Zegju: The Ethiopian Ed-Tech Startup That’s Revolutionizing Exam Preparation

In Ethiopia, where access to quality educational resources is often limited, one startup is rewriting the script on how students prepare for their exams. Zegju, co-founded by Brook Fantahun, is an ed-tech platform built with the singular goal of making exam preparation more accessible, practical, and engaging for Ethiopian students. But the journey to building Zegju was anything but easy. Brook, a system designer, business strategist, front-end developer, content maker, and manager for Zegju, grew up in Lideta, Addis Ababa. His father, a tech enthusiast, planted the seeds of his passion for technology early on. After graduating in Computer Engineering from ASTU in 2015, Brook dabbled in cryptocurrency trading and 3D printing, later shifting towards branding and business implementation. However, he soon realized that helping other businesses grow wasn’t fulfilling—he wanted to create something of his own. That desire to solve real-world problems led him and his co-founders to start Zegju in 2016, despite having no capital, no investors, and only a laptop and internet connection paid for by family. Starting Zegju was a test of resilience. Their first product—a digital SAT preparation package—failed due to a lack of market research. The demand for SAT prep had diminished in Ethiopia, with exams like TOEFL and IELTS gaining prominence. The team had spent six months building a system that didn’t generate any revenue. Instead of giving up, they pivoted. Research became their new priority. They sought to understand the real needs of students and soon discovered a greater demand for preparation materials for Ethiopian university entrance exams. This shift led to the birth of freshman, GAT, and UAT preparation packages. But the struggles didn’t end there. Zegju had to operate on an ultra-lean budget, making financial constraints a daily battle. Attending startup expos, they couldn’t afford business cards or flyers, so they printed their business cards on photo paper—a creative yet humbling solution. Brook reflects on this period with a mix of humor and admiration for their scrappiness:“Looking back, it’s scary to think about how we managed. But our struggle made us better developers and better strategists.” Zegju’s biggest challenge wasn’t just developing the right product—it was ensuring they could survive while doing so. Their financial discipline and relentless focus on quality over quick profits paid off, allowing them to keep Zegju alive and growing. Unlike traditional tutoring centers or video-based online platforms, Zegju focuses on three key innovations: Scaling an ed-tech platform in Ethiopia comes with unique challenges: Brook envisions Zegju evolving into something much bigger than just an exam prep platform: Zegju has already transformed the lives of thousands of Ethiopian students. Two notable success stories include: Zegju has partnered with ArifPay, an Ethiopian digital payment provider, to co-brand and promote each other’s products. More partnerships with educational institutions are in the pipeline. In the future, Zegju aims to add GRE, GMAT, and LSAT preparation packages, making it a comprehensive digital library for exams. Despite being in one of Ethiopia’s most promising industries, Zegju has never received external funding. The company is now actively seeking investors to help scale its impact. Brook’s advice for aspiring ed-tech founders in Ethiopia is straightforward: “There’s always a second chance for any exam. Your grades don’t define you—keep going!” Zegju is more than just a business—it’s a mission to make education accessible, practical, and engaging for Ethiopian students. From bootstrapping with a single laptop to creating one of the country’s most innovative ed-tech platforms, Brook Fantahun and his team have proven that passion, resilience, and a deep understanding of local needs can drive real change. As Zegju continues to grow, it stands as a testament to the power of Ethiopian entrepreneurship—solving local problems with locally inspired solutions. The question is no longer if Zegju will transform education in Ethiopia. It’s when.