iHub Kenya, a leading innovation centre has announced the first 12 startups that will make up the first cohort of its Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship.
The programme which was first announced in February 2023 has gone through a rigorous selection process over the last 3 months to arrive at a group of startups that met the robust criteria outlined by the Mastercard Foundation and iHUB.
The fellowship is part of a broader goal of the Mastercard Foundation under its Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning to support the growth of an impactful African EdTech ecosystem that will catalyze innovation and advance promising practises in the use of technology in learning and teaching to benefit African learners, education and edtech innovators across the continent. Overall the process has been intentional to ensure that the cohort offers a diverse range of solutions that address the key issues in the Kenyan EdTech space.
The 12 selected startups address a wide range of issues including digital content, learning management platforms, STEAM education support, Workforce and skill development, Tutoring and Testing, curriculum based online learning content and providing support for teachers in lesson delivery and assessment.
As part of its drive for inclusion and gender balance, 6 of the selected 12 startups have female founders and management personnel. All selected startups will receive funding and advisory services towards scaling their current operations for further impact in Kenya and beyond. The programme, which officially kicked off today, will include a 6 month accelerator programme delivered by iHUB with continued advisory support over another 12 months.
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Program, seeks to support EdTech companies across Africa that are addressing learning challenges across K-12, tertiary education, and in vocational training. The expectation is that these solutions will be part of the urgent and critical response in addressing many of Africa’s long standing challenges that have affected enrollment, quality and availability of effective educational options for the continent’s young population.
The startups who have made it through to the final phase of the programme for 2023 include:
Arifu – An interactive learning platform that supports small businesses and job seekers in Africa.
Virtual Essence Limited (MsingiPack) – A self-paced learning content offering
Kidato Inc – An interactive online learning platform for the entire family
FunKe Science – A solution that offers online and offline content that makes science fun and relatable for African children
Lemfundo Technologies (EasyElimu) – An online platform providing K-12 learning content and exam prep for students.
Ntemata – A learning management system supporting teachers to deliver more efficient assessments for students.
Angaza Elimu- An adaptive and interactive platform that leverages technology to improve access to quality and relevant education on demand
Silabu – A platform that connects students with qualified tutors to support their learning goals, providing an alternative to traditional education
Smart Brains Kenya – A Edtech solution focused on empowering schools to independently provide quality Coding & Robotics lessons in schools
Loho Learning – An eLearning platform that delivers personalised and interactive contents in various digital formats to the schooling generation
Snapplify limited- An innovative and e-learning solution that works with students and teachers to roll out e-learning contents and materials
