Lingawa, formerly known as TopSet, is an EdTech startup founded in 2022 with a mission to ignite cultural pride and drive economic empowerment through African language learning. In November 2024, the company raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding, a milestone that coincided with its rebrand to Lingawa. Explaining the change, CEO and founder Frank Williams shared:

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You know what’s funny about running a language company? Sometimes, the hardest thing is finding the perfect words. For the past few years, we’ve been TopSet, and together, the things we’ve achieved. We’ve helped thousands preserve their languages, celebrate who they are and share their stories. But as we grew, it felt like our name wasn’t fully capturing who we are. You know that feeling when your favorite jacket just doesn’t fit anymore? I mean, it’s still great, but you’ve changed, evolved and need something that feels more like you. That’s exactly where we found ourselves with TopSet. We’ve built something amazing together, a community passionate about language, culture and authentic connection. But as we’ve grown, we realized our name needed to grow with us.

Frank Williams, Founder and CEO of Lingawa

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The CEO described the new name as deeply symbolic, stating, “Lingawa isn’t just a word; it’s a blend, a harmony of meanings. It combines linguistics with ‘wa,’ which means ‘our’ in Yoruba. Together, it represents our language, our story, our journey.” 

Before the rebrand, the company operated under the domain TopSet.app. Startups often rely on domains with alternative extensions when their Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain is unavailable or outside their budget. This can lead to lost traffic and emails, confusion among customers and partners, and less effective marketing efforts. 

As part of its new identity, Lingawa secured its EBM domain, Lingawa.com. Securing a .com domain matching their brand name is an intuitive choice for users looking for Lingawa online, boosting visibility and protecting their brand identity.

Fresh look, same passion! A new era is here#lingawa #lingawalearn pic.twitter.com/YFt679NzqC

— Lingawa (formerly TopSet) (@lingawalearn) November 18, 2024

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The right domain name is an important consideration when it comes to building and protecting your brand. If you’re ready to take the next step and invest in a perfect domain name for your business, contact us to learn more about our available options and how we can help you get started.

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