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Education systems in Africa face a myriad of challenges that negatively impact education outcomes. For example, 8.7 million children are not attending primary school in Nigeria alone, and across the continent, at least 50% of adolescents aged 15–17 are not in school.

Even if they are in school, rampant overcrowding, the lack of qualified and motivated teachers, and poor infrastructure of every kind – from books to buildings – conspires to create an educational vacuum that puts Sub-Sahara Africa at the bottom of most educational metrics.

EdTech, innovations or products that are technology-enabled or technology-driven and focus on improving education, hold promise to have a positive impact. Thankfully, there are two separate opportunities for ICT4Edu innovators to bridge this chasm using African-centric educational technology solutions.

Injini African EdTech Incubator in South Africa

Injini, Africa’s first EduTech seed investment program, is now accepting applications for its next cohort of changemakers. They are offering a five-month incubation programme in South Africa and a grant of R100,000 and mentoring in education, business, technology and entrepreneurship. Prerequisites include:

• EdTech startups based in Africa and focused on educational outcomes on the continent.
• Evidence-based solutions that can point to research that backs up its methods.
• Companies with at least a minimum viable product or prototype.

Injini has already incubated 24 EdTech startups from eight different African countries and if your initiative is successful, Injini may offer an investment of up to R1 million for equity in your business.

Apply Now! Deadline is December 10, 2019

MasterCard EdTech Entrepreneurs in Rwanda

The MasterCard Foundation’s Regional Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT in Rwanda just issued its first Request for Proposal that seeks African EdTech entrepreneurs to propose innovative solutions for two core educational challenges on the continent:

• Enhance accessibility and affordability of in-service teacher professional development
• Create and deliver enriched learning content to in-school and out-of-school secondary school learners

MasterCard Foundation will invest in the winning companies to travel to Rwanda and receive 12 months of support, including:

• Relationships and collaboration with Ministries of Education across Africa
• Pilots in school networks throughout the anchor countries
• Customized mentoring in technology, strategy, professional and personal development
• Financial support with operational costs to scale and expand

Successful applicants will be able to show impact in Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana through a majority African led and/or owned company already in the education market with an existing product with the potential to scale.

Apply Now! Deadline is November 22, 2019

More Start-Up Funding Opportunities

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• Apply Now: $200 Million USAID Funding for Health Information Systems
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• Apply Now: Help USAID Develop ICT Regulatory Policy in Southeast Asia