After securing $31 million in Series B funding, Nigerian mobility tech startup Metro Africa Xpress Inc. (MAX) plans to expand into more African markets as it works to formalize the continent’s transportation sector. The startup told TechCrunch that the funding will be used to expand into Ghana and Egypt by the end of the first…
African Blockchain Lab, based in Nigeria, has received a US$6 million pre-Series A investment to help fund the launch of its crypto wallet VIBRA. African Blockchain Lab, founded by blockchain venture studio Everest Ventures Group, is a blockchain technology company and the creator of the African crypto app VIBRA. VIBRA provides an easy way for…
Trueflutter, a dating and matchmaking app for people from emerging markets, is a Nigerian startup that is focusing on the local market and making over 1,000 matches per day. Trueflutter, which was founded in 2018, assists people looking for committed relationships in finding compatible partners who share similar values and backgrounds. “We observed the cultural…
According to reports, WhatsApp Business is getting a new feature. According to reports, the beta version of the instant messaging app for businesses will get a new shortcut for quickly replying to messages. Select WhatsApp Business beta testers on Android and iOS are said to have access to the new Quick Replies shortcut. The Quick…
Paymob, an Egyptian fintech startup, has partnered with ride-hailing giant Uber to expand payment options on the Uber app, with the goal of financially integrating a larger base of Egyptian drivers and riders. Paymob, founded in 2015 by Islam Shawky, Alain El Hajj, and Mostafa Menessy, is an infrastructure technology enabler that offers payment solutions…
One of Africa’s most active early-stage tech investors, Nigeria-based Ventures Platform, has announced the first close of a US$40 million pan-African fund that will expand its portfolio and double down on winners. Since its inception in 2016, Ventures Platform has served as a partner and conduit for international funds and stakeholders looking for a dependable…
App for trading global shares in Nigeria Trove has won the fourth edition of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge, taking home a US$15,000 prize and a place in the bank’s Fintech Challenge Fellowship program. Each year, the Ecobank Group hosts its Fintech Challenge, with the five finalists of this year’s edition chosen from over 890 entrants…
Instagram is introducing a new “Profile Embed” feature that will allow users to embed a mini-version of their profile into a website. Users will be able to further integrate their Instagram profiles into websites such as blogs and portfolios with the new feature. According to the social media giant, the feature is currently only available…
Alitheia IDF, Africa’s first and only women-led and women-focused private equity fund, has announced the final close of its US$100 million fund, which it claims is the continent’s largest gender-inclusive private equity fund. Alitheia IDF, led by principal partners Polo Leteka and Tokunboh Ishmael, invests in early-stage companies in six African countries: Nigeria, South Africa,…
Many people are still perplexed by what the metaverse is or could be. Millions of dollars, however, are being invested in this virtual universe. BusinessToday.in reported on November 29, 2021, that Tokens.com, a Canadian investment firm, spent $2.5 million on a virtual land in the metaverse. The property was purchased on Decentraland, a blockchain-based virtual…
Tingg, the all-in-one super payments app, was named ‘Overall Mobile App of the Year’ in Kenya at the inaugural Mobile App Summit and Awards, which took place on Friday, October 10th, at a prestigious gala dinner. At the event, held at the Pride Inn Westlands Banquette Centre, they also won the ‘Mobile App of the…
Zoom has joined a counter-terrorism organization formed by major US tech companies such as Meta, formerly known as Facebook, and Microsoft, the group announced on Wednesday. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) is an independent organization whose members share information on their websites to combat terrorism and violent extremism. Zoom, whose usage skyrocketed…
Apple has introduced Security Lockout mode, which allows users to reset and erase data from their locked iPhone or iPad without the need to connect it to a PC or Mac. The feature is included in iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2, both of which were released earlier this week. It also activates only after several…
Moove, an African mobility fintech, has opened its first office in East Africa and its sixth on the continent in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of its efforts to expand operations across the continent. This move came after a collaboration with Uber that allowed ride-hailing and delivery drivers to acquire motorbikes for Uber Connect, UberEats deliveries,…
ATG Digital, a leader in identification verification software, has announced a new tool for employers and public establishments to use at access control points to verify visitors’ vaccine status. Vaccine mandates are on everyone’s mind this season, but ATG Digital’s R&D department had already completed their vaccine verification feature before the first fourth-wave headline. Visitors…
