Dateline: Lagos, Nigeria — [Friday, 27 February 2026]
A large share of African EdTech has been built for the most stable learning environments: reliable connectivity, predictable school routines, and families that can pay. But the categories that matter most for inclusion—disability, disrupted schooling, girls’ participation and retention, and usable education data—often have higher implementation costs and slower adoption cycles.
CcHUB, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has opened applications for Cohort 4 of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Nigeria. The Fellowship will select 12 early-stage startups developing solutions that expand access to education and improve learning outcomes for underserved learners. Selected startups will participate in a 12-month structured incubation programme, receiving mentorship, technical support, access to ecosystem partners and $100,000 equity-free funding to refine their solutions, strengthen implementation readiness, and prepare for sustainable growth.
Cohort 4’s focus areas include: solutions for Learners living with disabilities; Solutions for Refugees & Displaced Persons (RDPs), and Underserved or Rural Communities; Solutions focused on young girls and women; and education data systems that fit real workflows and change decisions.
“Cohort 4 reflects our commitment to supporting solutions designed for learners who are too often underserved by mainstream innovation. This means building for real-world learning environments—where infrastructure may be limited, pathways are non-linear, and implementation requires deep contextual understanding. These realities call for thoughtful design, strong partnerships, and solutions that perform effectively within everyday constraints. We are excited to back founders who are building with this level of insight and responsibility—teams demonstrating that inclusive design strengthens education systems for everyone.” said Nissi Madu, Managing Partner at CcHUB.
Applications are open from 27 February 2026 to 10 April 2026. Since its launch, the Fellowship has supported 72 companies across Africa, which have collectively reached over 700,000 new learners with 89% being children and youth, and a gender distribution of 49% female and 51% male.
Startups applying to Cohort 4 are encouraged to visit futureoflearning.cchub.africa to understand the Fellowship’s focus areas, application requirements, and programme structure before submitting their applications.
Eligible Nigerian EdTech startups are invited to apply and join a growing community of founders shaping the future of learning across Africa.
About Co-creation HUB (CcHUB)
Co-creation HUB (CcHUB) is committed to advancing Africa’s economic prosperity by incubating the application of social capital and technology. Founded in 2010 as Nigeria’s first innovation centre, CcHUB has evolved into the largest technology innovation centre in Africa, with a physical presence in Lagos, Kigali, Nairobi, and Windhoek. Its transformative programs have reached over 40 countries, including South Africa, Morocco, Tanzania, Zambia, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For more information on Co-creation HUB, kindly visit www.cchub.africa
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.
For more information, visit www.mastercardfdn.org
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is an entrepreneurship incubation program designed to support promising, African EdTech companies. Implemented in partnership with innovation hubs and EdTech incubators across Africa, the Fellowship provides select EdTech companies with critical business and financial support, as well as insight into the science of learning, preparing them for scale, sustainability, and impact. The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship was launched in 2019 by the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning with the goal of providing access to technology-enabled, inclusive, quality education to all, especially young people, underserved, under-resourced and marginalized communities. For more information reach us at edtechfellowship@mastercardfdn.org