Hive Colab has officially launched the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, introducing a cohort of twelve growth-stage EdTech ventures focused on addressing educational challenges in Uganda. The Fellowship is designed to support African-led companies working to improve digital learning access, teacher support, assessment tools, skills development, and overall learner engagement.
This entrepreneurship acceleration program is implemented in collaboration with innovation hubs and EdTech accelerators across Africa. In Uganda, the Mastercard Foundation has partnered with Hive Colab to run three cohorts per year, with a total of thirty-six fellows participating over the next five years, starting in 2026. Each cohort will comprise twelve fellows, each working on innovative solutions tailored to local education needs.
The first cohort includes ventures such as Shule.tv, Yiya Engineering Solutions (YIYA), and Maarifasasa Limited, among others. Wariko Waita, Director of the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning at the Mastercard Foundation, expressed her congratulations to the inaugural cohort, emphasizing their entry into a vibrant network of 236 fellows across Africa. “By joining this fellowship, you step into a vibrant network of founders, builders, and problem-solvers united in reimagining how young people learn, transition, and access opportunities,” she stated.
The Fellowship aims to fortify locally developed EdTech solutions by offering growth-stage companies structured acceleration, collaborative ecosystem opportunities, and learning pathways. Waita highlighted that the initiative is focused on scaling and ensuring long-term impact, stressing the importance of creating sustainable innovations that align with national education priorities. “We need the collective effort of the government, entrepreneurs, investors, development partners, teachers, learners, and parents to realize results,” she added.
Each of the twelve selected ventures will receive tailored mentorship, technical assistance, and access to critical networks and financial support aimed at refining their solutions and enhancing their impact within Uganda’s education system. Barbara Mutabazi, Executive Director of Hive Colab, noted during the launch event that “EdTech presents a powerful pathway to bridge these divides, offering scalable solutions that can reach millions of learners.”
Speaking on behalf of the State Minister for Higher Education, Peter Kyozira, the Principal Education Officer for Admissions, Scholarships, and Student Affairs, described the Fellowship as timely and strategic. Kyozira emphasized its potential to nurture innovators and bridge the gap between theoretical ideas and practical application in classrooms. He urged fellows to focus on building solutions that align with national priorities while enhancing inclusivity and accessibility.
The launch event also featured a panel discussion that delved into the role of partnerships in fostering innovation within the EdTech ecosystem. Panelists from various sectors, including government institutions and universities, discussed the importance of ensuring that technology-driven solutions complement national education policies and frameworks. The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is structured as a multi-year program aimed not just at supporting individual ventures but also at generating insights that can inform educational policy and ecosystem coordination.
With a large and youthful population and a rapidly expanding digital economy, Uganda stands at a crucial juncture in its educational landscape. Significant gaps in access, quality, and relevance of education persist, but the initiatives launched through the Fellowship could help address these issues. Over the program’s lifetime, Hive Colab plans to document lessons learned from the cohort and produce educational insights to foster a stronger, more connected EdTech ecosystem in Uganda.
The selected ventures of the inaugural cohort are as follows:
|
Venture |
Sector |
Fellow Profile |
| Shule.tv | Digital Learning & Exam Preparation | Shule.tv provides curriculum-aligned video lessons to primary and secondary school learners in Uganda through mobile apps, TV broadcasts, and online access. |
| Yiya Engineering Solutions (YIYA) | Offline & Low-Tech Education Delivery | Yiya Solutions delivers structured, skills-based education to out-of-school youth and refugees across Uganda through radio and SMS. |
| Maarifasasa Limited | Vocational Skills & Digital Workforce Development | Maarifasasa trains underserved learners in high-demand digital skills through an integrated model combining online curricula and physical hubs. |
| Visual Assistance Initiative Ltd (V-SIGHT) | Assistive Technology for Learners with Visual Impairment | Visual Assistance provides visually impaired learners with a solar-powered reading kit that combines audio-learning software and tactile materials. |
| Wokober Education Foundation Ltd | Hands-On Science & Technology Learning | Wokober brings weekly hands-on science and technology lessons through structured project-based activities and low-cost kits. |
| Tambula Edtech Concepts | Classroom Assessment & Game-Based Learning | Tambula provides teachers with a game-based quiz platform delivered through offline devices for resource-constrained classrooms. |
| AniScholar Career Hub | Youth Employment Readiness & Career Development | AniScholar connects students to expert coaching and structured internship placements through a digital platform. |
| Mindset Coders (Robot Box) | Robotics & Technology Careers for Young Learners | Mindset Coders provides practical exposure to technology through robotics competitions and a locally produced AI-enabled robotics kit. |
| Hi-shule | Interactive STEM Content & Teacher Support | Hi-shule delivers animated STEM lessons and a quiz platform to schools lacking labs and trained science teachers. |
| Yaaka Digital Network | Mobile Learning & Curriculum Content | Yaaka provides curriculum-aligned lessons and gamified learning content through a mobile-first platform. |
| STEMGenius | Interactive STEM Learning & Robotics | STEMGenius offers an interactive platform that uses simulations and hands-on robotics to engage learners in science and math. |
| Mulmet / KAT-D App (MULMET CO. LTD) | Early Childhood Learning & Digital Play | Mulmet provides early primary school learners with interactive games and assessments through its KAT-D platform, aligned to Uganda’s curriculum. |
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