EdVentures, the corporate venture capital arm of Nahdet Misr Group and Egypt’s implementation partner for the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, announced that the initiative has now reached more than 410,000 learners across the country — a milestone that signals growing traction for inclusive, technology-driven education reform.
The expansion highlights the strengthening of Egypt’s education technology ecosystem and reinforces EdVentures’ strategy of scaling locally developed innovations that align education with labor market demand.
“At EdVentures, we view this milestone as clear evidence that scalable EdTech solutions can play a transformative role in Egypt’s education system and workforce development landscape,” the company said in a statement. “Technology-enabled learning is no longer experimental. It is a strategic lever for expanding access to critical skills and connecting education directly to economic opportunity.”
Inclusion at the Core of Program Design
Implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the Fellowship supports high-potential Egyptian startups delivering market-relevant training, digital skills development and employment-focused learning models.
A defining feature of the program is its emphasis on inclusion. Participating ventures are required to design solutions that reach historically underserved communities, including women, youth in emerging governorates, refugees and persons with disabilities — populations often excluded from traditional education and workforce pathways.
“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.”
Driving Skills, Employability and Entrepreneurship
Since its launch in 2019, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has accelerated 236 companies across Africa, collectively reaching more than five million learners. In Egypt, EdVentures has overseen two cohorts of startups, backing ventures that deliver practical, employment-oriented training and entrepreneurial support.
Portfolio companies provide services ranging from career guidance and digital literacy programs to vocational and technical training that enables income generation and small-business creation. The model reflects a broader pivot within Egypt’s EdTech sector toward measurable employability outcomes rather than purely academic content delivery.
EdVentures reports that many supported startups are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence and data-driven personalization tools to improve learner engagement, track progress and enhance scalability. This technological integration is helping ventures reach wider audiences while maintaining instructional quality.
Strengthening Public–Private Collaboration
EdVentures aims to deepen partnerships with government agencies, private-sector investors and ecosystem stakeholders to expand successful digital innovation solutions into public education systems and national workforce development programs.
With a milestone of milestone of 410,000 learners, the Fellowship’s progress underscores the importance of investing in homegrown education technologies that equip young people with future-ready skills.
