Cryptocurrency became a mainstream term when Bitcoin exploded in the early twenty-tens, a term that continues to gain relevance as more and more virtual currencies seem to be popping up in recent years, steadily racing towards a fever pitch. There were around 5800 different types of cryptocurrencies recorded around the world in August of this…
Input Output has launched a six million dollars (USD) blockchain fund in Africa, to invest in the most innovative blockchain projects, who are building on Cardano in Africa. The fund focuses on blockchain technology because the lack of deeply embedded legacy infrastructure means that African governments and businesses have fewer obstacles to adopting next-generation technology than the…
Absa, one of South Africa’s largest banks and a pan-African lender, has officially launched facial recognition technology in its Android and iOS apps, which some users will need to utilize to authenticate certain transactions through facial scans. “Technology is leaping ahead faster than ever, and it’s up to us to ensure that you stay right…
Facebook recently announced its highly anticipated wearable sunglasses that can record video from a user’s perspective. Despite many of our legitimately squeamish reactions to this new product, one of Facebook’s decisions in this launch is likely to make it a success where Google Glass failed. Taking a page from the business school curriculum, Facebook leveraged an effectual approach to…
When it comes to gender equality in the business world, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg hit the nail on the head: “Knowing that things could be worse should not stop us from trying to make them better.” While access to opportunities, funding and support has improved for women in the startup space over the last couple of decades,…
Thirty-one African tech startups have been selected to take part in the Smart Cities Innovation Programme, which will help them scale up their products and services to boost urban transformation. Launched by the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fu?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the six-month Smart Cities Innovation Programme is designed to help…
Nigerian startup NucleusIS is building the technology to deepen insurance adoption, drive access to healthcare and improve health outcomes. Founded in 2019, NucleusIS has built a robust enterprise technology base for health insurance companies and care providers, which has so far on-boarded seven clients. The startup is also leveraging this technology to distribute health insurance via distribution …
When it comes to online calendars and calendar apps, services like Google Calendar and Outlook from Microsoft rule the roost with hundreds of millions of users globally. Now another company is hoping to ruffle some feathers with its own move into the space. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Yahoo is working Day, a new standalone…
Dopay, the B2B2C payments platform serving 1.7bn unbanked workers in emerging markets, has closed a US$ 18 million Series A funding round. Dopay meets a strong and growing demand from businesses for cashless payroll and from employees for access to digital banking and electronic payments. Worldwide, an estimated 200 million businesses still rely on cash…
MTN’s new deal with payments technology firm, Flutterwave is set to deliver cash to mobile wallets of more Africans via MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) with the planned expansion in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. This digital move is primed to plug millions of unbanked people in those countries into mainstream financial services and prop up businesses especially…
Nigerian startup Infibranches Technologies, which helps solar energy providers manage their operations and receive payments, has secured US$2 million funding from All On, an impact investment company backed by oil major Shell. Founded in 2019, the Lagos-based Infibranches has developed two flagship products – OmniBranches and Green Energy Plug – that help companies with large distribution networks,…
Ed-tech startup eLearn Africa has partnered the Association of African Universities (AAU) to design, build and deploy learning management systems across the continent, giving university students access to free online courses. Launched in 2016, eLearnAfrica is an online marketplace for education that aims to simplify the process of finding and enrolling for online courses, degrees and professional…
Developing an innovation process can boost the long-term value of a company. Businesses are more than ever realizing the importance of the innovation process. The creation of an imaginative idea or even the alteration of an existing idea to create a modified solution is both examples of innovation. The value of innovation to a company’s long-term…
Mastercard has announced the creation of a new Sustainability Innovation Lab, which will lead the company’s continued development of environmentally sensitive digital products and solutions. As the global economy quickly digitizes, the Lab will focus on methods to empower businesses and consumers to revolutionize how they produce, distribute, and purchase products and services, guaranteeing that both people…
KFC South Africa has launched its very own in-house delivery service – KFC Delivery PLUS, enabling consumers to place their orders via the KFC mobile app or website. To get the service off to a running start, KFC is also offering free delivery until the end of the year. People wanting to get KFC delivered…
