Kenya's EdTech steps into the classroom: Highlights from the third Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Demo Day
Kenya's EdTech scene showed clear progress this week. At the iHub in Nairobi, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship hosted its third Demo Day, where 12 ventures presented tools that are already being used in classrooms, after-school programs, and teacher training centers.
The signal is simple: the sector is moving from pilots to deployment. Mobile-first platforms, AI assessment systems, and school management tools are no longer wishful thinking-they're active parts of teaching and learning across the country.
Why this matters for educators
One message cut through the room: there's a widening gap between the tech people use every day and the tech many students see in school. That gap hurts learners in a job market that rewards digital fluency.
The Fellowship backs founders building for local realities and calls for tighter collaboration between governments, school leaders, teachers, creators, and communities. The goal is practical: integrate useful tools into real classrooms and make access to quality learning more equitable.
What the cohort built
- Mobile-first lesson platforms that lift engagement and keep data costs low
- AI-powered assessment and adaptive practice that personalizes feedback
- Digital skills micro-courses for underserved communities
- Cloud-based school management with attendance, grading, and performance analytics
- Literacy and numeracy apps aligned with Kenya's curriculum
- Digital payments and communication tools that cut admin work for school offices
- Content and tools for African languages and early-grade reading
From pilots to daily practice
These products aren't stuck in slide decks. Many are live in CBC-aligned classrooms and teacher PD hubs, helping educators reduce paperwork, track progress, and close learning gaps faster.
Data is becoming more useful, too. Teachers are getting clearer insights and quicker feedback cycles, without adding hours to their workload.
What school leaders and educators can do next
- Run a short pilot (6-8 weeks). Set a baseline, define 2-3 metrics (e.g., fluency rate, time-to-feedback, attendance), and review weekly.
- Co-plan with teachers. Start with one grade or subject. Build a simple routine: 10-15 minutes of use per lesson or two blocks per week.
- Align with curriculum. Map tools to specific CBC competencies and assessment tasks.
- Integrate PD. Pair adoption with micro-training and classroom coaching. Appoint a teacher champion per department.
- Check data and privacy. Confirm data ownership, consent, storage location, and export options (CSV/API). Avoid vendor lock-in.
- Prepare infrastructure. Confirm device ratios, battery/charging plans, and offline modes for patchy connectivity.
- Keep parents in the loop. Use clear messaging and local languages when possible. Invite feedback early.
- Plan funding and scale. Compare total cost of ownership, look for MoE-aligned programs, and explore public-private partnerships.
For founders and partners
With this third cohort complete, teams enter the scaling stage: tightening business models, expanding partnerships, and testing regional entry points. Earlier alumni have raised funds, grown across borders, and integrated into both public and private systems-evidence that the market is ready for solutions that prove impact and reduce workload.
Expect procurement conversations to focus on evidence, interoperability, and teacher support. The ventures that win will co-design with schools and show measurable gains within one term.
Kenya's momentum
The energy at iHub points to a broader trend: Kenya is becoming a continental hub for practical EdTech. The tools on show were mobile-first, data-informed, and built by African teams for African classrooms.
If this pace holds, the next wave of tech success stories in Africa could come from education-one product that helps teachers teach and learners learn, at a time.
Event: Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Demo Day, iHub Nairobi, 19 November 2025 | Credit: Mastercard Foundation
Learn more about the organizations involved: Mastercard Foundation and iHub.
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