What Cybersafe Foundation does

Cybersafe Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, with additional offices in Arlington, United States, and Accra, Ghana. The foundation delivers free cybersecurity and AI education programs targeting underserved communities across 27 African countries, with primary beneficiaries being young women aged 18-28, SMEs, senior citizens, and critical community institutions. Its core products include the CyberGirls Fellowship (1-year training, mentorship, and placement program covering eight cybersecurity learning paths), CyberGirls+ (advanced SANS Institute pathway with GIAC certification), the API Security Training Program (12-week intensive), the PCI DSS Academy, the HerAI Fellowship (AI + cyber training for 5,000 women), and Resilio Africa (a 3-year Google.org-backed cybersecurity resilience initiative for critical institutions across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa).

The foundation operates a community-led, grant-funded model with no commercial revenue streams. Programs are delivered online via learning management systems and through in-person cohorts at partner hubs, augmented by 860+ active volunteers and a multi-stakeholder partnership ecosystem that includes Google.org as the dominant funder, SANS Institute and TryHackMe as training infrastructure partners, Resecurity as a technology partner, UK FCDO as a legacy institutional funder, and multinational employers (Unilever, Deloitte, PwC, Shelt) that absorb trained graduates into cybersecurity roles. Cumulative reported impact includes 17,000+ women and girls trained, 4,400+ SMEs impacted, 1,500+ talents placed, and 20M+ people reached across awareness campaigns. The organization's strategic positioning is a closed-loop talent pipeline: free training funded by institutional donors → globally credentialed graduates → placement at multinational employers, creating both a social impact narrative and a recurring value proposition for funders.

The technology stack is non-proprietary by design: program content, learning management systems, and community platforms are assembled from third-party providers (TryHackMe, Resecurity, SANS), with no internally developed software products disclosed. Differentiation rests on curriculum design, alumni network effects, and partnership orchestration rather than on defensible technology. Revenue, defined as grants and donations, is highly concentrated with Google.org as the dominant 2025 funder, exposing the foundation to material concentration risk while its recent product expansion (PCI DSS, API security, AI tracks) and geographic moves into South Africa suggest active diversification of both program surface and funder base.

Name

Cybersafe Foundation

Legal name

CyberSafe Foundation

Website

https://cybersafefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cybersafe Foundation is a Lagos-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that delivers free cybersecurity and AI education programs to underserved women, SMEs, and critical institutions across 27 African countries, funded primarily by institutional grants and employer placement partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development

NAICS

Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity (EDAAAPAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Incident Reporting, Response & Cyber Hygiene Drills (EDABAGAI), Cybersecurity (General) (EDAOAIAB), Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity education
• Digital skills training
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Women in tech
• Cyber awareness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CyberSafe Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 88-1801235) that operates primarily through donations and grants from individuals, corporations, and institutional funders. No revenue-generating product/service is sold commercially.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund specific programs such as the CyberGirls Fellowship, CyberGirls+, and API Security Training. Sponsors provide funding, in-kind resources (laptops, software), and sometimes co-develop curriculum content.
3. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through the organization's Donorbox-powered donation portal. Donors can sponsor specific beneficiaries (e.g., 'Sponsor a CyberGirl') or make general contributions. The organization promotes monthly giving, matching donations, and honorary/memorial gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cybersafe Foundation is a nonprofit that delivers free cybersecurity and AI education programs targeting underserved populations across Africa. Its core offerings include a one-year CyberGirls Fellowship providing hands-on cybersecurity training and mentorship to young women, an advanced CyberGirls+ track with SANS Institute/GIAC certifications, a 12-week API Security Training Program, a PCI DSS Academy bootcamp, a HerAI Fellowship in AI and cybersecurity, and the Resilio Africa cybersecurity resilience initiative for critical community institutions. Programs are funded through grants, donations, and corporate sponsorships rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

