Mastercard Foundation and iHUB Select Majority Female-Led Startups for 2025 EdTech Fellowship

iHUB Kenya has unveiled the third cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, featuring 12 innovative startups, seven of which are led by women. This marks the first time a majority of female-led EdTech ventures has been selected, underscoring a significant milestone for gender inclusion in Kenya’s growing education technology sector.

The fellowship, which launched in Kenya in 2023, supports EdTech ventures with equity-free funding, mentorship, and strategic support. With this cohort, iHUB continues its mission of fostering equitable access to education and supporting lifelong learning for young people in Kenya and beyond.

“Welcoming our third cohort is a proud moment for us. The innovative solutions of these startups are shaping the future of learning in Africa. This year’s selection process was more competitive than ever, as we intentionally sought ventures with not only strong potential but also embraced gender diversity. Our mission remains unchanged: to equip young people with the mindset and tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. This new cohort is actively building a future defined by transformative learning and sustainable prosperity across the continent.” — Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at iHUB Kenya

Since its inception, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has supported 24 ventures across two previous cohorts, collectively reaching over 470,341 new learners. Cohort 1 reached 279,700 learners (59.5%) and Cohort 2 added 190,641 learners (40.5%). In addition, the program has helped onboard 1,537 schools to innovative learning platforms — 1,171 from Cohort 1 and 366 from Cohort 2 — demonstrating growing institutional trust in tech-driven learning models.

Cohort 3 Startups: A Broad Spectrum of EdTech Innovation

This year’s 12 startups address a wide range of needs across Kenya’s education ecosystem, including teacher development, personalized learning, STEM education, school management, indigenous language literacy, and offline digital content delivery. The 2025 cohort includes:

1. LeadNow by Dignitas – A professional development platform designed to equip teachers and school leaders with the skills they need to drive better learning outcomes for students while combining data-driven insights with individualised, competency-based coaching.
2. Cloud School System – A scalable, all-in-one online platform that automates school management, enhances learning outcomes, and simplifies payment processes for educational institutions.
3. Elimu Shop – An education innovation company that develops interactive, game-based learning resources to make math and science fun and interactive for learners.
4. iFunza – An AI education platform tackling educational access and management challenges in Africa with personalized learning, school financing tools, and curriculum support for underserved students, teachers, and parents.
5. Infoney Solutions Limited – Blends innovation with education—offering curriculum-aligned digital content, smart devices, and tailored training that transform traditional classrooms into future-ready learning hubs.
6. M-Lugha Technologies – An online and offline multilingual, multicultural and interactive mobile app that helps young, adult and out-of-school youth acquire basic literacy and numeracy by using their respective indigenous language.
7. Nyansapo AI – A leader in transforming foundational learning in Africa by doubling reading and math outcomes through AI-powered assessments aimed at reaching two million children by 2030.
8. Bigbrainz Solutions Limited – Developer of DigiSkool, a platform that streamlines school operations while equipping students with coding and robotics skills through DigiSTEM, bridging efficient school management with future-ready STEM education.
9. Verb Education – Develops practical digital tools like the CBC App, that simplifies record-keeping and reporting for teachers and school leaders, reducing administrative burdens and enabling data-driven instruction, stronger leadership, and improved learning outcomes.
10. AHAINNOVATE – Focused on bridging the digital divide in underserved communities through delivery of smart, solar-powered offline learning systems equipped with interactive educational content tailored for children aged 5 – 13.
11. Zydii – A Business-to-Business software-as-a-service workforce skilling solution providing TikTok-style, bite-sized, micro-learning content via WhatsApp, Web, and other channels.
12. Digifunzi – Equipping schools with everything they need to integrate Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Coding into their curriculum aimed at empowering learners with the skills to thrive in the digital economy.

Voices from Previous Cohorts

Fellows from previous cohorts praised the Fellowship’s role in accelerating their impact and business development:

“Loho Learning had a vision to revolutionise education in Africa, and the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship made that vision a reality. Access to world-class mentors, investors, and a vibrant community of entrepreneurs allowed us to scale our platform, reach more students, and secure strategic partnerships that accelerated our growth.” — James Ong’ang’a, Founder, Loho Learning (2023 Cohort 1)

“Participating in the Fellowship was instrumental in developing my leadership abilities and unlocking new avenues for impact. I felt validated, and this boosted my confidence, which resulted in closing more deals and partnerships for Uptyke.” — Lillian Mutegi, Uptyke (2024 Cohort 2)

Building for Long-Term Impact

Over the next six months, the 2025 cohort will receive comprehensive acceleration support covering product development, pedagogy, branding, marketing, and investment readiness. Each startup will also be eligible for up to USD 100,000 in equity-free funding and a 12-month post-program advisory period.

“It is when we design with the end user in mind that the business case for the solution is more scalable, sustainable and impactful.” — Rodwell Mangisi, Acting Director, Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning

Spotlight: Nyansapo AI

Among the cohort, Nyansapo AI stands out for its mission to transform foundational learning using AI. CEO Mumbe Mwangangi expressed optimism about the opportunities presented by the Fellowship:

“Being selected for the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship marks a pivotal moment for us at Nyansapo AI. From day one, our mission has been to make learning visible — providing immediate feedback for children and actionable learning data for teachers through AI-powered assessments.
Our co-driver this year is scaling — The fellowship aligns perfectly with our scaling goals: enhancing the depth and effectiveness of our AI-powered assessments, strengthening our pedagogy and to even operations, and learning alongside other brilliant EdTech teams.”

Through Nyansapo AI and other innovative ventures, iHUB and the Mastercard Foundation are working to accelerate transformative education solutions that are inclusive, scalable, and deeply rooted in local realities.