Adei Institute of Technology — 2018–2023 Programs
2018–2023: five years of technical bootcamps, startup acceleration, and ecosystem building in Francophone Africa. For 2024 onward, see our ongoing update series.
Our Three Strategic Impact Pillars
EDUCATE
Educate students and professionals with technical and entrepreneurial skills.
ELEVATE
Elevate high-potential startups, talent, and ideas, and increase their access to capital.
CONNECT
Connect entrepreneurs, talent, innovators, and investors across the regional and international tech ecosystem.
Adei Foundation 4-Year Impact Report (2018–2022)
1,800+
Training Hours
81+
Startups Trained
1,400+
Female Students Reached
40+
Mentors
Aligned with 7 of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals: #1 (No Poverty), #4 (Quality Education), #5 (Gender Equality), #8 (Decent Work), #9 (Industry & Innovation), #10 (Reduced Inequalities), #17 (Partnerships).
📄 Download the full 4-Year Impact Report · Success Stories (with photos)
Press & Media
Following a 2018 pilot in partnership with Seedstars Abidjan and The Vault (San Francisco Incubator), Adei Institute launched full independent programming in 2019, opening its own Technology Hub in Abidjan (Deux Plateaux); Adei Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) status the same year. 🔗 Blog: the story of the Tech Hub launch · Photos: Inauguration Dec '19 · Photos: Tech Hub co-working space
I. Entrepreneurship
Adei Elevate for Entrepreneurs — Pilot (2018)
Elevate
- Initial 6-week entrepreneurship and capacity-building program
- Guided early-stage founders on product-market fit and operational readiness
- 📷 Photos: startup founders (2018) · Photos: program mentors (2018)
- 📷 Photos: startups showcase · Photos: certificate ceremony (held jointly)
Adei Elevate (Your Startup) (2019)
Elevate
- Flagship 3-month program for 10 high-growth technology startups with demonstrated revenue-scale potential
- Personalized training and mentorship
- 🔗 Photos: Mentors '19 · Photos: Startups '19 · Photos: soft launch (July 2019)
Launch.Boost.Grow (2020)
Elevate
- Delivered locally in Côte d'Ivoire
- 15 hours original content + 250+ mentorship hours from 20 international experts (Google, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Paystack, Flutterwave, World Bank, J.P. Morgan Chase)
- Funding/delivery support: FINCA Ventures, Seedstars, Creative Valley, Impact Hub Abidjan, Chanzo Capital, Mercy Corp
- 11 startups completed the program, 5 women-led — including MaiSoin (co-founder Dédé Tounkara, Master's in Public Health, Emory University), a healthcare-access social enterprise
- 🔗 Blog: program completion story · Blog: closing ceremony recap (held on Zoom, no photos)
Africa Virtual Accelerator (AVA) — 8th Edition (2020)
Elevate & Connect
- Partnership with Chanzo Capital; Adei's role covered 1 week of the 4-week program (partial implementation)
- One startup from Adei's local program (Launch.Boost.Grow) advanced into the regional AVA program and its investor forum opportunity
- AVA prepares startups for a culminating investor forum; across its first 7 editions (since its 2013 debut), founders raised over $23 million collectively, maintaining at least a 1:2 startup-to-investor ratio at every event
- 🔗 Blog: AVA/Angel Fair Africa partnership announcement (Adei among 8 entrepreneurial partners, incl. Google)
Adei Elevate (Your Pitch) — Regional Expansion (2021)
Elevate & Connect
- Expanded regionally to Francophone Africa (previously Côte d'Ivoire only)
- 3-day pitch initiative pre-selecting startups across the region
- 2 startups from this expanded program advanced into the regional AVA program and its investor forum opportunity
- 🔗 Blog (FR): Adei Elevate Startups Pitch x AFA 2021
Africa Virtual Accelerator (AVA) — 9th Edition, Full Implementation (2021)
Elevate & Connect
- Adei powered 100% of the 3-week program's curriculum delivery for a 12-startup cohort
- Full implementation, versus the partial (1-week) involvement in 2020
- 18 mentors contributed to this edition
- 🔗 Blog: kickoff · Blog: Week 2 · Blog: closing recap
II. Technical Skills
Advanced Practical Technical Skills Program — Pilot (2018)
Educate & Elevate
Adei Elevate for Developers — Moving Beyond Syntax to Software Architecture
- Foundational 6-week technical pilot in partnership with Seedstars
- Targeted active software developers: enterprise software engineering, cloud architecture, system design, product lifecycle management
- 📷 Photos: developer pilot program (2018) · Photos: program mentors (2018)
- 📷 Photos: program finalists / closing sessions · Photos: certificate ceremony (held jointly)
Lycée Sainte Marie Summer Program — Planned, Not Delivered (2019)
Educate
- A summer intensive program was developed for Lycée Sainte Marie de Cocody
- Could not be delivered: the school year's annual exams were delayed, exceptionally shortening the summer period
- Revised into the Train-the-Trainer format, delivered in subsequent years (see below)
Applied Digital Skills & Train-the-Trainer (2020–2021)
Educate
Supported by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, with the Andrew Young Center for Entrepreneurship
- 21 educators at Lycée Sainte Marie de Cocody trained in digital skills, coding, and technical English
- Cascaded to ~190 additional educators, reaching ~1,400 female students
- Focus population: 65% less likely to adopt digital skills than the general population; 50% less likely than male counterparts
- 2021: added an English-language component; ran a refresher course for the original 21 teachers
- 🔗 Blog: teacher certificate ceremony, with Senator Emilienne Anikpo in attendance
- 🔗 Photos: Digital Transformation (Andrew Young) 2020 · Photos: Applied Digital Skills (Sainte Marie) 2020 · Photos: certificate ceremony folder
