Edtech startup Mwabu has raised funding from ELMA Group of Foundations for its Series B investment round to extend its education solutions and academy services to more users across Africa.

The firm will use the funding to increase the number of languages into which its content is translated from the eight local languages currently offered in Zambia for Grades 1 – 3. In South Africa, content is currently produced in English, but plans are underway to introduce multi-language content, including Zulu and possibly Afrikaans.

“We are delighted to announce this significant step forward in our plans for growth. Through this investment we will be able to extend the educational possibilities for millions of African learners,” says Justin Reilly, CEO at Mwabu.

The round was made by the Impact Investment arm of The ELMA Group of Foundations.

Heather Sherwin, Director of Impact Investments for Elma Philanthropies, says, “Education technology is an important tool in helping to achieve greater literacy and numeracy outcomes in schools, especially if it’s customised to accommodate local linguistic, cultural and contextual requirements. We believe Mwabu will continue to be an innovative leader in this field.”

Mwabu is an education technology company focused on improving education in African countries. Formerly known as iSchool, the brand offers a full ecosystem of educational products and services into African markets, including core services such as the development of curriculum aligned teaching and learning resources, devices and hardware, as well as the Mwabu Training Academy.

The company recently made a splash in the South African education sector, through the launch of its Mwabu Academy and CAPS-aligned e-learning content for primary schools. The four schools in KZN, in which Mwabu has been introduced, are already experiencing considerable success.

Mwabu has provided high-calibre educational tools to more than 500,000 learners and teachers in Zambia since 2013. Evidence from multi-year studies in Zambia comparing the progress of Mwabu learners with control classes, shows that Mwabu learners are performing significantly better in terms of numeracy and literacy.

The company is also working in Kenya and Tanzania with plans for further expansion.