ABOUT US
Building the bridge between Africa's best talent and global opportunity
80+
Engineers trained
80+
Engineers trained
Developing world-class talent for everyone
DirectEd exists to identify, train, and connect Africa's most exceptional students with high-performance engineering roles at global companies.
We provide the rigorous training, real-world experience, and professional networks that turn potential into careers.
3
Countries across East Africa
80+
Students trained
90%
Employment rate
5x
potential earning increase
A Word from the Founder
When I first encountered the talent coming out of East African universities, I was struck by a simple truth: these students were as capable as anyone I'd studied alongside at Oxford. What they lacked wasn't ability but the infrastructure to prove it.
DirectEd was built to change that equation. Not with another online course, but with an immersive program that mirrors how the best engineers in the world actually learn by building, shipping, and being held to the highest standards.
Every step we've taken has been guided by a commitment to putting people first our learners, our partners, and the communities we serve.
Simon Sällström
Founder & CEO
Meet The Team
Simon Sällström
Founder & CEO
MPhil in Economics from Oxford. Leading DirectEd's mission to develop world-class African tech talent.
Kidus Elias
Curriculum Design Lead
BSc in Computer Science. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, designing learning experiences that work.
Ananya Fekeremariam
Head of Engineering
BSc in Computer Science with Electrical Engineering background. Ex-Google intern building DirectEd's platform.
Our Advisors
Industry leaders and entrepreneurs who guide our strategy and standards
