CcHUB Announces Third Cohort of Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship
In a powerful display of inclusive innovation, the third cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, announced today by CcHUB, features an equal split of male and female founders. Each of these founders is driving solutions to improve the future of learning in Nigeria and across Africa. The selected solutions showcase how African EdTech startups are rising to close critical education gaps through various means, including AI-powered learning platforms, digital financial literacy tools, and virtual science labs that reach rural classrooms even without internet access.
These innovations, many of which are led by women, exemplify the Fellowship’s vision for scalable, inclusive, and future-forward learning across the continent. “As we welcome our third cohort, we are especially excited by the innovative, high-impact solutions these startups are bringing to the table,” said Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at CcHUB. “This year, the process was more competitive than ever, as we were intentional about identifying ventures that address critical gaps in Africa’s education ecosystem. Our goal is to equip young people with the skills they need to thrive and lead in a rapidly changing world.”
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has collectively reached 676,145 learners in Nigeria, with 84% of beneficiaries being children and youth. The initiative has also achieved 53% female representation among learners, underscoring its commitment to gender inclusion in education. The program supports EdTech companies across Africa that are addressing learning challenges across K-12, tertiary education, and vocational training.
Over the next six months, CcHUB will support the 2025 cohort in scaling their solutions, building capacity, and strengthening networks and partnerships. The Fellows will receive up to $100,000 in non-equity grants and continued advisory support for an additional 12 months upon completion of the accelerator program.
The 2025 Cohort 3 Startups
The 12 successful applicants to the 2025 Cohort 3 are:
- AI Teacha: An educational platform enhancing learning by equipping teachers with AI-powered tools.
- Blue and Sand STEM Lab: Provides virtual science labs empowering secondary schools across Nigeria.
- Cloudnotte: An all-in-one educational platform enabling flexible learning.
- Flexisaf (Distinction): An AI-powered learning platform for tracking student performance.
- HiPrep Online: A virtual after-school platform for K–12 students.
- I-Train Africa: Empowers African youth with in-demand digital skills.
- Kryptr: Trains and connects job-ready youth to employment opportunities.
- Mavis Computel: Tackles educational inequity with interactive “Talking Books”.
- Smart Steward Academy: Empowers young people with financial literacy skills.
- Tespire: Empowers school owners to increase income and leverage data-driven insights.
- Sproutly Inc.: Offers seamless payment processing for educational institutions.
- VarsityScape: Enables experts to launch online academies in under 60 minutes.
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship seeks to support EdTech companies that will be part of the urgent response to addressing Africa’s educational challenges. For more information, visit https://futureoflearning.cchub.africa/
