Data Entry Academy, a Lagos-based edtech platform, has won first place in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Get Ready 4 timbuktoo EdTech accelerator, taking home a $10,000 prize after topping a field of 1,429 applicants from across Africa.
The startup, founded by Chioma Ifeanyi-Eze, beat finalists from Egypt and Senegal during a July 1 pitch event in Dakar, Senegal. Another Nigerian startup, Varsity Scape, placed sixth among the top 10 winners.
The award underscores the growing prominence of Nigeria’s edtech ecosystem, particularly startups building digital skills and workforce development solutions, at a time when development finance institutions and ecosystem builders are expanding support for education technology across Africa.
As venture funding becomes more selective, accelerator programmes such as timbuktoo and the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship are increasingly helping startups refine their products, access mentorship, and build investor readiness.
According to UNDP, the 2026 Get Ready 4 timbuktoo EdTech accelerator attracted 1,429 applications from across Africa, with 1,099 startups meeting the eligibility criteria. Fifty startups were selected for the 12-week programme after nearly 2,850 blind evaluations by 19 independent experts.
