-based The Chanzo’s correspondent. He is available at lukelo@thechanzo.com.
