Cocreation HUB has opened up applications for the fourth cohort of its edtech fellowship. The fellowship, designed in partnership with Mastercard, has supported more than 70 startups across Africa, including Smart Stewards, hiPrep, Varsityscape, Mavis Computel, AI Teacha, BlueSands Academy, Cloudnotte, Tespire, and FlexiSAF.
The supported startups now cumulatively reach over 700,000 learners, with 89% of them being children and youth. The gender split among learners is nearly even, with 49% female and 51% male.
For its fourth cohort, the fellowship is shifting focus to founders building for communities often overlooked by mainstream edtech solutions. These include people living with disabilities, refugees and displaced persons, underserved and rural communities, as well as young girls and women.
The programme will select 12 early-stage education technology startups to receive $100,000 in equity-free funding, alongside a 12-month incubation programme. Participating startups will also gain access to mentorship, technical support, and ecosystem partners to help them refine their products and scale sustainably. Applications close on March 30, 2026.
CcHUB notes that much of Africa’s edtech growth has been built around relatively stable conditions — reliable Internet access, predictable school calendars, and families able to pay for digital tools. However, millions of learners operate outside these realities. This cohort aims to prioritise startups tackling more complex environments, where connectivity may be limited and school systems under-resourced.
In addition to learner-focused products, the programme is also seeking startups building education data systems that align with real school workflows and support better decision-making.
Speaking on the new cohort, Nissi Madu, Managing Partner and Practice Lead at re:learn, CcHUB’s education practice, said the fellowship is looking beyond ideas to measurable impact.
“We love bold ideas, and Cohort 4 is for teams that can show evidence, not just intent: how the product performs under real constraints, how it reaches learners, and what changes because it exists,” she said. “This is about backing founders who understand that until edtech works for the most vulnerable, it doesn’t truly work at all.”
Eligible Nigerian edtech startups can apply through the programme’s website.
Founded in 2010 as Nigeria’s first innovation centre, CcHUB has grown into one of Africa’s leading technology hubs, with a presence in Lagos, Kigali, Nairobi, and Windhoek. Through initiatives like the edtech fellowship, it continues to play a central role in shaping how technology can expand access to quality education across the continent.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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