Applications are now open for the 2025 Mastercard Foundation Edtech Fellowship.
The six-month, equity-free acceleration programme for edtech (education technology) start-ups is designed for high-growth and high-impact companies using technology and innovation to address challenges in the South African education system.
The fellowship is organised in partnership with local non-profit Injini. Starting in April 2025, it will provide participating start-ups with grant funding, product evaluation, tailored market research, skills development, mentorship and market access opportunities.
Krista Davidson, executive director of Injini, comments: “The success of our 2024 edtech fellowship affirmed our approach to fostering innovation and collaboration in Africa’s education sector.
“Through our partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, we have supported edtech businesses in scaling their solutions, while addressing critical challenges in education. As we look to 2025, we are eager to build on these achievements and invite another cohort of innovators to join us in shaping the future of learning across the continent."
According to fellowship organisers, the businesses and entrepreneurs of the first two cohorts were empowered with various tools and resources tailored to their needs.
This included resources to boost sales and profits, and secure future funding opportunities. Fellows were supported to drive meaningful change in communities, especially among young people, women and girls, persons with disabilities, and rural populations.
Collaboration remains a central pillar of the fellowship, fostering strategic alliances, new networks through the Mastercard Foundation, and a spirit of teamwork among the participants.
The 2025 programme will provide support from education innovation, fundraising, impact measurement and business strategy experts. It will also allow access to courses and office hours with Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute faculty, according to the Mastercard Foundation.
It also offers equity-free venture funding exceeding R1 000 000, and pedagogical evaluation and certification through collaborations with Edtech Impact and Education Alliance Finland, among others.
Rodwell Mangisi, acting director at the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, says: “This is part of our efforts to build demand-driven edtech innovations that close the gap in access and quality, to provide relevant learning for the most underserved.
“So far, 140 edtech companies have been accelerated since the fellowship kicked off in 2020. Through our ongoing partnership with Injini, our hope is that the next iteration will prioritise relevance, access and sustainability for greater impact.”
Edtech entrepreneurs eligible for the fellowship can learn more about the fellowship and apply here. Applications close on 8 December.
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