World Bank hints on how Nigeria can save $432,600,000 before December Written by David Oladele The World Bank has hinted that Nigeria could save about $432.6m from May 2020 to December 2021 through the debt service suspension initiative. The Bank disclosed this in a statement on COVID-19: Debt Service Suspension Initiative updated on its website. The organisation, in…
Nigeria’s Ustacky is getting Africans career market-ready with tech-focused digital micro-degrees Written by TOM JACKSON Nigerian ed-tech startup Ustacky is teaching Africans industry-relevant IT skills and providing them with micro-degrees at an affordable price to make them job-ready. Launched in 2019, Ustacky delivers training in programming through its website and mobile app using high-quality instructor-led video courses…
Ugandan e-logistics startup Ridelink raises $150k pre-seed funding round Written by TOM JACKSON Ugandan e-logistics startup Ridelink has raised US$150,000 in pre-seed funding to help it scale operations. Launched in 2017, Ridelink is an e-logistics platform that connects SMEs to a network of transport operators at the click of a button. So far it has served over…
UCT GSB Solution Space, Ayoba launch E-Track Programme for startups across Africa Written by TOM JACKSON Applications are now open for the upcoming E-Track Programme, which is designed to support startups from across Africa with scalable businesses and global potential. The E-track Programme is a three-phase venture acceleration programme developed by the UCT GSB Solution…
What 377 Y Combinator pitches will teach you about startups Written by Natasha Mascarenhas Along with a cadre of other TechCrunch folks, I spent this week extremely focused on one event: Y Combinator. The elite accelerator announced a staggering 377 startups as its Summer 2021 cohort. We covered every single on-the-record startup that presented and…
Nigeria’s Autochek acquires Cheki Kenya and Uganda from ROAM Africa Written by Tage Kene-Okafor Nigerian automotive tech company Autochek today is announcing the acquisition of Cheki Kenya and Uganda from Ringier One Africa Media (ROAM) for an undisclosed amount. Per a statement, Autochek will finalize the deal in the coming weeks. With the acquisition, Autochek completes its…
Founders Factory and G-Force launch Seed program for climate-focused startups Written by Mike Butcher UK tech accelerator Founders Factory is joining forces with a European counterpart to launch the Founders Factory Sustainability Seed program. Launched in partnership with G-Force (the G is for Green) based out of Bratislava, Slovakia, the program will look to invest in and accelerate…
Data: The next great resource Forget oil, gas, or rare-earth elements. In the coming years, data is set to become the world’s most valuable resource. Advances in technology, from robotics to artificial intelligence, are transforming industries across the world. Industry 4.0 is the next phase in digitalization. It is driven by a sharp rise in…
Understanding 5G – The backbone of the industrial Internet A data-driven “fourth industrial revolution” has long been predicted. Now, the backbone for that platform is finally becoming a reality. The long-promised benefits of cyber-physical industrial systems are within sight. The year 2019 will be remembered as the year that true cellular connectivity for the Internet…
5G network is finally here – This is what you need to know The 5th generation of mobile networks, 5G is the evolution of the 4G networks of today. It has been created to meet and surpass the massive growth of data and connectivity of IoT, changing today’s reality and paving the way for tomorrow….
Data Snapshot: Insect ranches, vertical ag among 2020’s top-funded ‘Novel Farming’ startups Written by Lauren Manning & Jack Ellis AFN‘s parent company AgFunder released the latest edition of its annual Farm Tech Investment Report earlier this month, which showed that funding for agritech startups last year saw its biggest annual increase in since 2018. According to the report, Novel Farming…
Rwanda’s new SIM registration, Somalia’s Trade Information Portal, Cellulant’s partnership with GAINDE 2000 Written by Victoria Fakiya Rwanda’s new SIM registration directives What’s the news? Telecom operators will implement new SIM card registration procedures. The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), Rwanda’s telecom regulator, claims it will help reduce fraud. According to RURA, anyone who wants to get…
Zip acquisition of Payflex means Africa is ripe for BNPL disruption Writen by Tage Kene-Okafor Australian buy now, pay later (BNPL) company Zip this week acquired South Africa-based BNPL player Payflex for an undisclosed amount. It’s a piece of news that once again highlights the hype around BNPL services and the quest for global dominance among the…
African energy startups to benefit from SIMA’s $68,000,000 Energy Access Relief Fund Written By Joan Aimuengheuwa With a focus on ensuring adequate decentralisation of clean energy globally, Social Investment Managers and Advisors’ (SIMA) has made its $68,000,000 Energy Access Relief Fund (EARF) accessible to startups in the energy sector. Smaller to mid-sized energy companies across sub-Saharan…
No, your phone, Digital devices and technologies isn’t making you dumber or more forgetful Digital devices and technologies can enhance the way we learn and work. Digital technology is ubiquitous. We have been increasingly reliant on smartphones, tablets and computers over the past 20 years, and this trend has been accelerating due to the pandemic….
