1. Mastercard Brings EdTech Acceleration
Sahara Consult (SC)—a subsidiary of Sahara Ventures—is now accepting applications for the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship. This comes just a few days after SC won a competitive bid to implement the acceleration program in Tanzania.
Launched in 2019 by the Mastercard Foundation’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, the EdTech Fellowship has already supported 12 African startups from seven countries, reaching over 800,000 learners in its first year. By 2025, the Center hopes to have supported over 400 edtechs and impacted at least 1.8 million youth.
In that light, Sahara Consult will:
Recruit 36 Tanzanian edtech companies over the course of three years, with each participant receiving up to US$70,000 from Mastercard.
Provide assistance to selected companies to scale their operations, improve educational outcomes, and enhance their investment readiness.
Potentially work in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University to train founders in the science of learning. Hence, optimizing solutions for maximum impact.
Develop market strategies and pave the way for EdTech companies to reach at least 8,000 new learners each year until 2026.
Build relationships between essential stakeholders like government ministries to encourage collaboration and innovation.
Sahara Consult may also offer selected EdTechs a co-working space, design lab, mentoring, funding connections, and a network of industry stakeholders
To highlight the program's potential, it's worth noting that in the 2023 cohort, 24 startups from Kenya and Nigeria received the support outlined above. Six of these companies were recognized in the 2023 Africa EdTech 50 list. This list showcases companies with exceptional potential to transform learning across the continent.
2. IIH Hosts Health-tech Bootcamp
Following the recent call for applications to its Product Development Partnership (PDP) program, the Ifakara Innovation Hub (IIH) hosted a five-day Medical Innovation and Health Care Technology bootcamp. This intensive training empowered ten promising healthcare startups, culminating in a pitch competition where the top three earned incubation opportunities through the PDP program.
The bootcamp's hands-on approach equipped participants with skills in rapid prototyping, engineering design, human-centered design, and business development. Selected from a pool of 71 applicants, many of these startups were in their early ideation stages.
The PDP program is a unique collaboration between the Ifakara Innovation Hub and partners Essential Tech Center (EPFL), Villgro Africa, Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), Bongetech Research & Labs, and Robotech Labs. This consortium offers Tanzanian innovators a range of benefits:
Seed funding of up to US$5000
Access to the PDP incubation program and mentorship
Expertise across life sciences, engineering, clinical trials, and business development
Use of cutting-edge equipment for product development
Potential for a three-month learning residency outside Tanzania
If you're a Tanzanian health innovator, keep an eye out for future PDP program calls. To be eligible, consider:
Focusing your innovation on medical devices or healthcare technologies
Targeting early-stage ideas and products
Ensuring legal and ethical compliance
Building a diverse, collaborative team
Demonstrating your project's potential for impact and sustainability
This shows the IIH and its PDP partners are committed to driving health innovation in Tanzania.
3. TSA Continues Startup Support
The Tanzanian Startup Association (TSA) has maintained its commitment to empowering entrepreneurs by hosting a series of expert-led webinars, with an average attendance of over 80 founders per session. This week, renowned ecosystem builder Kiko Kiwango led a webinar titled "Tax Compliance and Filing Tax Returns." It provided essential guidance for startups on understanding their tax obligations and successfully navigating TRA’s portal.
Kiwango’s masterclass builds on previous TSA sessions dedicated to startup growth. For instance, Joseph Paul of Dawa Mkononi recently explored strategies for "Accessing Seed Funding for Startups." Key themes included identifying capital sources, overcoming startup-stage challenges, and effectively engaging with investors.
Salum Awadh, on the other hand, focused on preparing startups for funding rounds and meeting investor expectations. Sahara Ventures CEO Jumanne Mtambalike shared strategies for building strong teams, attracting top talent, and fostering a positive company culture.
The Swiss Embassy in Tanzania, Fondation Botnar, and the Segal Family Foundation all support TSA's Startup Growth Boost Project. Its primary goal is to assist first-time founders in formalising their operations and connecting them with industry-specific resources.
4. Credable Organizes Hackathon
Credable, a Tanzanian embedded finance enabler, will hold its first-ever Futures Hackathon designed for aspiring tech talent. The event will take place on Saturday, April 26 in Dar es Salaam and May 1 in Nairobi.
This hackathon aims to connect young tech professionals interested in data, engineering, and fintech. Winners from either category could secure a 3-6 month internship at Credable. Thus gaining real-world experience and potentially transitioning to a full-time role. After all, the pre-Series A digital banking platform raised US$2.5 million in March 2023.
Participants will work individually on a project defined by a panel of judges. The competition will focus on relevant areas of expertise and take approximately four hours.
Futures Hackathon 2024 will also include a keynote address, lunch, coding sessions, project presentations, and an awards ceremony.
5. Dodoma Startup Community Meets
Katabuka Community Consult hosted the 3rd Dodoma Regional Ecosystem Meetup on April 20. It saw a 110% increase in attendance, with 40 participants compared to 19 at the previous meetup. This third meeting focused on digital marketing principles for startups.
It shows how TSA in collaboration with local hubs like Katabuka, is actively promoting technology entrepreneurship in Dodoma and other regions (Arusha, Morogoro, Mbeya) and Dar es Salaam. These meetups provide valuable opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and community building.
Dodoma, known primarily for government offices, holds potential for businesses in highly regulated sectors such as mining and financial services. However, any local startups interested in joining the community can look forward to the next regional meetup in May. The TSA will announce more details soon.
Additional Headlines
6.
The Dar-based Mbadala Impact Fund, which invests in early-stage East African startups, has announced a free webinar titled "Understand the Basics of Venture Capital."
I hope it will cover differences between pre-seed, seed, Series A, and post Series B funding rounds. Participants could also explore what venture capitalists look for in startups. And why Tanzanian companies may face obstacles in raising VC funds.
The virtual event is set for April 24 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
7.
The Tanzania Startup Association (TSA) has encouraged its members to consider Stanbic’s Mpambanaji account for their business banking needs.
Originally launched in December 2022 to support SMEs, this transactional account provides several benefits designed for early-stage Tanzanian companies.
These include zero monthly management fees, receiving a Gold Debit Card; and exclusive access to the Stanbic Biashara Incubator, which is a free business learning program.
In addition, the account comes with cross-border banking capabilities that allow you to conduct transactions across Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan.
It can also help you access funding from Stanbic Bank when your startup qualifies for digital loans based on your transaction history.