Twelve Kenyan startups have been selected for the fourth cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, announced in Nairobi on July 23, 2026. Managed by iHub, this edition marks a strategic shift by supporting early-stage founders over an 18-month program, unlike previous cohorts which focused on growth-stage companies for eight months.

Focus on Inclusion and Early Innovation

The fellowship targets startups developing solutions for four key underserved groups in Kenya’s education landscape:

  • Learners with disabilities
  • Refugees and displaced or rural communities
  • Girls and young women
  • Data systems supporting education decision-making

Half of the selected startups are creating assistive technologies and specialized platforms for learners with disabilities. These include DEAFHEALTH, AssistiveMath, Signvrse, Deaf Outreach Program, SmartSteamMinds Edtech, and Chipurobo.

Another group of four startups—Neurollect Audread, JUZA AI LTD, Ubuntu Universe Limited, and RYEH CBO—are developing multilingual and offline learning tools to overcome connectivity and language barriers faced by refugees and rural learners.

Gwiji for Women and Tausi App focus on empowering girls and young women by combining digital skills training with vocational and entrepreneurial content.

Support and Impact

Each startup receives up to USD 100,000 in equity-free funding along with technical assistance in product development, business strategy, and communications. The program emphasizes piloting solutions with real users before scaling.

Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at iHub, emphasized the importance of founders who personally understand educational exclusion: “Innovation has the greatest impact when it begins with the learners who have historically been excluded.”

Wariko Waita, Director at Mastercard Foundation’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, highlighted the fellowship’s role in transforming education through technology and entrepreneurship across Africa.

Since its inception in 2023, the fellowship has supported 36 EdTech companies, reaching over 700,000 learners, training more than 11,000 educators, and partnering with over 2,100 schools—including extending access to 6,000 learners with hearing and visual impairments.