Cybersafe Foundation is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of cybersecurity and digital skills education programs. The core offerings include: Resilio Africa (cybersecurity resilience for critical community institutions), CyberGirls Fellowship (1-year cybersecurity training for young women), API Security Training Program (12-week intensive API security course), CyberGirls+ (advanced SANS Institute partnership for alumni), PCI DSS Academy (payment security certification bootcamp), and HerAI Fellowship (AI and cybersecurity training for 5,000 women). Past programs include DigiGirls (76,000+ women trained in digital skills), NoGoFallMaga (national fraud awareness movement), Digital Access Programme SME toolkit, Shine Your Eye (senior citizen cyber education), SDCDC-19 (COVID-era SME training), DeyCyberSmart (radio-based awareness), and ECSL (Enugu state training). The organization positions these programs as building Africa's largest pipeline of female cybersecurity talent and advancing digital resilience across underserved communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CyberGirls Fellowship: A free 1-year cybersecurity training, mentorship, and placement program for young African women, empowering them with globally sought-after cybersecurity skills across 27 African countries.
• CyberGirls+
• DigiGirls
• NoGoFallMaga
• Resilio Africa
• API Security Training Program
• HerAI Fellowship
• Cybersafe Foundation PCI DSS Academy
• Shine Your Eye

Products and services

• Resilio Africa A cybersecurity resilience initiative supporting critical community institutions across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa through free assessments, training, monitoring, incident response support, and access to a regional defense network.
• CyberGirls Fellowship A free 1-year cybersecurity training, mentorship, and placement program for young African women aged 18-28, providing hands-on training across 8 learning paths: Cloud Security, Critical Infrastructure Security, DevSecOps, Digital Forensics and Threat Intelligence, GRC, Incident Response (SOC Analyst 1), Network Security, and VAPT.
• API Security Training Program A 12-week intensive learning experience designed to equip aspiring cybersecurity professionals with hands-on skills to secure APIs, covering API fundamentals, authentication, encryption, and advanced penetration testing techniques, mapped to OWASP API Top 10.
• CyberGirls+ An advanced professional development program in partnership with SANS Institute, designed exclusively for CyberGirls Fellowship alumni, providing specialized SANS training and GIAC certification at zero cost to participants.
• Cybersafe Foundation PCI DSS Academy A flagship practitioner bootcamp for women specifically envisioned to become the leading women-led PCI DSS capacity building hub across emerging markets, featuring real-world audit walkthroughs, compensating control scenarios, and SAQ preparation for PCI DSS v4.0.
• HerAI Fellowship An initiative equipping 5,000 underserved young women across Africa with advanced skills in AI and cybersecurity, including AI development and governance, combining technical training, project-based learning, and mentorship.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,800+ women and girls trained via CyberGirls Fellowship across 27 African countries
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TryHackMecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2025TryHackMe, a global cybersecurity training platform with 6M+ learners worldwide, partnered with CyberSafe Foundation for Advent of Cyber 2025. The partnership delivers free, high-quality cybersecurity education to thousands across Africa and includes laptop donations for underserved CyberSafe Foundation beneficiaries through TryHackMe's Device Donation Initiative.
• ResecuritycoreTechnology or Integration · 9 July 2025Resecurity, a leading cybersecurity and threat intelligence company, partnered with CyberSafe Foundation to provide access to its Context and Risk cloud-based cybersecurity platforms, technical support, development assistance for school-based educational programs, specialized cybersecurity risk awareness training, and certification opportunities for CyberSafe program participants.
• SANS InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSANS Institute is CyberSafe Foundation's elite training partner for the CyberGirls+ advanced professional development program. SANS provides world-class technical cybersecurity training and GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) examination attempts at zero cost to participants. The pilot cohort (2025) achieved 90% certification pass rate, with 60% of participants securing new jobs and one participant recording a 320% income increase.
• KPMGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG collaborated with CyberSafe Foundation under the UK FCDO's Digital Access Programme (DAP) to develop a practical, easy-to-use Cybersecurity Toolkit tailored to the unique challenges facing Nigerian SMEs. KPMG contributed to the in-depth analysis of the Nigerian business environment and threat reports specific to Nigerian SMEs.
• National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNITDA partnered with CyberSafe Foundation to implement the #DeyCyberSmart radio drama campaign across 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria, delivering cybersecurity awareness content in Pidgin English, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo through 12 partner radio stations.
• SANS Institute (for CyberGirls+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the CyberGirls+ program, SANS Institute provides its gold-standard cybersecurity training and GIAC certification pathways to CyberGirls Fellowship alumni at no cost to participants. This is a selective, advanced track for proven CyberGirls alumni.
• Hook (Media Partner)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHook collaborated with CyberSafe Foundation and the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial Industry (CCISONFI) on the NoGoFallMaga Confam Am Again campaign, producing a 3-episode cybersecurity awareness comedy series starring Broda Shaggi.
• Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial Industry (CCISONFI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCISONFI collaborated with CyberSafe Foundation and the Hook on the NoGoFallMaga Confam Am Again campaign to bolster cybersecurity awareness among the Nigerian public and reduce financial fraud.
• Capitis Ventures LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapitis Ventures Ltd partnered with CyberSafe Foundation as implementation partner for the Enugu Cybersecurity Learning Program (ECSL), a tri-pronged fellowship training 100 individuals aged 18-30 in specialized cybersecurity paths.
• Ping Cyber TalentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPing Cyber Talent partnered with CyberSafe Foundation as implementation partner for the Enugu Cybersecurity Learning Program (ECSL), contributing to the training of 100 individuals in cybersecurity specializations.
• Enugu State Government / Enugu SME CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Enugu State Government, through the Enugu SME Center, organized the Enugu Cybersecurity Learning Program with CyberSafe Foundation as implementation partner, focused on human capital development through credit provision, skills training, and job creation.
• British Women GroupminorOthersBritish Women Group provided data support to DigiGirls beneficiaries who lacked internet access to complete their training, enabling participation for learners in underserved communities.
• Team Canada from Small WorldminorOthersTeam Canada from Small World provided data support to DigiGirls beneficiaries who lacked internet access during training, helping overcome the connectivity barrier in underserved communities.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Andela: Africa-rooted technology talent company that recruits, trains, and places African software engineers into global roles; broadly comparable on the African-talent-pipeline-to-multinational-employers model, though focused on software engineering rather than cybersecurity.
• WiCyS (Women in CyberSecurity): Global nonprofit organization advancing women in cybersecurity through training, mentorship, and placement; broadly comparable on the women-in-cyber talent-pipeline mission but operating at global rather than African focus.

