Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

Supporting locally founded and locally led, growth stage EdTech ventures building inclusive solutions that improve learning outcomes in Uganda.

Through the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, implemented by Hive Colab in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, we support growth stage EdTech ventures that have traction and are ready to scale responsibly. We are prioritizing inclusive solutions serving underserved learners, including low income communities, refugees, and learners with disabilities.

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Applications are closed for this Cohort.

About the fellowship

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is a selective growth partnership for EdTech ventures that are already working in the Ugandan context and are ready to strengthen scale, sustainability, and learning impact. The Fellowship supports ventures to grow without losing what matters most: inclusion, accessibility, and meaningful outcomes for learners who are often left behind.

Program Overview

The Fellowship supports growth stage EdTech ventures operating in Uganda or with a strong Uganda focus. Ventures receive structured support that strengthens product readiness, implementation excellence, partnerships, business resilience, and learning outcomes measurement. The goal is a responsible scale that expands access to quality learning, especially for underserved communities.

Inclusive product and delivery design
Evidence-driven learning impact
Partnership readiness with schools and systems actors
Sustainable and affordable business models

Why this fellowship matters

Why this fellowship matters in Uganda

Uganda's education ecosystem needs solutions that work in real classrooms and real communities. The Fellowship prioritizes ventures that design for constraints and complexity, including low connectivity environments, under resourced schools, and displacement settings.

Overcrowded classrooms and limited resources

Teacher support and training gaps

Skills pathways and school-to-work transitions

Unequal access for refugees and learners with disabilities

Journey

Program Structure

Design for inclusion and learning impact

Fellows strengthen problem definition, learner and teacher engagement, and inclusion design. The focus is aligning the solution to classroom realities, disability inclusion, affordability, and measurable learning outcomes. .

Human centered design with underserved users
Learner and teacher engagement
Inclusion and accessibility review
Learning outcomes and evidence plan

Acceleration for responsible scale

Fellows receive deeper venture support focused on scaling delivery, partnerships, sustainability, and impact. The goal is growth that expands reach while protecting inclusion and learning quality.

Product and implementation scaling
Partnership development
Revenue resilience and affordability strategy
Learning outcomes measurement support
Investor readiness and strategic advisory

A growth stage venture has a working product with demonstrated traction and is ready to scale delivery and impact in a sustainable way.

Eligibility

Edtech ventures should be locally founded and locally led, and growth stage delivering inclusive solutions in Uganda.

Locally founded and locally led venture with leadership and decision making rooted in Uganda

Growth stage venture with a working product and evidence of traction such as active users, paying customers, institutional partnerships, or sustained deployment

Solution improves learning outcomes or strengthens teaching and learning in Uganda

Inclusive by design, serving underserved learners such as low income communities, refugees, and learners with disabilities

Benefits

What Fellows Receive

Catalytic funding support

Tailored financial support designed to accelerate inclusive scale and delivery readiness.

Structured fellowship curriculum

A practical program built for growth stage execution, learning impact, and sustainability.

One-on-One Mentorship

Direct support from experts who understand education delivery and venture scale.

Partnership and market access support

Connections to relevant institutions and ecosystem actors where appropriate.

Learning science and impact support

Guidance to measure outcomes and strengthen evidence of what works.

Investor readiness and strategic advisory

Support to strengthen governance, storytelling, metrics, and long term capital pathways.

Partners and ecosystem collaboration

Partners

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Uganda Cohort is implemented by Hive Colab in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The Fellowship collaborates with education institutions, government agencies, development partners, investors, and ecosystem organizations to strengthen inclusive education innovation in Uganda.

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Application Process

How to Apply

The application process is designed to be clear and selective.

1. Online Application

Complete the online form with details about your venture, traction, inclusion approach, and learning impact.

Applications for this Cohort are closed

2. Shortlisting & Interviews

Selected ventures will be invited for interviews and readiness review.

3. Selection & Onboarding

Successful ventures join the cohort and begin the fellowship journey.