VaultPay from the DRC and Chow Central from Nigeria have joined Eden Care from Rwanda in being chosen for the S23 batch of the famed Y Combinator accelerator in Silicon Valley. Disrupt Africa reported last month. The only African company thus far confirmed as a participant in the S23 batch of Y Combinator, which contributed…
The explosion of generative AI has accelerated the need for data literacy in what was already a fast-paced, data-driven world. Data literacy is no longer a nice-to-have skill but a must-have in any field. To help more people develop these critical skills, SAS has launched its second, free Data Literacy e-learning course, Data Literacy in Practice, that empowers individuals and…
In the wake of today’s highly interconnected digital landscape, African enterprises are increasingly battling a ballooning number of cyber threats that have enormous potential to cripple their day-to-day operations, expose sensitive data, and inflict irreparable financial losses. Driven by the acceleration of technological advances and the relentless malicious actors becoming more sophisticated, it is now becoming crucial for businesses in the region…
To increase its presence in the nation, Cairo-based startup Grinta, a fintech-enabled B2B digital platform that is digitizing the pharmaceutical supply chain, has acquired Alexandria’s online pharmacy Auto-Cure. Grinta, a controlled marketplace founded in 2021 by Mohamed Azab, Yosra Badr, Ali Youssef, and Hamza Mohamed, modernizes the pharmaceutical supply chain by empowering independent pharmacies. The…
A new feature is being rolled out to WhatsApp users. The social media site that is owned by Meta now lets you share your screen during video calls. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, posted updates about this functionality on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. With this inclusion, Meta advances in its strategy to take on…
In the ever-evolving world of frontend development, UI frameworks have become a double-edged sword. Developers are constantly bombarded with an overwhelming array of choices—from battle-tested libraries like Material UI to emerging solutions like ShadCN UI—each promising to be the one-stop shop for interface design. This proliferation of options creates a paradox of choice: teams find…
11 of the 25 businesses chosen for the first NextGen Accelerator by Harvard Innovation Labs and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are African. The NextGen Accelerator, a two-week founder boot camp, is open to early-stage student entrepreneurs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Every day, founders attend courses at the…
The fourth iteration of The Future is Female Mentorship Program, a PR and communications mentorship program dedicated entirely to African female tech founders, has picked twenty African female-founded digital businesses. The Future is Female Mentorship Program, which will be launched on Africa Day in 2020, is the first and only PR and communications program dedicated…
FSD Africa Investments (FSDAi) has announced a £10 million (almost $13 million) investment in a groundbreaking risk-sharing backup facility in conjunction with InfraCredit. The project intends to increase local currency investment for long-term infrastructure development in Nigeria. The new facility’s (RSBF) purpose is to solve the low credit enhancement problem. It attempts to accomplish this…
For Women’s Month, Jacaranda FM and Access Bank South Africa have teamed to help professional women in South Africa perfect their “Her Perfect Pitch” and compete for a share of R2 million in incentives. Womenpreneur Her Perfect Pitch 2023 is open to all female business owners who have been in operation for at least a…
A Nigerian, Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, Co-founder/Chief Visionary Officer (CVO), Digital Encode Limited, has emerged as Forbes Best of Africa Outstanding Digital Trust Leader of the Year 2023. The award is another testament to Dr. Obadare, a well-recognized subject matter expert with numerous successful engagements to his credit in Africa. A letter of notification of his…
Sophos, a global leader in innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service, today released new findings on CryptoRom scams—a subset of pig butchering (sh? zh? pán) schemes designed to trick users of dating apps into making fake cryptocurrency investments—in its latest report, “Sha Zhu Pan Scam Uses AI Chat Tool to Target iPhone and Android Users.” Since May, Sophos…
Wema Bank, Nigeria’s leading innovative bank, has partnered with the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish digital and skill innovation hubs across states in the country, with a target to empower one million youths with digital and other relevant skills. The initiative, known as FGN/ALAT Digital and SkillNovation Hub, was agreed upon during a meeting…
OST Grow 2023, a pan-African investment readiness program aimed to fuel the growth of startups across the region, is now accepting applications. The 12-month OST Grow initiative, developed in collaboration with Africagrow, Bpifrance, GO Ventures, and AfricInvest Group, is geared towards African companies seeking to raise their first $1 million and expand into new markets….
