MAY 23 – iHUB Kenya has announced the third cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, with women leading 75 percent of the selected ventures — the highest share of female-founded startups in the program’s history.
Twelve startups, including seven led by women, will benefit from the six-month accelerator that offers up to USD 100,000 in equity-free funding, mentorship, and post-program advisory support.
The initiative aims to empower EdTech innovations that enhance access to education and improve learning outcomes, especially for youth across Kenya and Africa.
“This year’s cohort is not only the most gender-inclusive but also among the most competitive,” said Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at iHUB Kenya.
“We are proud to see more women leading transformative solutions in the EdTech space — a step forward for inclusive innovation.”
The Fellowship, launched by iHUB in 2023, has so far impacted over 470,000 learners and brought more than 1,500 schools onto digital learning platforms.
The 2025 cohort brings fresh solutions in K-12 learning, career readiness, teacher development, and AI-driven literacy tools.
Some of them LeadNow by Dignitas, Cloud School System, Elimu Shop, iFunza, and Infoney Solutions, among others.
Past alumni have credited the program with helping them scale and secure partnerships.
“The Fellowship validated our vision and opened doors to scale,” said James Ong’ang’a, Founder of Loho Learning (Cohort 1).
The program is supported by the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, whose Acting Director, Rodwell Mangisi, stressed the importance of designing scalable solutions for underserved learners.
Through the EdTech Fellowship, iHUB and the Mastercard Foundation continue to champion inclusive, tech-enabled education ecosystems that prepare Africa’s youth for a digitally driven future.
