Twelve Kenyan startups have been selected for the fourth cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, a programme aimed at supporting early-stage founders developing inclusive education technologies. The initiative was launched in Nairobi on July 23, 2026.

Administered by iHub, this round marks a strategic shift from previous cycles by extending the fellowship duration from eight to eighteen months and focusing on untested ideas addressing the needs of excluded learners.

Programme Focus and Support

Cohort 4 targets founders working on solutions for groups often overlooked by mainstream EdTech, including learners with disabilities, refugees, rural communities, girls and young women, and developers of education data systems.

Each selected startup will receive up to KSh 12.9 million (approximately USD 100,000) in equity-free funding. In addition, they will benefit from technical and business mentorship covering product development, strategy, and communications. The fellowship emphasizes piloting solutions with real users before scaling.

Selected Startups by Category

  • Assistive Technology & Specialized Learning for Learners with Disabilities: DEAFHEALTH, AssistiveMath, Signvrse, Deaf Outreach Program, SmartSteamMinds Edtech, Chipurobo
  • Multilingual & Offline Tools for Refugees and Rural Communities: Neurollect, Audread, JUZA AI LTD, Ubuntu Universe Limited, RYEH CBO
  • Digital Skills & Entrepreneurship for Girls and Young Women: Gwiji for Women, Tausi App

Impact and Vision

Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at iHub, highlighted the programme's commitment to empowering founders who understand the challenges faced by marginalized learners. "These founders are tackling some of the most persistent barriers to equitable education through solutions designed with inclusion at their core," she said.

Wariko Waita, Director of the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning at the Mastercard Foundation, stressed the fellowship’s role in transforming education systems by promoting inclusive, sustainable EdTech entrepreneurship across Africa.

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