We had an interesting chat with Mr. “Uchenna Ibekwe”, Principa and Founder of the Virginia – United States based startup Xerendi_Initiative”
Below is the interview we conducted with him:
1. What is it exactly that you do and what your start-up is all about?
The initiative to facilitates coding and educational learning for kids. This has the prospect of improving the intellectual property posture in developing countries which has been deeply eroded by poverty and lack of basic infrastructure. Our theme is “LEARN AND CODE FROM ANYWHERE, ANYTIME FOR EVERYONE” Leveraging partnerships with Outernet, Raspberry Pi, iBoss, SifaCore Technology and Kano.
2. When has your startup been founded? And what stage is your startup currently at?
The Xerendi Initiative was started in July 2015. We are currently marketing the initiative through social media, and working to close some contracts with some governments in Africa to provide information, learning and coding for entire communities and state governments. We are equally engaging community leaders, educators and sponsors to build the technology infrastructure
(software mainly) for a paced futuristic education.
3. What is your startup’s business model and how does it work?
Phase 1:
Earnings are primarily through equipment sales. sponsorship, donations and projects. Most of the earnings will go to learning/coding infrastructure, paying community managers, educators and direct involvement.The Phase 2:
Earnings for the proprietary education software and communication infrastructure will be made available for broader programs.
4. How did your team meet? And who in your team does what?
Our team is still growing, and we have sets of volunteers, founders, technical experts, educators and community experts. Most of us met through past employment, connections and social media engagements.
5. What, exactly, makes you different from existing options, what will make your product and/or service stand out in the marketplace? In other words what’s unique about you and what’s new about what you make?
Our software build is proprietary and futuristic. We use teachers, facilitators and educators in an optimized model. We put the community first, and have eliminated some of constraints that some cultures and belief systems have against conventional education. Security is built into our solution. We have a global reach through satellites.
6. What is your growth like? And what milestones has your startup achieved so far?
We are working with government who are willing to extend the program to their communities. Support for the program is growing, and we are finalizing our software design for the best customer experience.
7. Who are your competitors? And what is your start-up’s competitive advantage over them?
Our idea and initiative is futuristic and based on our research we have no apples-to-apple competitors. Our service will be largely free to the end user ( children and less privileged) and ease the educational budgets for governments.
8. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
Social media marketing or support has been an obstacle, We have decided on a long campaign and focused drive. We are only 2 months in at this point.
9. What are the key things about your field that outsiders don’t understand?
The key things are the supporting infrastructure and a viable outreach network which often can peer to peer at all levels. The levels been educators (content), end user (children), community managers and teachers(delivery of content).
10. Why are you going to succeed?
The children, learners, digitization, globalization, self-paced education, ease of learning and coding are just a few of the inherent factors that will drive success.
11. If your startup succeeds, what additional areas might you be able to expand into?
Global standardized learning, communication network for education, Internet of Things for Education,, the possibilities are countless. Drive Internet and technology education where skills and products can be marketed; Educational curriculum, textbooks and materials can be available to students’ remotely; Early Childhood coding education as a persistent culture.
12. Why did you choose this idea and concept to build your start-up based on?
There are over 700 million children without basic exposure to coding, early childhood learning, Coding in the age of IOT, Robotics will be a necessity. Learning and coding Globalization is key to reducing crime, poverty and proliferation of the internet.
13. What have you learned so far from launching your idea?
Good things take time, perseverance and focus are key. Social media is a great tool, although have a great, innovative or creative offering is better.
14. Six months from now, what’s going to be your biggest problem?
Managing multiple projects in diverse locations around the globe. Coordinating and testing programs with users, and ensuring the initiative works are designed.
15. What’s the benefit for the customer/user?
We have put together resources from Outernet, Raspberry Pi, iBoss and Kano to provide a
• Software coding platform,
• A solar powered universal internet education public library.
• Distance learning and information for farmers and better leaving
• Public safety and health practices
• Code teaching apps and
• Internet filtering for safe internet use for kids.
16. How did customers / users find out about you?
Mainly through social media, online postings and word of mouth. others include working with sponsors and supporters to reach out to governments, schools and directly to parents.
17. Who are your current customers / users? Who are your target customers / users?
Mainly governments interested in deploying to their communities, schools, community leaders and various users. We are only 2 months in at this point.
18. Where do new customers / users come from and what makes new customers/users try you?
At this moment mainly to teach their kids coding, schools that want the program and governments. We have parents who have shown great interest as well. We are only 2 months in at this point.
19. What do your customers / users say about your product and/or service?
We have great reviews. Parents and the government love the initiative. We have parents who have shown great interest as well. We are only 2 months in at this point.
20. How are you going to scale?
The themes are “globalization” and “digitization” , we expect the customer to set that expectation and expect to support millions of users. From our projections we expect to support up to 30 million users in the first 5 years.
21. What’s the biggest missing feature? The one thing customers/users keep asking for?
We are only 2 months in at this point, and working with our customers to provide a road map. Our technical features and correspondence with users are in the beta stages.
22. Are you going to internationalize? And if yes how are you planning to expand your start-up’s operations accordingly?
The themes are “globalization” and “digitization” , we expect the customer to set that expectation are we expect to support millions of users. We are building an infrastructure with Globalization in mind from the offset.
23. How big do you think you can get? Why? And how you are planning to achieve your goals?
The themes are “globalization” and “digitization” , we expect the customer to set that expectation are we expect to support millions of users. We are building an infrastructure with Globalization in mind from the offset.
24. Are you looking to hire a new workforce? And if yes, what job vacancies do you currently offer and where can potential applicants contact you at?
Our team is still growing, and we have sets of volunteers, founders, technical experts, educators and community experts. We will be hiring to expand our software development.
25. Are you looking for partnership opportunities or funding from Venture Capitals (VC) or other funding sources? Or your business is self-sustainable? And if the first option applies where can potential partners / investors contact you at?
We are looking for partnerships, sponsors and investors for different areas of the business that will allow us to maintain our prime goals. We can be reached at uibekwe@xerendi.com.
26. What advice do you have for fresh entrepreneurs?
Perseverance and focus are so important. Time to strategize, plan, create and execute without competing priorities is very important; time required could take years. Being able to separate from the conventional rut of obligations opens a new world to build the future.
27. Finally, do you have any other comments that you would like to add?
” As the world moves towards a global knowledge-driven economy, more than 3 billion people are excluded by cost, geography or jurisdiction.” The objective is to bring special projects to world to reduce the digital divide, making vital and tailored professional, industry, and community information available. The information includes coding, medical procedures, farming tips, latest disease cures, living tips, community programs to improve the intellectual property posture in countries which has been deeply eroded by poverty and lack of basic infrastructure.
The Xerendi Initiative is set to build a Global Outreach network for coding, education, lifelong learning and dissemination of Knowledge to every kid and Lifelong learner on the globe. Refugees, displaced persons, orphans and persons in very remote areas can learn and have access to education; from Syria, India to Nigeria those displaced by war, whose children have not attended school for over 3 years can now have access to education.