Direct peers

• African Girls Can Code Initiative (UN Women / AU): Joint UN Women–African Union initiative building digital and coding skills for girls across Africa; directly comparable on the mission of equipping young African women with technology skills to enter the digital economy.
• Generation: Global employment-focused training nonprofit operating in multiple African countries with a similar mission of moving unemployed/underemployed adults into technology and adjacent roles; comparable to CyberSafe's cohort-based training-to-placement model.
• Moringa School: Kenya-headquartered tech training school with operations across Africa delivering software and data skills curricula to underserved youth; directly comparable on African tech-training, employer-placement pipeline, and similar beneficiary profile.
• WAAW Foundation: Nonprofit focused on advancing STEM education for African women; similar mission focus on gender inclusion in technology across African countries, with comparable delivery through cohorts, mentorship, and scholarship pipelines.
• (ISC)² Center for Cyber Safety and Education: Nonprofit arm of (ISC)² delivering cybersecurity workforce development, scholarships, and diversity programs; directly comparable as a cybersecurity-training nonprofit with a diversity-and-inclusion mission and credential-aligned training pathways.
• ALX Africa: African tech-skills training program (Sandbox/ALX) that trains young Africans in software engineering and adjacent tech fields, including emerging cybersecurity content; directly comparable given shared target audience and cohort-based African training model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cybersafehq

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cybersafe Foundation