Nigerian education technology company Heels and Tech, led by entrepreneur Bisola Alabi, has been selected for Cohort 4 of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Nigeria. The company will receive $100,000 in equity-free funding, alongside expert support aimed at helping it expand its impact across education and technology.
The selection places Alabi and Heels and Tech among a growing group of Nigerian EdTech innovators using technology-driven solutions to address some of the country’s most pressing education challenges.
The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, delivered in partnership with Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), is designed to accelerate African EdTech enterprises through equity-free funding, mentorship, technical expertise and strategic business support.
For Alabi, the recognition marks another significant milestone in a career focused on creating greater opportunities for women and girls through education and technology.
Heels and Tech joins Talktu, Efiwe, DAWN AI Study (META’25), Lena, Skilladder AI, TrainDTrainer, Ribara, Skillup Africa, Ileemore Technologies Limited, NursePadi and Lalitah as part of the fourth Nigerian cohort of the fellowship.
The selected founders will take part in a 12-month programme focused on learning, mentorship, collaboration and business growth. The programme is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s broader education technology ecosystem.
For Heels and Tech, the $100,000 equity-free funding provides an opportunity to invest in its technology, expand its reach and deepen its impact without giving up ownership of the business.
The fellowship comes at a time when access to quality education, digital skills and economic opportunities for women and young people remains an important part of Nigeria’s development agenda.
Under Alabi’s leadership, Heels and Tech is working to contribute to this wider effort by exploring how technology can make education more accessible while creating pathways for women and young people to participate more meaningfully in the emerging digital economy.
Support from the Mastercard Foundation and CcHUB is expected to provide the company with more than financial resources. The fellowship will also give Heels and Tech access to expertise, networks and strategic guidance as it works to scale its activities.
For Alabi and her team, the fellowship therefore represents more than a funding opportunity. It provides a platform to strengthen the company’s operations, test and expand its solutions, and demonstrate how locally developed technology can contribute to addressing education challenges.
Over the next 12 months, Heels and Tech will join other Nigerian innovators working to advance the country’s EdTech landscape, with the broader goal of making education and technology more inclusive and impactful.
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