After a successful call for applications, Sahara Consult in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation has unveiled 12 Tanzanian EdTech companies that will be accelerated in the second cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship.

The Fellowship is an acceleration program designed to support promising African EdTech ventures in partnership with innovation hubs and accelerators across the continent.

Over the next six months, the Tanzanian EdTech companies which are at a growth-stage, will benefit from Sahara Consult's mentorship through business and financial support and insight into the science of learning to prepare them for scale, sustainability, and impact.

“We commend the 12 EdTech companies for demonstrating their readiness to transform education through innovation and technology. As a thought leader of the EdTech ecosystem of Tanzania, Sahara Consult is committed to provide technical support to these EdTech startups, ensuring that they scale whilst addressing some of the most pressing challenges in education, including reaching the underserved demographic,” said Jumanne Mtambalike, Sahara Consult Chief Executive Officer.

The 2025 Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellows are:

1. Swahili Dmakers Limited enhances education through 3D printing technology, promoting hands-on learning, STEM education, and inclusivity. The EdTech company provides affordable 3D printers, tactile models for visually impaired students, and training workshops to equip learners with practical skills and digital literacy.
2. Tusome a learning platform dedicated to transforming learning experiences through homeschooling support, personalized learning plans, STEM programs, and school management services such as teacher performance, payments, and student progress, improving efficiency and transparency.
3. HM&Y Technologies Ltd enhances education in Tanzania's mainland and Zanzibar through EduGamez (a gamified learning platform) and ShuleYangu (a cloud-based school management system). EduGamez engages students with interactive, curriculum-aligned games, while ShuleYangu streamlines student tracking, communication, and financial management.
4. ChemChem Africa Company Limited (ChemCheemi) leverages Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and game-based learning to provide interactive, offline educational experiences for children aged 3-14 (foundational literacy, numeracy, and STEM learning in Kiswahili and English, including Braille for visually impaired learners).
5. The CUBE enhances STEM education through its CubeBlocks coding platform, offering online and offline learning for students and educators through school workshops, and bootcamps, focusing on accessibility, gender inclusivity, and teacher empowerment.
6. Inspire Hatua a virtual reality (VR) powered interactive learning platform that allows students to explore biology labs and conduct virtual tests using integrated 3D animation, AI tools, gamified learning, multilingual content, and audiobooks for accessibility.
7. teKsafari an integrated EdTech solution developed by Nuru - a Swahili-based programming language for intuitive coding that combines native-language learning, interactive STEM tools, and accessible digital platforms, that empowers students to become tech creators, driving a teK-literate future through the teKsafari movement.
8. ProjeKt Inspire's STEM Kits provide underprivileged students with hands-on, affordable STEM learning, focusing on coding and programming through modular and portable kits with preloaded coding programs, offline-friendly curriculum materials, and interactive guides with Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality content where feasible.
9. Kreative Karakana revolutionizes entrepreneurial education through mobile-friendly, Swahili-based learning with localized content, interactive features, and data-driven insights while offering industry-relevant courses in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), among others.
10. SADG Company Limited developed AkiliHub, an AI personalized tutoring digital learning platform for O Level students to address literacy challenges like digital access, and resource limitations with Learning Management System (LMS)for self-paced learning.
11. Techstar Innovation Hub Ltd uses emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, coding, and robotics to make learning engaging and accessible by providing affordable STEM kits, coding bootcamps to equip students with digital and problem-solving skills.
12. Yana Corp a cloud-based School Management System (SMS) designed to bridge educational gaps and enhance learning in under-resourced areas through mobile optimization, data analytics, e-learning integration, offline access, and multi-language support to ensure inclusivity.

“The Mastercard Foundation looks to support the acceleration of EdTech solutions that reach all, including those out of school young people who are constantly left out of the education ecosystem. For it is when we design with the end user in mind that the business case for the solutions is more scalable, sustainable and impactful”, added Rodwell Mangisi, Acting Director of the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning.

Alongside training, the Fellowship will also offer equity-free funding of up to USD 70,000 to each of the EdTech companies and post-program support of up to one year after the acceleration program. By supporting these EdTech innovators, Sahara Consult and the Mastercard Foundation aim to expand access to technology-enabled education in Tanzania by increasing access to quality, relevant and inclusive learning.

About Sahara Consult

Sahara Consult is a comprehensive management consulting firm that collaborates closely with industry experts to deliver unparalleled solutions that leverage innovation and digital entrepreneurship. Our partners come from diverse sectors, including public entities, the private sector, academia, and development partners.

Our collaborative efforts aim to use innovation and technology to drive transformative change and empower organizations, start-ups and SMEs to thrive in today's dynamic landscape. The company has three wings: Impact, technology, and innovation consulting.

For more information on Sahara Consult, please visit consult.saharaventures.com

Media Contact: martha@saharaventures.com

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation's Board of Directors and leadership.

For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org

About The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is an entrepreneurship acceleration program designed to support promising African EdTech ventures. Implemented in partnership with innovation hubs and EdTech accelerators across Africa, the Fellowship provides select EdTech companies with critical business and financial support, as well as insight into the science of learning, preparing for scale, sustainability, and impact. The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship was launched in 2019 by the Mastercard Foundation through its Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning with the goal to partner with 12 Tech Hubs to support over 250 EdTech companies and reach at least 1.8 million young people by 2025.

Media Contact: jbiira@mastercardfdn.org