After three months of application and selection process, Africa’s largest innovation hub Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) has selected 12 startups for its inaugural Mastercard Foundation-backed edtech Fellowship Program.
In February, CcHUB announced its plan to improve funding into the African edtech sector, which raised 0.72% of the total venture capital on the continent in 2022, according to BD Funding Tracker. The innovation hub launched a $15 million fund with a plan to invest in 72 Nigerian and Kenyan edtech startups in the next three years.
“We believe this will kickstart the ecosystem and reboot it afresh because out of that number, at least you’re sure about half or 20-30% of them would live for another three to four years. And that will allow us to know if technology can truly work for education in Africa,” Bosun Tijani, the co-founder and CEO of CcHUB, said at the launch.
The 12 startups will receive up to $100,000 in equity-free funding. After the program, there is room for follow-on investment that will offer diversification and lower risk for seed or Series A investors.
CcHUB also disclosed that its in-house research team will work with portfolio startups and test their products from launch to scale. The hub will also provide expert support in product development, government relations, pedagogy and learning science, portfolio management, communication, instructional design and community building.
The program, which officially kicked off on Thursday in Lagos, will include a six-month accelerator phase, delivered by the CcHUB team with continued advisory support over another 12 months.
The 12 selected startups address a wide range of issues including digital content, learning management platforms, workforce and skill, STEAM education support, tutoring and testing, and online learning content.
As part of its drive for inclusion and gender balance, CcHUB and the Mastercard Foundation were intentional about reaching out to female-led startups, which has ensured that nine of the selected 12 startups have female founders and management personnel.
These 12 startups will join CcHUB’s network of more than 1100 startups who can trace their roots to the hub’s innovation-focused programs and interventions. Its portfolio companies have created over 7,300 direct and 35,000+ indirect jobs through their value chain.
Here are the startups:
EduTAM – A multi-tenant cloud-based school management system for basic and tertiary schools with a focus on API-based connectivity and interoperability of learners’ data for large education systems.
9ijakids – An online platform creating exciting learning experiences to help children fall in love with learning using games.
Gradely – A solution that empowers parents and schools with a toolbox to provide personalized learning of the standard exams curriculum through interactive videos, an extensive practice test bank, and live tutoring.
Money Africa – A platform that provides financial literacy education for adults and children through digital content, personalized advisory, and an online community.
NKENNE – An African language learning app for Africans on the continent and in the diaspora with a focus on the context of African culture, tonality, and building social communities.
Davtonlearn – A SaaS learning management system for corporate organizations to onboard and train their staff in line with each company’s corporate objectives and workforce goals.
Qataloog – An online curator of curriculum-relevant content for learners across various levels and disciplines in K-12, tertiary, and TVET education.
SabiTeach – An online learning platform that seamlessly connects learners with qualified teachers for private sessions while also providing tutoring services for special needs children.
Schoolinka – A digital platform improving the pipeline of quality educators by upskilling teachers and accelerating top teaching talent to improve the standard of education in Africa.
Go2Course – An ed-tech solution that provides a comprehensive virtual school platform for creators and students to connect and learn.
Kunda Kids Ltd – An Edtech App that provides a collection of African-inspired stories and language learning content for children
