There is a huge gap between the academic and professional world. To equip young people with the practical experience needed to bridge that gap, a Rwandan startup developed a virtual internship platform connecting students and companies. 

BAG Innovation is a digital platform developed by a Rwanda startup founded in 2017. It allows students to get practical experience via virtual internships in large firms. 

“BAG seeks to disrupt the traditional approach to how individuals acquire experience at school and build up the next generation of problem solvers. This is why our name is "BAG - Building A Generation," the startup indicates.  

To access its services, students have to create an account by providing their personal information. Then, they detail their academic career and areas of interest. Those steps help BAG Innovation present the internships most suited for every profile. 

Thanks to augmented reality and machine learning, BAG tests students’ skills by confronting them with real-life situations in one of its partner companies. It also uses a mix of artificial intelligence and gamification to enable students to “complement theoretical learning with practical experience.” 

The start-up claims to have reached more than 8,000 students in Rwanda, including 600 who received job offers. It has partnered with about 15 universities and more than 115 small and medium-sized enterprises.

Adoni Conrad Quenum