The Africa Jobs Fund has invested in Velocity, a labour mobility startup helping qualified African nurses access higher-paying jobs in Germany. The investment will allow the company to expand its operations beyond Kenya into Malawi and Zambia.
The funding supports the Africa Jobs Fund’s goal of backing businesses that can create jobs and increase incomes at scale. For Velocity, the investment could help address a growing employment gap in Africa’s healthcare sector while meeting Germany’s demand for skilled medical workers.
Connecting African Nurses to Global Opportunities
Many African countries have trained nurses who struggle to find suitable jobs despite the shortage of healthcare workers globally. In Kenya, the Nursing Council of Kenya reports that more than 40% of registered nurses are unemployed or underemployed.
Velocity was founded by Lalit Kumar, Siddharth Gusain and Betty Chelangat and launched in Kenya in June 2025. The company identifies qualified nurses and prepares them for employment in Germany through German language training and direct placement support.
The programme focuses on helping nurses reach B2-level German, which is required by German employers and regulators. Training is delivered fully online by Kenyan nurses who are already working in Germany. This gives learners exposure to clinical German and the realities of working in the German healthcare system.
Velocity has also developed its own language learning app, designed around the specific needs of its learners. Candidates generally take about 10 months to reach B2 level while studying part-time.
The company has created a model where employers cover the main costs of the process. Each employer pays a placement fee through the placement partner. This covers training, flights, visas and other related costs. Learners only pay a small commitment fee for language training, which is refunded once they are placed.
A Model With Wider Economic Potential
The financial impact of international placement can be significant. Nurses who move into Germany’s healthcare system can earn substantially more than they would in many local roles. This creates an opportunity for workers to improve their incomes while also supporting their families and communities.
Velocity already has more than 300 active learners and a waitlist of over 2,500. So far, every candidate who has interviewed with an employer has been successfully placed.
The company’s expansion into Malawi and Zambia will therefore take a model that has already gained traction in Kenya into two additional African markets. It also creates a pathway for more nurses to access international employment without having to bear the full cost of relocation and preparation themselves.
The founders bring experience from different sectors. Lalit Kumar previously served as founding Africa Director at Evidence Action and Africa Managing Director at the Global Innovation Fund. Siddharth Gusain has worked across retail, banking and consulting in India and internationally. Betty Chelangat has experience with startups in the United States, United Kingdom and Kenya.
With the new investment, Velocity will focus on expanding its German language training in Malawi and Zambia. The broader objective is clear: connect qualified African workers with international demand while turning skills that are currently underused at home into better-paying employment opportunities abroad.
