12 start-ups picked for iHub Kenya’s third Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

Twelve innovators have been selected for the third cohort of iHub Kenya’s Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship.

The fellowship launched by iHub in 2023 offers equity-free funding, mentorship, and strategic support for education technology (ed-tech) start-ups to develop scalable, impactful solutions that expand learning opportunities to learners.

iHub said the third cohort comprises seven female founders. The selected start-ups include LeadNow by Dignitas, a professional development platform; Cloud School System which automates school management and payment processes; Elimu Shop, which develops game-based learning resources; and iFunza, which offers personalized learning, school financing tools, and curriculum support.

Others are Infoney Solutions which offers curriculum-aligned digital content, smart devices, and tailored training; M-Lugha Technologies, an online and offline mobile app; Nyansapo AI, which doubles reading and math outcomes through AI-powered assessments; and Bigbrainz Solutions Limited, which has developed DigiSkool that streamlines school operations while equipping students with coding and robotics skills.

Also in the cohort are Verb Education which develops digital tools like the CBC app; Ahainnovate, which delivers smart, solar-powered offline learning systems; Zydii, a business-to-business (B2B) SaaS (software-as-a-service) workforce skilling solution; and Digifunzi which equips schools with everything they need to integrate robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and coding into their curriculum.

Over the six-month acceleration period, the start-ups will work to strengthen their products, grow their market presence, and deepen their impact across Kenya’s education systems.

In addition, they will receive up to $100,000 (about Ksh.12.9 million) in equity-free funding and post-program advisory support for up to 12 months.

“The innovative solutions of these start-ups are shaping the future of learning in Africa. This year’s selection process was more competitive than ever, as we intentionally sought ventures with not only strong potential but also embraced gender diversity,” said Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at iHub Kenya.

Rodwell Mangisi, the Acting Director at the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, emphasised the need to “accelerate solutions that serve even those out-of-school young people who are constantly left out of the education ecosystem.”

“It is when we design with the end user in mind that the business case for the solution is more scalable, sustainable and impactful.”

Nairobi-based iHub, owned by Nigerian technology innovation centre CcHub, says the first two cohorts of the fellowship have collectively reached over 470,341 new learners.

It says the fellowship has also strengthened institutional infrastructure, onboarding 1,537 new schools to innovative learning platforms.

($1 = Ksh.129.02)