The organisation’s new office is located in Gishushu, placing it within Kigali’s growing tech ecosystem and providing a central base for A2SV’s education and incubator programs.
Founded in 2019 by former Google software engineer Emre Varol, A2SV is a free, non-profit initiative providing high-impact technical education to top-performing university students across Africa. Its mission is to bridge the gap between local university training and the expectations of global tech employers.
What began as a single, informal class at Addis Ababa University with just 22 students has grown into a continent-wide program. To date, A2SV has trained more than 1,200 software engineers from 22 African countries, with alumni securing over 120 job offers from global firms including Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, Bloomberg, and Meta.
A2SV’s model combines rigorous training, mentorship, and real-world project experience to develop globally competitive technologists. The program identifies promising students through a competitive selection process that includes solving data structure and algorithm problems and participating in technical and behavioural interviews.
Once selected, students receive intensive training both in-person and remotely, covering foundational software engineering concepts, problem-solving, and soft skills. Education is delivered in small groups, often with three educators for every thirty students, ensuring each participant receives personalised guidance.
Students work on digital products designed to address local African challenges, such as Eskalate, which connects developers to global companies; DIME, a digital money transfer platform; and Skillbridge, which helps bridge gaps between universities and the workforce. Beyond education, A2SV functions as an incubator, hiring top alumni to develop new solutions while mentoring the next generation of talent.
Graduates are connected to internships and full-time roles at top tech companies, and the program remains entirely free for participants through partnerships with universities. In Rwanda, A2SV has partnered with the University of Rwanda and the Adventist University of Central Africa.
Shema Katende, A2SV’s marketing lead, explained that Kigali was chosen for its supportive environment for innovation and its growing pool of IT talent.
“Rwanda has systematically become a hub for innovation,” he said. “The government’s strong support and youth-focused initiatives made Kigali the ideal base for A2SV to scale across the continent.”
The Gishushu office now serves as the central hub for both the academy and incubator, attracting students, mentors, and developers to work on projects with both local and international impact.
The program emphasises building a strong foundation in programming, particularly in data structures and algorithms, which sets it apart from traditional boot camps.
Adolphe Ngoga, a Rwandan IT graduate, is now part of the team on Eskalate, the organisation’s platform that connects African developers with companies around the world. The program gives developers the opportunity to work on real software projects and gain experience with international teams.
“By the time I joined, more than a dozen developers had already secured roles with U.S.-based companies, showing that these opportunities are truly possible,” said Ngoga, who joined A2SV nearly three months ago when the company relocated to Rwanda.
Mohamed Yasir, a Sudanese team lead who started as a student at A2SV a few years ago, highlighted the importance of mentorship and mastering foundational skills, saying, “Starting with the basics is key. If you understand data structures, algorithms, and how to collaborate with your team, you can take on bigger challenges.”
He advises emerging tech talent to focus on mastering foundational skills and adapting to the evolving landscape, including artificial intelligence: “AI is not here to replace us; it’s here to support developers. Learning how to collaborate with AI and communicate effectively is key to succeeding in today’s tech landscape.”
As A2SV grows in Kigali, founder Emre Varol emphasised the need for partners, investors, and philanthropists to help scale the initiative.
“Our goal is not to promise overnight transformation, but to do the rigorous work required to build a durable pipeline of technical talent and locally rooted ventures,” he remarked.
With its new base in Kigali, A2SV is positioning itself as a launchpad for a continent-wide vision, connecting African engineers to the global tech stage while simultaneously addressing real challenges in education, healthcare, and finance.
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