Lectful Joins STRIDE: Advancing Towards International Expansion with Westerwelle Startup Haus Tunis

About STRIDE and the Organizers

The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Guido Westerwelle and Ralph Dommermuth. With a mission to foster digital transformation in emerging markets, the Foundation actively supports startups that develop sustainable and scalable digital solutions.

Their hub in Tunisia, Westerwelle Startup Haus Tunis (WSHT), is a vibrant entrepreneurship center offering co-working spaces, advisory services, and startup programs that aim to empower local innovation and strengthen the Tunisian startup ecosystem.

The STRIDE Acceleration Program is an 8-month journey designed to prepare 60 Tunisian digital startups for international expansion, with a special focus on entry into African markets. The program includes training, mentoring, and strategic support to help startups navigate market complexities, conduct in-depth research, and build investment-ready, scalable business models.

Lectful’s Journey with STRIDE

We are proud to announce that Lectful was selected among the top 60 startups to participate in STRIDE and had the opportunity to attend the initial bootcamp phase. This phase offered intensive training focused on:

Understanding East African Markets

Adapting our e-learning solution to new cultural and economic contexts

Preparing for investment readiness

Developing tailored go-to-market strategies

Throughout the bootcamp, we gained valuable insights into the realities of market expansion, especially in East Africa, with a focus on Kenya as a potential next destination for Lectful’s growth.

Following the bootcamp, we pitched our solution in front of a jury and are thrilled to share that Lectful has been selected among the top 15 startups to move forward in the program. This next phase will provide us with expert guidance, in-depth market research, and tailored support to build our international profile and refine our expansion plan.

What’s Next?

Our goal is to be selected among the top 3 startups that will receive full support for legal establishment, partnerships, and market entry in one of the targeted African countries. For Lectful, Kenya is our next frontier: a promising market where we aim to bring our AI-powered all-in-one e-learning solution to support organizations, institutions, and individuals in delivering and accessing quality education at scale.

We are grateful for the support of Westerwelle Startup Haus Tunis, the GIZ team, and the STRIDE mentors and partners. This opportunity represents a significant milestone in Lectful’s mission to democratize access to impactful digital learning solutions across borders.

Stay tuned for the next steps of our journey!