Twelve innovative Kenyan startups have been selected to join the third cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, a six-month acceleration programme designed to boost impactful education technology ventures across Africa. Launched in 2019, the fellowship offers a blend of business, financial, and educational support to help ed-tech startups scale their solutions and drive meaningful change in learning outcomes. This latest Kenyan cohort reflects the programme’s commitment to nurturing transformative education solutions and equipping young Africans with 21st-century skills.
A Pan-African Initiative Empowering Education Innovators
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has already supported dozens of startups in Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya, and recently expanded its reach to Egypt. By providing equity-free funding, mentorship, and capacity-building resources, the programme seeks to empower ventures addressing critical gaps in education accessibility, quality, and inclusion. This year’s cohort highlights the growing maturity of Kenya’s ed-tech ecosystem and the country’s potential to become a regional hub for educational innovation.
Robust Support and Strategic Guidance for Long-Term Impact
Startups in the programme will receive up to US$100,000 in non-dilutive funding, alongside technical assistance and access to post-programme advisory support for up to one year. During the six-month period, the selected ventures will refine their products, expand market reach, and work on strengthening their impact within Kenya’s diverse education landscape. The fellowship’s holistic model ensures startups are not only investment-ready but also well-positioned to deliver long-lasting educational improvements.
Diverse Ventures Tackling Key Challenges in Learning
The selected startups bring a wide range of innovative solutions that span teacher training, school management, curriculum content, and digital learning tools. Among them is LeadNow by Dignitas, a platform that enhances teacher effectiveness through competency-based coaching and data-driven insights. Other ventures like Cloud School System and Infoney Solutions offer integrated digital tools to streamline school operations and improve access to quality learning materials.
Creative Technologies Making Learning Engaging and Accessible
Several of the selected companies are transforming how students engage with core subjects through gamified and AI-powered platforms. Elimu Shop uses interactive games to make math and science more approachable, while Nyansapo AI leverages artificial intelligence to improve foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes. These platforms are tailored to local needs and aim to significantly boost student performance across both urban and rural settings.
Localized and Inclusive Learning Models for Underserved Communities
A number of startups are specifically targeting learners in remote or marginalized areas by developing accessible, culturally relevant tools. M-Lugha Technologies provides offline, multilingual learning via mobile apps in indigenous languages, while AHAINNOVATE delivers solar-powered learning systems to low-resource environments. These ventures exemplify how locally grounded solutions can bridge the digital divide and support inclusive education for all age groups.
Technology-Driven Workforce and STEM Readiness
Preparing students for future job markets is another key focus of this year’s cohort. Startups like Bigbrainz Solutions and Digifunzi are integrating STEM education, robotics, and coding into school curriculums, ensuring students gain the technical skills needed in a digital economy. Zydii complements these efforts by offering micro-learning content to workforce trainees through popular platforms like WhatsApp and the web, making upskilling more accessible and engaging.
A Vision for Scalable, Sustainable Education Across Africa
Nissi Madu, managing partner at iHub Kenya, expressed pride in the cohort’s diversity and innovation, noting that this year’s selection process was especially competitive. According to Madu, the selected ventures not only demonstrated strong growth potential but also reflected intentional inclusion, particularly in terms of gender diversity among founders and teams. He emphasized that the Mastercard Foundation’s mission remains centered on enabling African youth to thrive in a rapidly evolving world through transformative learning models.
With the selection of this new cohort, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship continues to shape the future of education across the continent. By supporting scalable, locally-driven ventures, the programme is building a foundation for sustainable growth and inclusive learning ecosystems. The third Kenyan cohort is a testament to the power of innovation, collaboration, and a shared vision of educational equity for all.