Second Mastercard Foundation Ed-Tech Fellowship selected 12 Kenyan startups

The first Mastercard Foundation Ed-Tech Fellowship Program, which provides chosen companies with access to funding and other forms of support, is in its second edition in Kenya. The Nairobi-based incubator iHub has announced the 12 startups chosen for this edition.

The Mastercard Foundation and Co-Creation Hub (CcHub), the company that owns iHub, announced a new partnership in February of last year to launch a US$15 million ed-tech accelerator initiative in Kenya and Nigeria through the Mastercard Foundation Ed-Tech Fellowship Programme. Injini is conducting a comparable initiative in South Africa.

The first Kenyan program selected twelve startups, and there are already plans for second editions in Nigeria and South Africa. The most recent group of 12 educational technology companies to participate in the Mastercard Foundation Ed-Tech Fellowship has been revealed by iHub.

These include Soma Siri Afrika, which offers an innovative educational product that combines psychology, artificial intelligence, and analytics to transform learning experiences; Fundis, which enables artisans to document their work and portfolios, get assessed and graded, access continuous upskilling, and get certified/accredited for job-matching; and Dals Learning, a digital platform that gives learners access to interactive, engaging, comprehensive, and approved digital educational content.

Additionally selected are Kuze.ai, an AI-enabled platform that offers learners personalized learning experiences; Ultratude Tech, a school management system; SomaChat, a digital learning platform that transforms the learning experience for Kenyan students with its suite of AI-powered educational tools; and NABU, a digital content solution that offers curriculum-aligned and culturally relevant mother-tongue learning resources.

Kurasa and Recess round out the cohort. Kurasa is an innovative tool that improves teaching and learning in K-12 education; Recess revolutionizes school management through personalised educational content, fosters student engagement, and facilitates transparent communication between educators and parents. Esoma Solutions is an online learning platform that offers teachers and learners digital learning materials to foster Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) through adaptive and personalized learning paths.

“We are enthusiastic about the potential of the selected start-ups to enhance the face of ed-tech in the region. After the success of cohort one in 2023, we are excited about the second cohort’s potential to add to better education outcomes for learners in Kenya,” said Nissi Madu, managing partner at iHub Kenya.