Making sure you stay safe online when shopping should be a lot easier thanks to a new update coming to Google Chrome. The company has revealed that the next build of its web browser will offer an upgraded security system when it comes to managing online payments. Google Chrome 95, which is in beta now, will include a new…
Attending good schools with good teachers is very essential for the academic growth of the Nigerian child. But learning can be more fun when they study and learn from their peers. According to studies, students learn more through peer learning than through instruction alone. This is because peer learning gives students opportunities to open up while discussing…
In November 2021, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) summit will take place in Glasgow, UK, where world leaders will discuss the need to transition to a low carbon society by reducing CO2 emissions and preserving natural resources. Innovations in digital technology will play a key role. Uganda’s oil and gas (OGC) industry is expanding…
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that the Five Generation (5G) network will be deployed across the country by January 2022. This was disclosed on Thursday by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, during a Town Hall Meeting in Maiduguri organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to address…
Yesterday, Chipper, one of the fastest growing African fintech start-ups that facilitates free peer-to-peer (P2P) money transfers and instant cross-border payments in Africa, officially launched Chipper Cash to offer domestic P2P money transfers in South Africa. Chipper Cash will enable South Africans to enjoy free unlimited instant domestic money transfers, invest in cryptocurrencies, and buy…
Unicorn Group, a pan-African, investment company targeting innovative ideas, start-ups, and early-stage companies in the technology and technology-enabled sectors across Africa has launched the Unicorn Incubation campus in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Unicorn incubation and innovation campus aims to host an entrepreneurial ecosystem under one roof and help African entrepreneurs bring their ambitious ideas to…
Startups have spent the last decade trying to offer every variation of Airbnb that they can imagine. But Ukio thinks it has found a way through the ever-growing tangle of housing rental competitors — and regulators — right as remote work becomes the norm. It offers rentals of one month or longer, featuring a turnkey premium experience…
Apple surprised people by warning that “exposure to vibrations, like those generated by high-powered motorcycle engines” can damage iPhone cameras. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, and it can affect Android devices, too. It’s easy to make the iPhone the butt of a joke—and Apple didn’t do themselves any favors—but this is a legitimate issue. It…
Twitter’s slate of new product announcements is not slowing down. The company today introduced a number of new initiatives aimed at better serving the conversations and community using its platform, including support for tipping with crypto, NFT authentication and plans for other experiments designed to provide more context about a conversation to those just joining…
Mauritius emerged the most innovative African country in a recent ranking. The island nation placed 52nd among 132 countries globally. Mauritius, unlike most African countries, has a high human development score. Its economy has grown robustly in the last half a century, especially on financial services, tourism and information technology. It was followed by South…
Kenyan insurance technology company, Lami Technologies and Sendy Limited, a tech-logistics company, has announced a partnership that will enable transporters in Kenya to access simple, hassle-free, and affordable insurance products customised on a per-trip basis. The transport sector is a core part of Kenya’s economic strategy. Most transporters move commodities, goods, and cargo across the country without business-specific…
The Federal Government has approved the deployment of a new 5G network in Nigeria. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) announced the approval after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja. Following the approval, the Minister has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to commence immediate implementation of the plan…
From being conspicuous by its absence from the local tech startup investment scene for so long, Naspers – one of the largest technology investors in the world – is now making up for lost time in its home market of South Africa. Naspers announced the launch of its ZAR1.4 billion (US$96 million) Foundry fund, an investment vehicle aiming…
South African agri-fintech startup HelloChoice has secured investment from Standard Bank as it looks to solidify its position as the leading digital fresh produce and agricultural marketplace. Launched in 2018 by Grant Jacobs and Graeme Jarvie with the goal of modernising the traditional farm produce buying and selling process, HelloChoice is a fresh produce trading platform that…
In a bid to encourage innovation, develop the entrepreneurship mindset and deepen technical expertise among youths in Nigeria, the Nigeria Fintech Week has announced it will be holding a National Innovation Challenge alongside the 2021 edition of the conference. The National Innovation Challenge, which is open to tertiary institutions across the country, is aimed at…