Applications call for WISE Accelerator Program 2020/21

Summary 

WISE Program helps founders from around the world to build and scale innovative education tech solutions that will positively impact learning and the future of work. Founders who are admitted in our one-year program will grow their education tech venture with the support of a community of tech founders, investors, educators and other education stakeholders from around the world. In addition to that, the program provides coaching, mentorship, participation in WISE international events and a vast network of potential partners, donors and investors in the field of education.

Benefits

Community 

As part of the program, the selected ventures will:

• Access a community of over 50 education tech founders from 18 countries who will share their learnings during bootcamps organized in three major cities from around the world including in Doha, Qatar.
• Interact with leaders in the government, for-profit, and non-profit sectors. Members of the community will help the selected founders understand new markets and provide them with appropriate advice.
• Participate in networking sessions with donors, investors, and leaders of education organizations.

Coaching and Mentorship 

The dedicated team of experts will support the founders in:

• Marketing, sales, and fund-raising in education tech.
• Building a narrative and positioning a venture as a thought leader within the education sector.
• Understanding markets that are crucial for their growth.
• Product strategy, technology roadmap, and product build-out.

International Visibility 

The WISE Accelerator Program team works closely with the selected founders to provide opportunities for visibility at WISE events and on WISE digital platforms. Channels for visibility that WISE provides may include:

• WISE Summit in Doha which convenes over 4,000 attendees from over 100 countries.
• WISE forums. Past editions were held in Paris, New York, Beijing, Tunis, Madrid, and Accra.
• WISE social media platforms.
• WISE ed review, podcast, and newsletter.

Who can apply?

Initiatives addressing education challenges through the use and/or design of technology in all sectors and regions are welcome to apply. Initiatives in this particular field may tackle education challenges in early childhood education, K-12, higher education or the future of work.

Applicants must meet the below requirements:

• An education technology venture established for at least one year.
• Existing beneficiaries or customers.
• A product beyond the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage.
• Existing revenues.
• A dedicated team.

Application 

Applications must satisfy the following requirements:

• All applicants must complete, in English, the official online application form fully.
• All applicants must submit a short 3 minutes video pitch by submitting a YouTube link. During the pitch, they must explain their edtech solution, the problem they are tackling, who their beneficiaries are, their traction so far and why they are applying for the WISE Accelerator.
• All applicants must provide a link to a product demo via a YouTube link or log-in information for the WISE team to assess the product developed by the applicant.
• The WISE team will invite shortlisted applicants to take part in an interview.

Click this link for more information.