FarmWorks, a Kenyan agritech startup, has announced its $4.1 million pre-Series A funding round to advance its data analytics skills and apply AI to enhance production and influence planting and loan decisions. The financing was led by the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund and included the Livelihood Impact Fund, Vested World, multiple family offices, and angel…
In an effort to encourage the use of digital services and boost the digital inclusion of vulnerable populations, the Ugandan government has offered a 50% price cut on internet access. Dr. Chris Baroymunsi, Minister for ICT and National Guidance, said that the government will reduce the price of data it delivers through the national backbone…
On Wednesday, Meta Platforms unveiled AudioCraft, an open-source AI application that enables users to produce music and audio based on text suggestions. According to Meta, the AI tool works for music, sound, compression, and generation and is included with three models: AudioGen, EnCodec, and MusicGen. The company’s own and specially licensed music is used for…
For the third iteration of the Startup Wise Guys accelerator, which provides chosen B2B SaaS firms with access to EUR100,000 (US$110,000) in funding and five months of rigorous mentoring, applications are now open. Startup Wise Guys, which was founded in Tallinn, Estonia in 2012, also oversees cybersecurity programs out of Cosenza and SaaS accelerator programs…
An open invitation has been issued by Women Who Build Africa (WWBA), a group established to bring together and support women working in technology across Africa, as well as investors and ecosystem partners, to express interest in attending their first annual Assembly, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 13–14. Gwera Kiwana (MFS…
The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Meta Platforms is prepared to introduce a variety of chatbots driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that have distinct personalities as early as September. According to a source citing people with knowledge of the plans, Meta has been developing chatbot prototypes that can interact with users in a way…
Content creation has always been a multifaceted process, demanding both creativity and technical prowess. Professionals and authors often face challenges that can hinder their productivity and impact. Olukowe emerges as a transformative force in this landscape, offering sophisticated solutions tailored to the nuanced needs of modern content creators. Let’s explore how Olukowe is redefining the…
The Uni:novators Startup-in-Residence program, which aims to spur innovation in a few postsecondary institutions in Africa, is now accepting applications. Disrupt Africa reported In collaboration with the Make-IT in Africa project run by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), CcHub had…
From August 1–4, 2023, Malawi will hold the inaugural Women in Cyber Conference with the subject “Breaking the Glass Ceiling and Bringing the Gender Gap.” The First Lady, Madam Monica Chakwera, will attend the summit in Lilongwe. According to Mary Botomani, vice chair of the organizing committee, there is a significant disparity between the representation…
The sixth cohort of the AlphaExpo Micro-Accelerator has opened for submissions at the Africa Fintech Summit, the largest biannual fintech event in Africa. Up to 15 African businesses will be able to attend and exhibit at this year’s event in Lusaka, Zambia, on November 1-2 thanks to the AlphaExpo program, which is at the core…
According to recent study, African governments are working with tech entrepreneurs to boost regional health supply chains. Nearly 50 partnerships between health startups and African governments were found to be aimed at streamlining supply chains and enhancing health outcomes throughout the continent. The new annual market intelligence report from healthcare consulting firm Salient Advisory highlights…
BasiGo, a Kenyan electric bus maker, plans to enter the Rwandan market in the fourth quarter of this year. The startup has announced plans to deliver its first unit to Rwandan public transportation providers. Jit Bhattacharya, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of BasiGo, stated that the agreement will see the buses distributed to public transportation…
EdVentures, an Egypt-based ed-tech corporate venture capital firm, has established a strategic alliance with VMS, a leading venture studio supporting entrepreneurs and startups in the Middle East, to advance education technology in the area. EdVentures, the investment arm of Egypt’s Nahdet Misr Group, has been in the forefront of investing in innovative ed-tech startups since…
African entrepreneurs are invited to apply for the second edition of the Madrid-based Aena Ventures accelerator, which offers chosen ventures EUR50,000 (US$55,000) in cash. Aena is looking for entrepreneurs and technology companies that may provide disruptive solutions to the airport industry’s present and future difficulties. The second edition of Aena Ventures is part of Aena’s…
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced its fifth generation of Galaxy foldables: Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5. The form factors offer unique experiences for every user with sleek and compact designs, countless customisation options, and powerful performance. The new Flex Hinge makes the foldable experience possible, while offering an aesthetically balanced and solid design….
Incorporating and applying data from many sources inside an organization to better governance procedures is known as data harmonization for corporate governance. Organizations guarantee consistency, correctness, and dependability in their data by aligning and standardizing it across systems, divisions, and business units. This technique improves the efficiency of governance practices and encourages greater judgment, accountability, and…