PRESS RELEASE
DUTCH TECH COMPANY GOES AGAINST THE TIDE
TUNGA RECEIVES DGGF FUNDING AND LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PLANS
Amsterdam, May 26, 2020 – The world economy might be stopped because of the coronavirus, but Dutch-African tech company Tunga is not. With a network of over 400 African software developers, the organization has received a Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) loan to build additional capacity. The investment of 120K enables Tunga to solidify its African operations, allowing the launch of growth plans in Europe. This month, sales operations in the UK and the Nordics have been initiated. The company will invest the DGGF funding in expanding Africa’s local organisation and infrastructure.
DGGF used to expand the talent pool
Tunga is working hard to source new talent in Egypt, Nigeria, and Uganda. A proactive community outreach, automated testing, and online and offline training are used to expand and increase the quality of the current talent pool. This requires additional expenditures in Africa: a total net investment of €218.500, €120K, which is provided by DGGF, and the rest by Tunga itself. A bigger network of high-quality software developers opens the door for growth within Europe, firstly focused on the UK, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Good English proficiency, a positive attitude towards fair trade practices, relatively close cultural relations with the Netherlands, and an overall solid economy are the main reasons for starting sales operations in these four countries.
Positive about the future
Ernesto Spruyt, founder of Tunga, about increasing their capacity and European growth plans: “Without ever receiving any equity investments and running on a minimal budget, we’ve managed to realise triple-digit growth each year since our inception. To keep up this growth rate, we need to invest further in our talent pool of African developers. In 2020 and 2021, we will identify, train and test new talents to increase the number of our software developers to 1000+. This means we have to hire at least three more talent managers in addition to the three we have on the ground now. By the end of 2021, a large and freshly trained group of developers will be ready to get to work. That is why in line with this DGGF funding, we are also launching our European growth plan. This month we’ve started sales operations in the UK and the Nordics and the first results are promising. Needless to say, we are nothing but positive about the future!”
About Tunga
Tunga is a Dutch company with a network of over 400 African software developers spread across mainly Uganda, Nigeria, and Egypt. The platform, founded in 2015, is an initiative of social entrepreneur Ernesto Spruyt and the not-for-profit organisation Butterfly Works. Tunga meets the worldwide demand for software developers by offering local young African tech talent. These technicians are smart, capable, and professional but still have limited access to challenging, well-paid jobs. Tunga drives a change by supplying high-quality software developed by African experts quickly and affordably, enabling these experts to grow, succeed, and take their spot in the international tech sector. See for more information Tunga.io.
Note to editors
For more information, imagery, and/or questions, see Tunga’s press room or please contact:
Fair Focus Communicatie
Contact: Annelies Putman Cramer | Telephone +31 (0)6 53215475 | Email annelies@fairfocuscommunicatie.nl