Nigerian government orders telcos to shut down mobile services in Zamfara to curb banditry Written by Ejike Kanife The federal government has ordered telecom operators in the country to shut down all communications sites in Zamfara State and in neighbouring states that could provide telecommunications services in Zamfara State. This was contained in a memo reportedly sent…
Zowasel, a Nigerian agritech startup, has received $100,000 in funding from Guinness and Promasidor. At the UN World Food Programme Zero Hunger Sprint, Nigerian agri-tech firm Zowasel received US$100,000 in funding from Guinness Nigeria and Promasidor Nigeria, a large pan-African consumer packaged food maker. Zowasel is an agricultural technology startup that is working to create a sustainable…
WhatsApp rolls out a feature allowing users to transfer chat history from iPhone to Samsung device Written by Alan Friedman In a blog post published today, popular messaging app WhatsApp announced that it has started rolling out new files that allow users to move their chat history from iOS to Android. This will take place without messages…
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey suggested the new move in July by calling Bitcoin a “big part” of the platform’s future. Written by Jagmeet Singh Twitter May Soon Let Users Add Bitcoin, Ethereum Addresses to Their Profiles for Tips Twitter is found to be working on allowing users to add Bitcoin and Ethereum addresses to their…
WhatsApp Message Reactions May Support All Emojis, Money Heist Fans Get Special Sticker Pack Written by Jagmeet Singh WhatsApp may follow in the steps of Facebook’s Messenger while enabling message reactions on its platform. WhatsApp is found to allow users to apply any of their favourite emojis as message reactions. The new development appears just…
Egyptian beauty startup Glamera launches B2B product Written by TOM JACKSON Egyptian beauty service booking platform Glamera has launched a new B2B product that helps customers with beauty salon management. Launched in September 2019, Glamera allows users to book appointments with hundreds of contracted providers covering all beauty sections, including salons, clinics, spa, gym, and dental. The…
Egyptian e-commerce startup FwRun acquired by Saudi logistics company Written by TOM JACKSON Egyptian e-commerce solutions provider FwRun has been acquired by Saudi Arabian last mile delivery and logistics firm Diggipacks as the latter looks to expand its presence in the Egyptian market. Founded in 2019, FwRun provides fulfillment, delivery, and warehousing services to e-commerce companies….
Make accessibility part of your startup’s products and culture from day one Written by Joe Devon The world of accessibility has experienced a tipping point thanks to the pandemic, which drove people of all abilities to do more tasks and shopping online. For the last year, the digital world was the only place brands could…
Playbyte’s new app aims to become the ‘TikTok for games’ Written by Sarah Perez A startup called Playbyte wants to become the TikTok for games. The company’s newly launched iOS app offers tools that allow users to make and share simple games on their phone, as well as a vertically scrollable, fullscreen feed where you can play the games…
Barbershop technology startup theCut sharpens its platform with new $4.5M round Written by Christine Hall TheCut, a technology platform designed to handle back-end operations for barbers, raised $4.5 million in new funding. Nextgen Venture Partners led the round and was joined by Elevate Ventures, Singh Capital and Leadout Capital. The latest funding gives theCut $5.35…
4 Ways Haller Farmers App Helps Fight East African Climate Change Written by Luis Monzon Africa is warming much faster than the global average, according to the IGAD Climate Predication and Application Centre (ICPAC). Major cities in East Africa have witnessed increased temperatures that almost double the 1.1-degree warming average that the rest of the globe…
Nigerian tech-enabled spices exporter Agricorp raises $17.5m Series A funding round Written by TOM JACKSON Nigerian startup Agricorp, which is utilising technology in a bid to become the largest spices exporter on the continent, has raised US$17.5 million in Series A funding to help it increase its production capacity to 7,000 metric tonnes. Founded in…
Startups should look to state-of-the-art tech to tackle diseases affecting women Written by Shahar Keinan Startups devoted to reproductive and women’s health are on the rise. However, most of them deal with women’s fertility: birth control, ovulation and the inability to conceive. The broader field of women’s health remains neglected. Historically, most of our understanding…
How Hybrid Cloud & AI Boost Innovation in Africa’s Banking Sector Written by Luis Monzon Over the past few years, organisations across sectors have embarked on their digital transformation journeys at a moderate pace following industry predictions. The pandemic fast-tracked digital transformation as companies looked to emerging technologies in order to avoid business interruptions and ensure…
Absa Launches Search for Digital Partners Across Africa By Luis Monzon Absa Group, one of the largest financial service providers in Africa, is strengthening efforts to grow its digital partnerships ecosystem across the continent with the appointment of HYBR and SystemicLogic, which will help Absa identify potential collaboration partners. “We believe in the substantial mutual…