The Adaptation SME Accelerator Project (ASAP), a program for SMEs and startups scaling market-based and contextualized solutions to critical climate adaptation and resilience challenges, is now accepting applications in Africa and Asia. ASAP, which is led by Village Capital and The Lightsmith Group, will help 16 SMEs and startups scale climate adaptation and resilience solutions…
In the next three months, 2,400 Nigerian girls will be equipped with basic information and communications technology (ICT) skills thanks to a grant from the United Kingdom government, which will be administered by Cybersafe Foundation through the DigiGirls Digital Empowerment program. Confidence Staveley, Founder, Cybersafe Foundation, said at the program’s opening ceremony in Lagos that…
Offline test preparation centers in Nigeria have been providing after-school guidance and tutoring to students attempting to pass entrance examinations for many years. Edtech platforms such as Edukoya have emerged with the goal of bringing these models online while keeping costs low for students. The Lagos and London-based startup, which creates online education content and…
Founder Institute, a pre-seed accelerator, has opened applications for its South Africa program, which is looking for ambitious entrepreneurs to help build a sustainable future through technology. The Founder Institute, founded in 2009 by Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechan and based in Palo Alto, California, connects startups with experts who share equity in their success,…
Wowzi, a Kenyan startup, has secured new funding to expand the reach of its platform, which turns social media users into brand influencers, to West and Southern Africa — as it capitalizes on the continent’s rising social media usage, driven by the proliferation of smartphones and increasing internet penetration. Wowzi, which connects social media users…
Google has announced Android 12 (Go edition). According to the company, the lightweight operating system (OS) will be available in affordable entry-level smartphones in 2022. The news comes just two months after Google released Android 12 for its Pixel smartphone lineup. Google claims that over 200 million people are actively using the lightweight Android (Go…
Automatic captions for videos are now available on Twitter. On Wednesday, December 15, the much-anticipated functionality began rolling out globally for iOS, Android, and the Web. Currently, 37 languages are supported by the auto-captions feature. Because translation is not yet available on Twitter, the captions will appear in the language of the device used to…
Ogow Health, a Somalian e-health startup, is improving care pathways, access to patient data, reporting, and public health information for major interventions like maternal health and immunizations through app and web-based tools that are now affecting thousands of patients. ogow health creates digital health solutions that empower and equip healthcare providers, caregivers, and governments in…
The Financial Times and Seedstars have announced the startups that have advanced to the final round of the FTxSDG Challenge, with the winners receiving US$500,000 in funding and growth support. According to Disrupt Africa, the Financial Times and Seedstars partnered in September to launch the FTxSDG Challenge, which aims to find impact-driven entrepreneurs and ventures…
South Africans are big fans of televisions and home entertainment systems. In fact, according to Nielsen, the average citizen watches 165 minutes of television per day on top of working from home, home schooling, and other adulting responsibilities, and that doesn’t include time spent on mobile devices. With nearly three hours of viewing time per…
Networks Unlimited, a subsidiary of Exclusive Networks, has continued its end-of-year tradition of assisting the students and parents of Nokuphila School in Tembisa, Midrand. According to Managing Director Anton Jacobsz, the school is a beneficiary of the non-profit educational organization The Love Trust, which is Networks Unlimited’s 53 percent broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) partner….
Treepz, a mobility startup, has announced a partnership with CMS Taxi and Motor Nigeria Limited (CMS T&M), a Lagos-based traditional bus company, just a few weeks after raising $2.8 million in seed funding and acquiring Ugabus, a Ugandan bus company. Through this collaboration, CMS T&M passengers will have access to convenient payment options and predictable…
Salaam Somali Bank has set aside US$4 million for Somali entrepreneurs to be distributed over two years beginning next year in an effort to jumpstart economic growth. Salaam Somali Bank, Somalia’s first privately-owned bank, was established in 2009 and now has more than 20 branches throughout the country. Through specialized, zero-interest micro-loans, the Salaam Entrepreneurs…
MTN and MAFAB COMMUNICATIONS emerged as the winners of the Federal Government’s 5G spectrum auction held yesterday at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja. A mock auction was held at the same location to prepare participants for the main event, which was a success. Using the Ascending Clock Auction System, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) auctioned…
A cross-party group of British lawmakers has said that Google, Facebook, and other online services should be held legally accountable for advertisements on their platforms in order to prevent fraudsters from duping millions of consumers. Britain has proposed a landmark online safety law to punish abuses such as child pornography, racism, and violence against women,…