Africa to Silicon Valley (A2SV), a nonprofit tech academy that upskills university students and connects them with global opportunities at top tech companies, plans to close its offices in the Ethiopian capital and relocate to Kigali, Rwanda. The decision to terminate the six-year-long stay follows a protracted financial dispute with Abrehot Library over unpaid rent and a reported lack of “support”, according to founder Emre Varol. The nonprofit, which focuses on nurturing tech talent, expanded to Ghana after receiving funding from Google in 2023.
Established in 2019 by a former Google engineer, A2SV has been providing a mix of software engineering courses, boot camps, hackathons, and project incubations for African youth aspiring to have careers in tech. In partnership with institutions such as Addis Ababa University (AAU), the Addis Ababa Science and Technology Institute, and Adama Science and Technology University, A2SV has trained over 600 students, with approximately 60 securing positions at major tech companies, including Google, Bloomberg, Databricks, LinkedIn, and Amazon.
Initially launched at AAU’s compounds, A2SV relocated its training center to Abrehot Library in September 2022.
Located in the Arat Kilo (4 Kilo) area, the library, one of the largest public libraries in Africa, was officially launched on January 2022, and can accommodate up to 2,000 users at a time. The expansive 19,000 sqm facility, built for close to a billion birr and inaugurated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), was designed to be a state-of-the-art center for academic pursuits. A2SV moved into the four-story library administered by the Addis Ababa City Mayor’s office and continued to train students, reportedly paying $5,000 a month in rent.
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