CcHUB, Mastercard Foundation select 12 startups for fourth EdTech Fellowship cohort

Co-creation HUB (CcHUB), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has selected 12 Nigerian startups for the fourth cohort of its EdTech Fellowship, according to TechCabal. Each startup will receive up to $100,000 in equity-free funding through the 18-month accelerator programme.

Beyond the cash grant, selected companies will receive structured technical assistance spanning product development, communications, and business strategy, as well as media readiness support and stakeholder engagement infrastructure, per TechCabal. The support is designed to help founders test their solutions and build businesses capable of scaling impact.

The 12 startups are distributed across four thematic areas. TrainDTrainer Ltd, Talktu, DAWN AI STUDY, and Efiwe are building solutions for learners with disabilities. Ileemore Technologies Limited, Skillup Africa, and Lena are focused on expanding access in underserved, rural, and displacement-affected communities. Heels and Tech, NursePadi, Skilladder AI, and Lalitah target skills development and economic opportunities for girls and young women. Ribara Analytica is building data infrastructure for education planning and workforce pathways, per TechCabal.

CcHUB, described by TechCabal as Nigeria's first innovation centre and technology hub, launched the fellowship with the Mastercard Foundation in 2019. The programme has since supported 72 companies across Africa, collectively reaching more than 700,000 new learners, 89% of whom are children and young people.

This cohort marks a sharper emphasis on inclusion. Nissi Madu, managing partner at CcHUB, said in a statement that "Cohort 4 was designed around the belief that the most important decisions about inclusion are made at the earliest stages of innovation," adding that the selected founders are "building with this understanding at the core of their solutions." Wariko Waita, Director of the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning at the Mastercard Foundation, framed the fellowship as sitting at "the intersection of three powerful forces — education system transformation, inclusive technology-enabled solutions and sustainability of Africa's EdTech entrepreneurship."

The fellowship's forward-looking intent, as described by CcHUB to TechCabal, is to help cohort companies generate evidence for their solutions while developing the visibility needed to attract future partners and funders. No timeline beyond the 18-month programme duration was specified.