Top 15 Grants for EdTech Startups in South America in 2025
As South America's EdTech landscape continues to grow, numerous grants and funding opportunities are emerging to support startups looking to make an impact in educational technology. Below is a comprehensive list of the Top 15 grants for EdTech startups in South America for 2025, detailing each program’s focus, eligibility, and important considerations.
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1. Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship
Description: A fellowship supporting EdTech startups focusing on enhancing education through technology.
Grant Amount: Varies (includes direct grant funding).
Support Provided: Product evaluation, market research, skills development, mentorship, and market access.
Target Region: Primarily South Africa, with potential expansions to South America.
Application Deadline: Likely to be announced towards the end of 2025.
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2. Start-Up Chile
Description: A seed accelerator providing equity-free funding and a supportive network for international startups.
Grant Amount: Equity-free funding (specific amount not always stated).
Support Provided: Mentorship and access to a robust network.
Target Region: Open to international startups based in Chile.
Focus: Various sectors, including EdTech.
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3. Tinker Foundation Grants
Description: Supports organizations promoting equitable and sustainable societies in Latin America with a focus on education.
Grant Amount: Varies (specific amounts not listed).
Target Region: Latin America.
Focus: Education and democratic governance.
Types of Grants: Institutional and field research grants.
4. The Spencer Foundation Small Research Grants on Education
Description: Supports research projects aimed at improving education across various disciplines.
Grant Amount: Up to $50,000.
Project Duration: 1-5 years.
Target Region: Open to international applicants.
Application Deadline: Full proposal deadline mid-April 2025.
5. UNICEF's Blue Unicorn Initiative
Description: Aimed at funding innovative educational technology tools, particularly for low-resource settings.
Grant Amount: Up to $150,000.
Target Region: Global, focus on low-resource environments.
Eligibility: Technology companies, academic institutions, and nonprofits with evidence-backed solutions.
Status: Ongoing initiative.
6. Regional Call for Proposals in Latin America and the Caribbean
Description: A call to generate and mobilize innovative knowledge for educational challenges in the region.
Grant Amount: Varies (unspecified).
Target Region: Latin America and the Caribbean.
Focus: Innovative education projects.
Status: Ongoing calls may occur.
7. American Jesuits International
Description: Provides funding for education projects in Latin America, particularly the Fe y Alegría network.
Grant Amount: Varies; e.g., $280,000 for nine projects in a recent funding round.
Target Region: Latin America.
Focus: Quality and inclusive education.
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8. International Funding Opportunities – University of Melbourne
Description: Supports educational equity projects collaborating with school systems and communities in Latin America.
Grant Amount: $20,000 to $100,000 per year for up to two years.
Target Region: Latin America.
Focus: Basic learning and evidence-based pedagogy.
9. Wellcome Trust Discovery Awards
Description: Provides funding for projects that aim to improve human life across various disciplines, including education.
Grant Amount: Significant funding (unspecified).
Target Region: Including Latin America.
Focus: Various disciplines contributing to human health and well-being.
10. OpenVC
Description: A platform connecting EdTech startups with investors and venture capital firms that fund early-stage companies.
Grant Amount: Varies by investor.
Target Region: Global.
Focus: Early-stage EdTech companies.
11. Venture Capital Firms in Latin America
Description: Numerous VC firms are investing in the EdTech sector, particularly in Brazil.
Grant Amount: Varies by firm.
Target Region: Primarily Brazil and other Latin America countries.
Focus: Upskilling, online tutoring, and digital courseware.
12. EdTech Accelerators and Incubators
Description: Various accelerators support early-stage EdTech companies with funding and development opportunities.
Grant Amount: Varies by program.
Target Region: Various, with a strong presence in tech hubs.
Focus: Early-stage EdTech companies.
13. Government Programs
Description: Several governments have initiatives aimed at technology innovation, including EdTech-specific programs.
Grant Amount: Varies by program.
Target Region: Specific Latin American countries.
Focus: Education and technological innovation.
14. Private Equity Firms
Description: These firms invest in the education sector, particularly in digital courseware and corporate training.
Grant Amount: Varies by firm.
Target Region: Primarily Brazil, but also other Latin American countries.
Focus: Digital courseware and corporate training.
15. Individual Investors
Description: A growing number of angel investors are interested in the EdTech sector.
Grant Amount: Varies by investor.
Target Region: Varies by investor.
Focus: Early-stage EdTech companies.
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FAQ
Q: What is the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship?
A: The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship supports EdTech startups by providing a mix of grant funding, product evaluation, market research, and mentorship. Primarily focused on South Africa but consider potential expansions into South America. Learn more about the Mastercard Foundation
Q: How does Start-Up Chile support startups?
A: Start-Up Chile is a seed accelerator offering equity-free funding and robust mentorship for startups from around the world, including those in the EdTech sector. Discover Start-Up Chile
Q: What are Tinker Foundation Grants?
A: Tinker Foundation Grants support organizations promoting equitable and sustainable societies in Latin America, focusing on education and other areas. Learn more about Tinker Foundation
Q: What does the Spencer Foundation offer for education research?
A: The Spencer Foundation provides small research grants for projects aimed at improving education, with funding up to $50,000 available. Explore Spencer Foundation
Q: What is the Blue Unicorn Initiative by UNICEF?
A: The Blue Unicorn Initiative aims to fund innovative EdTech tools, offering support up to $150,000 for projects in low-resource settings globally. Learn more about UNICEF's initiative
Q: What opportunities are available through the Regional Call for Proposals?
A: The Regional Call for Proposals seeks innovative education projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, with varying grant amounts depending on the project. Discover more about the call
Q: Who can benefit from American Jesuits International funding?
A: American Jesuits International provides funding for education projects in Latin America, especially supporting the Fe y Alegría network. Learn about American Jesuits International
Q: What funding does the University of Melbourne provide for educational projects?
A: The University of Melbourne offers funding ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 per year to projects focused on educational equity in Latin America. Check out University of Melbourne's funding
Q: What does OpenVC provide to EdTech startups?
A: OpenVC is a platform listing EdTech investors and VC firms that fund early-stage startups, providing valuable connections for funding opportunities. Explore OpenVC
Q: What is the current trend for VC funding in Latin America?
A: Many venture capital firms are focusing on EdTech companies in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, as they see growing opportunities in upskilling and online education.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
