Pan-African Incubation Programme for EdTech Startups

The timbuktoo EdTech Hub, established in Dakar, is a pan-African centre dedicated to technological innovation in education. It aims to durably transform learning systems in Africa by supporting startups, governments, educational institutions and all stakeholders in the sector.

The Hub is a centre of expertise, innovation, data and public policy designed to:

• strengthen African educational technology solutions;
• stimulate their institutional adoption;
• catalyse investment in the sector;
• generate evidence of impact;
• contribute to the sustainable transformation of education systems.

Selected EdTech startups will benefit from:

• a structured incubation programme delivered by leading African incubators;
• access to experienced mentors, entrepreneurs and sector experts;
• participation in a pan-African network of founders, incubators and ecosystem partners;
• access to the SIGMA digital platform;
• investment readiness support;
• access to acceleration programmes and early-stage investment opportunities.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• be based in Africa;
• offer a solution related to education, training or skills development;
• have a prototype that can be tested or deployed in a local context;
• have a committed team available to participate in the incubation programme.

UNDP particularly encourages applications from startups:

• led by women;
• originating from rural areas;
• integrating local languages or accessibility solutions.

The program is open to ambitious, technology-driven startups based in Africa or building solutions for African markets. Eligible startups typically have a prototype or Minimum Viable Product (MVP), a committed founding team, and a clear solution addressing a meaningful problem, with strong potential to scale. Applications are particularly encouraged from startups operating in key sectors such as FinTech, AgriTech, HealthTech, ClimateTech, EdTech, CreativeTech, MineTech, and ManuTech.