EdVentures, the corporate venture capital arm of Nahdet Misr Group, has announced a significant milestone for the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Egypt, with the program now reaching over 410,000 learners across the country. This achievement highlights the growing momentum of Egypt’s EdTech sector and its potential to drive inclusive, technology-driven education and workforce readiness.
The program, implemented by EdVentures, is focused on scaling locally driven innovations that enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and access to future-ready skills for the nation’s youth.
A Milestone for Inclusive Education
The fellowship places a strong emphasis on inclusion, ensuring that the supported EdTech solutions are intentionally designed to reach underserved communities. This includes women, youth in emerging cities, refugees, and persons with disabilities, opening new pathways for participation in the digital economy.
“At EdVentures, we see this milestone as strong evidence that scalable EdTech solutions can play a transformative role in Egypt’s education system and labor market,” the company said in a statement. “Technology-enabled learning is no longer an emerging trend — it is a strategic tool for expanding access to skills and connecting education with real economic opportunity.”
This focus on equity is a core tenet of the broader initiative.
“Inclusive education is essential for building sustainable growth across Africa,” said Wariko Waita, Director of the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning. “When innovation is intentionally designed to reach those historically excluded from opportunity, education becomes a powerful equalizer and a driver of economic participation.”
Fostering Market-Aligned Innovation
Through its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, EdVentures has supported high-potential EdTech startups delivering market-aligned training. The supported ventures provide practical, employment-focused skills through platforms offering career guidance, digital skills development, and vocational training that enables income generation and small business creation.
EdVentures noted that its engagement with portfolio companies reveals a clear shift in the regional EdTech landscape. There is a growing focus on skills-based, employment-driven learning models, which increasingly leverage artificial intelligence and data-driven personalization to improve learning outcomes and scalability.
A Continental Vision with Local Impact
The success in Egypt is part of a larger pan-African effort. Since launching in 2019, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has accelerated 236 companies across the continent, collectively reaching more than five million learners.
In Egypt, EdVentures has successfully led the implementation of two cohorts, demonstrating how locally-rooted innovation can directly translate into job readiness and sustainable livelihoods, positioning the country as a key hub for digital talent and innovation.
About EdVentures
EdVentures is the corporate venture capital arm of the Nahdet Misr Group, a leading publishing and education company in the MENA region. Launched in 2017, EdVentures is an Egyptian-based VC firm that invests in seed and pre-series A startups focused on education, EdTech, and cultural innovation. It provides startups with funding, mentorship, and strategic support to help them scale and create a lasting impact on the education ecosystem.
Source: Zawya
