Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Cohort 4 picks 12 Kenyan startups

iHUB, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has selected 12 Kenyan ed‑tech startups for Cohort 4 of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship. The cohort targets solutions for learners who have been excluded from technology‑enabled education, focusing on four themes: learners with disabilities, refugees and displaced communities, underserved populations, and girls and young women.

The 12 companies – including DEAFHEALTH, AssistiveMath, Signvrse, Deaf Outreach Program, SmartSteamMinds EdTech, Chipurobo, Neurollect Audread, JUZA AI Ltd, Ubuntu Universe Limited, RYEH CBO, Gwiji for Women and Tausi App – will receive up to US$100,000 in equity‑free funding and technical support over an 18‑month period. iHUB Managing Partner Nissi Madu said the fellowship aims to help founders test, refine and generate evidence for their inclusive learning solutions so they can scale across Africa.

Since its launch in Kenya in 2023, the fellowship has supported 36 ed‑tech companies, reaching more than 700,000 learners and partnering with over 2,100 schools, marking a deliberate evolution toward early‑stage innovators.