Tommie Edwards: How Tech1M Uses AI toRedefine Recruitment, Education, Talent Devt

Tech1M, a UK-based technology company with a subsidiary in Nigeria, is using AI products known as Tech1M to power a revolutionary initiative that will enable upward mobile companies to hire staff, ensuring they have specific character traits that perfectly fit assigned roles. Tech1M also works for schools because it helps proprietors understand the teachers and students better, the CEO and co-founder of Tech1M, Tommie Edwards tells Bennett Oghifo

You’re the CEO and co-founder of Tech1M. Tell us about the company and its products
Tech1M is a UK-based technology company with a growing presence in Nigeria through our subsidiary, Tech1M. At Tech1M, we focus on using artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify hiring and assessments, helping organisations save time, cut costs, and make better decisions. Our flagship product is 1M Recruit, a recruitment operating system that manages the entire hiring process end-to-end. From job posting to screening, interviewing, and making offers, the system uses AI and algorithms to rank candidates based on the criteria most important to the hiring manager. This allows HR teams to quickly identify top candidates, saving months of manual effort. The platform also enables video introductions, AI-led interviews, and round-the-clock candidate engagement, ensuring no application is missed. At its core, Tech1M exists to use AI not just to hire better, but to understand people better—whether in companies, classrooms, or communities—and to help them reach their full potential.

What other functions does this technology perform?
Beyond recruitment, we developed 1M Aptitude, a proctored assessment platform designed for testing across industries. It can be applied to HR functions—such as reasoning, personality, cognitive, hard-skill, and soft-skill assessments—as well as education, entrepreneurship, and even investment pitches. The system can test for AI competency (e.g., prompting skills in marketing or business operations) and offers thousands of ready-made questions, with the option to customise based on client needs. Importantly, it uses AI-powered proctoring to ensure integrity during online tests. One of our innovations under 1M Aptitude is the Aptitude Compass, which categorises individuals into five key cognitive traits:

• Pioneer – visionary thinkers who scale ideas, though sometimes excessively.
• Architect – detail-oriented polishers who refine projects to excellence.
• Optimizer – action-driven executors who improve processes and get things done.
• Driver – collaborative leaders who push teams forward.
• Mobilizer – self-motivated doers who need no external push to deliver results.

Everyone has all five traits, but two tend to be dominant, shaping how a person thinks, works, and collaborates.

How can this product be applied in schools?
For organisations, this tool provides deep insight into team dynamics, helping leaders assign people to the right roles. For schools, it helps teachers and parents understand students’ natural strengths and learning styles, making education more personalised. The applications extend far beyond HR and education. For example, universities can integrate aptitude testing into admissions to understand not only what students know but how they think and learn—crucial for supporting neurodiverse learners. Governments and multinationals can also use these tools to identify talent, reduce mismatches, and cultivate future leaders.

This is a new system you’re introducing to Nigerians. Tell us how affordable this can be
In terms of cost, pricing varies depending on scale and use case. For example, a school with 1,000 students versus a multinational with 3,000 employees. While we already know from surveys across Africa, Europe, and South America that companies can save millions by cutting hiring decision time from six months to a single week, we are still testing the right pricing model for the Nigerian market.

How do you intend to begin the application in Nigeria?
We plan to start with pilot programmes in Nigerian schools and organisations to adapt the tools to local cultural nuances. Success here will allow us to scale further and even collaborate with government agencies to strengthen education and workforce development nationally.

Tell us about yourself and skills
I’m a visionary, Co-Founder and CEO of Tech1M. Aside from my role at Tech1M, I also serve as the G20 President for the UK delegation, where I lead UK entrepreneurs to global summits such as the upcoming one in South Africa. This platform allows us to identify international partners, share innovations like Tech1M, and expand into new markets. This AI-first recruitment intelligence platform leverages AI agents to revolutionise how businesses source, vet, interview, and onboard global talent. At the forefront of agentic AI, I’m redefining recruitment by driving efficiency, enhancing candidate experience, and tackling systemic bias. As the UK President of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance (YEA), I’m proud to be leading a delegation of 15 outstanding UK entrepreneurs to the 2025 G20 YEA Summit in South Africa. In this role, I champion UK innovation on the global stage, facilitating cross-border trade, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. My leadership has already unlocked millions of pounds in trade opportunities for UK founders through the UK Entrepreneurs Alliance (UKEA), where I also serves as Board Chair and President. Recognised as Business Woman of the Year 2024 at the Future Awards, named as one of the UK’s 50 Most Inspiring Women in Tech 2025 by EQL:HER, and also one of the 100 Women Tech Founders to Watch in 2025 by Founders Forum Group, I’m a trailblazer in entrepreneurship and AI-driven innovation. Under my leadership, Tech1M has been supported by world-leading programmes, including Google AI-First, Barclays Venture Growth, Techstars, TechNation and I have been awarded the Tech Innovation Award by Barclays and the National AI Awards finalist. My influence extends globally, with features in Forbes, Financial Times, Business Day, Fast Company, and The Guardian. I’m a sought-after international speaker, who has addressed audiences at the United Nations, London Tech Week, and G20 Entrepreneurs Summit. As the president for UKEA, I continue to champion stronger collaboration between policymakers, entrepreneurs, and global institutions. With a clear vision to harness technology for human progress, I’m shaping the future of work, recruitment, and innovation worldwide—while proudly representing the UK at the highest levels of global entrepreneurship. My top skills are: Artificial Intelligence (AI); Global Talent Acquisition; Leadership; Human Resources (HR); and Entrepreneurship.