CTI Calls for Edtech Fellowship Audit

Coalition for Transparent Innovation (CTI), has cakes for an independent audit of the Mastercard EdTech Fellowship’s selection process and fund disbursement.

The group is also urging the Mastercard Foundation and the U.S. National Science Foundation to issue clarifications regarding the use of public funds in promotional materials.

According to insider reports obtained by CTI, some participants may have been admitted into the prestigious fellowship not on merit, but through personal ties to CcHUB and some notable persons.

The CTI report outlines four major recommendations: Full disclosure of the scoring framework and evaluation criteria for all fellowship cohorts; Publication of the identities and affiliations of reviewers, along with conflict of interest declarations; A third-party audit, jointly overseen by the Mastercard Foundation and an independent civil society organization; and Whistleblower protections for insiders and reviewers who report wrongdoing.

The allegations came amid growing scrutiny of Africa’s tech accelerator ecosystem and rising calls for transparency in how public-private partnerships select and elevate startup talent.

CTI’s report outlines how grassroots innovators, particularly those working on underserved language, inclusion, and access initiatives, were systematically overlooked despite strong applications.

“If selection is driven by proximity to power rather than quality of ideas, the promise of innovation as a tool for social inclusion begins to collapse,” the CTI report concluded.