iHUB, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has selected 12 Kenyan startups for Cohort 4 of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship.
The selected startups are developing technology solutions in four key areas: learners with disabilities, refugees and displaced communities, underserved populations and girls and young women. The cohort reflects the Fellowship’s transition to supporting early-stage innovators developing inclusive education technologies.
According to iHUB Managing Partner Nissi Madu, the latest cohort prioritizes founders addressing long-standing barriers to equitable education through solutions designed with inclusion at their core. “Innovation has the greatest impact when it begins with the learners who have historically been excluded. Cohort 4 reflects that belief. noted Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at iHUB.
Over the next 18 months, the startups will receive support to validate their products, generate evidence of impact, and build sustainable businesses capable of scaling across Africa.
The selected startups include DEAFHEALTH, AssistiveMath, Signvrse, Deaf Outreach Program, SmartSteamMinds Edtech, Chipurobo, Neurollect Audread, JUZA AI LTD, Ubuntu Universe Limited, RYEH CBO, Gwiji for Women and Tausi App.
Since launching in Kenya in 2023, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has supported 36 EdTech companies that have collectively reached more than 700,000 learners, worked with over 11,000 educators, partnered with more than 2,100 schools, and expanded learning opportunities for more than 6,000 learners with hearing and visual disabilities.
Unlike previous cohorts, which ran for eight months and targeted growth-stage companies, Cohort 4 will span 18 months and focus on early-stage startups. Each participating company will receive up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding, alongside technical support in product development, business strategy, communications, and access to iHUB’s ecosystem partners, investors and pilot opportunities.
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