iHub, a renowned innovation hub in Kenya, has revealed the initial group of 12 startups selected to participate in the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship. These companies have successfully completed a rigorous three-month selection process.

Among the chosen startups are Arifu, an interactive learning platform for African small businesses and job seekers; Virtual Essence, offering self-paced learning content; Kidato, an interactive online learning platform for the whole family; FunKe Science, which makes science engaging and relatable for African children through online and offline content; and Lemfundo Technologies, providing K-12 learning content and exam preparation resources through an online platform.

The selected startups also include Ntemata, a learning management system supporting efficient student assessments; Angaza Elimu, an adaptive and interactive platform improving access to quality education on demand; Silabu, connecting students with qualified tutors; and Smart Brains Kenya, empowering schools to offer coding and robotics lessons independently.

Completing the cohort are Loho Learning, delivering personalized and interactive digital learning content; Snapplify, partnering with students and teachers to deploy e-learning materials; and Elewa, an education innovation solution facilitating cost-effective and scalable continuous professional development for teachers, schools, and large training audiences.

The fellowship program aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning’s overarching objective to support the growth of a thriving African ed-tech ecosystem. By catalyzing innovation and promoting effective practices in the use of technology for learning and teaching, the program aims to benefit learners, education systems, and edtech innovators across the continent.