The South African ed-tech incubator Injini has revealed the 12 companies that have been chosen to participate in the first Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Programme. This scheme gives chosen firms access to funds as well as numerous types of assistance.
The aim of Injini’s Programme
The fellowship programme will provide qualified startups with direct grant funding, product quality evaluation and certification, intensive skills development, coaching and mentorship, bespoke market research, and market access through Injini’s network of stakeholders across the education innovation landscape.
Krista Davidson, executive director of Injini said previously when applications were open, “We recognise the need for collaboration when tackling the challenges associated with the state of education across the region, so we’re delighted to partner with the Mastercard Foundation on this exciting new program.”
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“Through Injini’s edition of this program, we intend to bolster the South African ed-tech ecosystem with additional resources, bring awareness to key stakeholders in the education innovation landscape and ultimately reach more learners and teachers with effective learning and teaching support,” she added.
Davidson stated that throughout the screening process for the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Programme, the company encountered a number of applicants that showed great promise.
“We saw many promising applicants during the selection process for our Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Program.”
“It was not easy to narrow down the applicants from hundreds to these 12 fellows, as many impressive ed-tech solutions are operating and making a real difference to learners across the country. We are confident that we will be able to work with each one individually to grow their impact and improve educational outcomes in South Africa,” the executive director added.
There will be a total of twelve companies participating in the first iteration of this scheme. These companies are: Afrika Tikkun Bambanani, Ambani Africa, BuzzKidz Buzz-in-a-Box, Click Learning, Code4Kids, Digify Africa, FunDza Literacy Trust, Matric Live, Resolute Education, Yenza, and Zaio.
About Injini
Injini is a recognised non-profit organisation that was established in 2017 and is a member of the UVU Africa Group. Its main mission is to enhance the educational opportunities available to people living in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Injini is the first accelerator in Africa that is specifically focused on ed-tech, and its programmes and research, which are conducted by the Injini Think Tank, contribute to its aim to improve the quality of education in the region as well as expand its accessibility and relevance.
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About the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is an initiative of the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL), which collaborates with technology and innovation hubs and EdTech accelerators across Africa to assist promising, growth-stage EdTech ventures with an opportunity for scale and impact.
Established in 2019, the Fellowship facilitated 12 African EdTech companies from 7 countries in its first year. Collectively, these companies have reached over 800,000 learners.