Private-School Expansion Pilot (2022)
Educate
- Piloted expansion of the Train-the-Trainer model toward a paid, private-school format
- Select advanced trainers from the original public program opted in and were upskilled in coding
- Commercial expansion was not pursued further at that time
Google Developer Machine Learning Bootcamp (2022)
Educate & Connect
Joint initiative with Google Developers
- Practical Machine Learning and Deep Learning training for selected African engineers and students
- Hands-on preparation toward official TensorFlow certification
- 🔗 Blog: Tech & Career Talks · Blog (FR): Opportunités d'Emploi dans la Tech
9-Month Data Science Fellowship Initiative (2023)
Educate & Elevate
Licensed Google Applied ML Intensive Curriculum
- Adei Institute is one of two global nonprofits licensed to deliver this curriculum
- 50+ regional applications from Google ML Bootcamp graduates and software engineers; rigorous selection process completed
- Canceled October 2023, ahead of its second (in-person) phase, following a leadership transition that disrupted the funding timeline needed to proceed responsibly
- Archive Status: curriculum retained for future corporate upskilling tracks
- 🔗 Program Team — Advanced Technical Skills Training
III. Adei Connect & Ecosystem Activities
Government Officials Visit — May 2018
Connect
- Introductory official visit, held months ahead of Adei Institute's first pilot programs
- 📷 Photos: government official visits (May 2018)
DEMO Africa Local Pitch Competition & Regional Selection (2017–2018)
Connect
- 2017: local pitch competition organized by Adei Institute in Abidjan — three startups selected as DEMO Africa Tour Innovation Champions: Maurice Communication Marketing (product: Pass Santé Mousso, founder Corinne Ouattara), Etudesk, and WeFlyAgri
- 2018: the DEMO Africa selection committee then chose two of the three to advance to DEMO Africa's 7th edition in Morocco, including Maurice Communication Marketing / Pass Santé Mousso, a HealthTech venture
- Adei granted travel-cost support for a female founder to attend
- 🔗 Medium: Adei Institute & DEMO Africa 2018 story
- 📰 WeeTracker: DEMO Africa Tour Innovation Champions (2018)
Côte d'Ivoire Ecosystem Research (2018)
Connect
- Research conducted alongside Adei's first pilot programs on the state of Côte d'Ivoire's tech sector
- 📄 Côte d'Ivoire 2018 Ecosystem Report
Adei Connect Ecosystem Panel — Inaugural (2019)
Connect
- An open ecosystem panel held in the same format later formalized as the annual Adei Connect Tech Unconference
- Precedes the Unconference's first officially branded edition (2021, per Adei Foundation's 2022 Impact Report)
Adei Connect Tech Unconference — 1st Official Edition (2021)
Connect
- Open-format platform uniting founders, engineers, policymakers, and global investors
- Focus: ecosystem bottlenecks, regulatory framework needs, digital-skills policy across West Africa
- Focus: addressing the Venture Capital gap in Francophone Africa
- Two fellowship programs announced for future rollout: Adei Entrepreneurship Fellowship, Adei Technology Fellowship
- 🔗 Photos: Adei Connect Tech Unconference '21
Adei Connect Tech Unconference — 2nd Official Edition (2023)
Connect
- Ecosystem review edition
- Panel of models of success: Google professional (Diaspora), Entrepreneur (returnee), Impact Investor (international)
- 🔗 Photos: Adei Connect 2023
Adei Engage — Mentor Recruitment Program
Connect
- Structured mentorship program recruiting experienced business professionals and subject matter experts across Product Development, Business Development, Marketing/Branding, Sales, Finance, Operations, and Technology
- Formal application process: expertise self-assessment, commitment period, language proficiency, and matching to mentorship opportunities
- Mentors join Adei's international network, with exposure to Adei Connect initiatives and the regional tech/startup ecosystem
- 🔗 Adei Engage — mentor sign-up
Program Mentors Outreach Collaboration (2020–2021)
Connect
- Google Black Employee Network
- Africans @ Google (employee network)
- Young African MBAs
- Creative Valley — partner, Europe mentors network
University & Academic Collaborations
Connect
- 2020–2021: UTC / Sorbonne Universités Group — 2-semester engineering school partnership with Université de Technologie de Compiègne (applied tech training, student exchanges)
- 2022–2023 (school year): Daytona University — strategic impact partnership on venture-building research and student ecosystem initiatives, including work on microfinancing in Africa
- 🔗 Blog: Forging a Path to Microfinancing in Africa
Keynote Speakerships, Panels & Exhibitions
Connect
Investment Committees & Jury Selection
Connect
- 2021, 2022: Impact Hub Abidjan x GIZ Startup Connect — startup selection and investment review committees for Francophone venture applications
Global Impact Networks & Assemblies
Connect
- 2018: Africa Day — Google NYC, African Tech Founders Panel, hosted by Africans @ Google employee network; Adei Institute collaborated on founder nominations and panel moderation
- 2019: Google Africa Day — promoted by Africans @ Google employee network; Adei Foundation featured as 1 of 3 nonprofits
- SOCAP (Social Capital Markets, San Francisco): 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
- Opportunity Collaboration: 2023 (Dominican Republic)
- DC Impact Investor Industry Social Network: Member, 2022–ongoing
This closes five years of Adei Institute operations (2018–2023).
A planned 2024 relaunch of an expanded accelerator format (the "Adei Institute Software Engineering Fellowship," postponed from 2023) was paused, along with other 2024 program plans, as priority shifted to a financial audit — read the story in our ongoing update series, starting with "Catching You Up on 2024–2025."