03/10/2026
We wrapped up Bootcamp 2 with two days focused on building the capacity of the 12 Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellows to think beyond day-to-day operations and strengthen the foundations for sustainable growth.
The final sessions, facilitated by the Fellowship’s mentors, explored strategy, legal and operational readiness, before opening up conversations with leaders and innovators from across Uganda and the wider EdTech ecosystem through fireside chats.
The cohort engaged with John Brittell, on investment readiness; Lerato Kawothar, on marketing and sales; and MsingiPACK, an alumnus of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Kenya Cohort 1 implemented by iHub, on lessons from their Fellowship journey and the realities of building and growing an EdTech venture.
Maria Mayanja from the Mastercard Foundation also joined the cohort, creating space to engage directly with the ventures and gain first-hand insight into their experiences and progress, while connecting their journey to the broader vision of the Foundation in supporting locally led EdTech innovation that expands opportunities for young people and improves learning outcomes.
Across the two days, some of the key takeaways for the ventures were:
Sustainable growth requires a clear longer-term strategy, with priorities that guide decisions beyond day-to-day operations.
Being investment-ready goes beyond having a strong product; ventures need evidence of traction, a viable business model, market opportunity and clear plans for deploying capital.
Reaching the right customers does not always require large marketing budgets. Ventures can explore low-cost, targeted approaches that communicate value and generate meaningful customer engagement.
Growth also requires disciplined spending understanding where resources create the most value, making deliberate investment decisions and ensuring expenditure is tied to clear outcomes.
Ventures do not have to build everything themselves. Plugging into existing systems, platforms, networks and institutional partnerships can create pathways to scale, reach and sustainability.
Strong internal systems, processes and legal structures provide the foundation for responsible and sustainable growth
Five days of learning, reflection, peer exchange, mentorship and practical application with one clear focus: building stronger EdTech ventures that can grow sustainably and deliver meaningful learning impact.
The next phase is about putting the learning to work, strengthening the ventures, expanding their reach, building the right partnerships and continuing to respond to the realities learners face.
To the wider EdTech ecosystem: the journey is stronger when we build it together. We welcome partners, investors, education stakeholders and other ecosystem actors who want to connect with and support these ventures as they move into their next stage of growth.
