ihub and Mastercard Foundation are partnering to empower edtech startups who are building tools that enhance learning outcomes and accelerate access to equitable and quality education for Africa’s next generation. Startups that make it into our accelerator programme enjoy the following benefits.
Equity Free Funding
Qualified startups are entitled to $100k in equity free funding over the course of the accelerator programme
Support & Mentoring
Startups can tap into our multidisciplinary experts for design, product, and tech optimization.
Investor Network
Startups, through this programme would be exposed to investors to help scale their products
Discount & Deals
Startup through this programme can enjoy special deals from tools and service providers we have partnered.
Marketing Strategy
Our team of experts will help startups align their market strategy to enable them hit PMF
Startups must be Africa focused and incorporated in Kenya. They should be building solutions that address challenges across K-12, tertiary education and vocational skills training.
Your Edtech Solution must posses these two qualities
Must have verifiable users aligned with our accelerator’s focus: education access, student learning, school management, and teacher/trainer effectiveness.
Inclusive Teams
Applicants should have a balanced team, passionate about education. Female founders of EdTech solution companies are strongly encouraged to apply
Applications will be reviewed in 3 stages
Interested innovators are to apply below. In this stage, the Edtech solutions will be assessed on the following criteria
Problem/Solution Fit
Founder Potential
Business Model Fit
Traction
Selected EdTech solutions from the first stage will be assessed based on the following criteria
Scalability
Long-term
Plan/Vision
Competitive Advantage
Team Potential
The final stage will be an interview with applicants who have successfully gone through the assessment stage. A final selection will then be made, subject to due diligence.
Our startups emphasize how the Edtech Fellowship program has enhanced their products to effectively cater to the needs of the African learners.
They have benefited from diverse support across various growth verticals, including product and design optimization, learning sciences, product distribution, investment readiness, and Talent support.
Watch the experiences and growth stories of our startups during the program.
Virtual Essence
FunKe Science
Loho Learning
Smart Brains Kenya
Dals Learning
Esoma
eKitabu
Fundis
Kurasa
Mzizi
Nabu
Soma Siri
Soma Chat
Uptyke
Got Questions?
Discover answers to common queries in our FAQs. Click the button below to explore information about the program. If you still have unanswered questions, register for one of our upcoming info sessions. Join us to ask your questions and receive immediate assistance.
The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.
iHub
We are an innovation centre dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity