A Special Thank You to Our Valuable Supporters

Google was A2SV's primary financial supporter from 2022 to 2024. Their support helped us scale our training program and operations and continue delivering rigorous, world-class software engineering education in Africa. Our relationship with Google has also been an important validation of the talent coming out of A2SV, including 42 full-time and internship offers extended to our alumni over the period. We appreciate Google's contribution to A2SV's growth and outcomes.

Google's Chief Scientist · TIME100 AI 2025 Honoree

Jeff Dean has supported A2SV since the earliest days, making time in his busy schedule to share candid advice and help the right people inside Google see the quality of talent coming out of A2SV. That early trust translated into real opportunities for our alumni at Google. Over time, he has also helped through meaningful introductions, including Karim Beguir, and he has personally donated to support A2SV's mission.

Co-Founder & CEO of InstaDeep · TIME100 Impact Award Honoree

Karim Beguir has backed A2SV with real support, both financially and through hands-on mentorship that helps us execute better. Karim brings concrete ideas, asks the hard questions at the right time, and pushes for world-class standards while staying grounded in African realities. His involvement consistently raises the quality of our thinking and the level of our execution.

Vice President of Global Programs, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation

Dr. Senait Fisseha is a global health leader and Vice President of Global Programs at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. She supported A2SV when we needed it through financial support and helped open an important door for our work in Rwanda by connecting us with Rwanda's Minister of ICT and Innovation, Hon. Paula Ingabire.

Minister of ICT and Innovation, Rwanda · TIME100 AI 2025 Honoree

Hon. Paula Ingabire, Rwanda's Minister of ICT and Innovation and a TIME100 AI 2025 honoree, has supported A2SV's vision and welcomed our work in Rwanda. Her leadership played a key role in A2SV moving its operational headquarters to Rwanda. Through her work in building Rwanda's digital foundation, she has helped create the environment where tech education and innovation can scale with real momentum.

Minister of Education, Ghana

Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Ghana's Minister of Education, met with A2SV to discuss expanding our model beyond the University of Ghana to additional schools and regions across the country. We aligned on scaling A2SV's work in Ghana, with the shared intention to move forward once the necessary budget is secured. We appreciate his support for the model and his openness to extending A2SV's impact to reach more young people across Ghana.

Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology · A2SV Board Member

Ricardo Baeza-Yates is a world-class researcher in data science and AI, and a trusted voice on responsible technology. After serving as an A2SV Hackathon jury member and seeing our talent firsthand, he deepened his commitment by joining the A2SV Board of Directors. He has visited A2SV in both Ethiopia and Rwanda, and has been a long-time inspiration to Emre, dating back to Emre's internship at Yahoo Research in Barcelona while Ricardo was leading the lab.

Department Chair of EECS, UC Berkeley · Founder of AddisCoder

Jelani Nelson is the Department Chair of EECS at UC Berkeley. He founded AddisCoder, a summer computer science and algorithms program for Ethiopian high school students, and he also co-organizes JamCoders, a similar camp in Jamaica. His work reflects a deep commitment to expanding access to quality CS education in Africa and the diaspora. We are grateful for his support of A2SV both as a Hackathon judge and through his introduction to Dr. Senait Fisseha.

Liftoff is a mobile advertising and growth platform that helps mobile businesses reach and engage users through performance marketing, monetization, and creative solutions, powered by its AI-enabled platform (Cortex). We are grateful to Liftoff for supporting A2SV through an in-kind donation of MacBooks for our students. This contribution helped remove equipment barriers and ensured our developers had reliable tools to learn, build, and prepare for global opportunities.

Co-Founder & CTO of Liftoff

Harry Robertson is the co-founder and CTO of Liftoff and a long-time supporter of A2SV. During Emre's regular visits to the Bay Area, Harry has made time to connect, share practical advice, and offer thoughtful perspectives. Harry was also Emre's manager during his time at Liftoff, and Emre credits him as a key influence in his development as an engineer and leader. He has engaged directly with A2SV students through Q&A sessions, giving them the opportunity to learn from real-world industry experience.

Manifest Automation is a technology company that builds custom automation solutions for businesses, nonprofits, governments, and enterprises, with an emphasis on applying AI to workflow management and natural language processing. They have supported A2SV by helping connect our top talent with real-world professional opportunities where they can demonstrate their skills. This partnership contributes to clearer pathways for our developers as they transition into global, high-impact work.

CEO of Manifest Automation

Andrew Rogers is the CEO of Manifest Automation and a long-time friend of Emre. They have known each other for over 10 years and regularly meet during Bay Area visits to exchange ideas and discuss ways to support emerging tech talent. Andrew has supported A2SV by staying closely engaged, making introductions across his network, and helping connect A2SV developers with opportunities for professional growth.