In order to focus on low-end devices, Google began building lightweight Android apps that could run on handsets with minimal RAM and storage, which are commonly found in emerging economies. Google Go, Maps Go, Gallery Go, Google Assistant Go, YouTube Go, Gmail Go, Gboard Go, and Files Go are among the Android Go Apps. These…
Seven entrepreneurs have graduated from the newest Founder Institute Ghana program, which culminated in a virtual graduation ceremony with a pitch to mentors, investors, business leaders, and former graduates from around the world. The Founder Institute, which is based in Palo Alto, California, and was founded in 2009 by Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechan, connects…
Khazna, an Egyptian financial super app that provides underprivileged people and microbusinesses with simple, technology-driven financial services, has announced that it has received final clearance from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to launch its Khazna Card in conjunction with ADIB Egypt. Khazna was launched in 2020 as an earned wage access product, but it…
Lynk, a Nigerian home concierge services scheduling platform, has expanded to Kenya, with its entry aided by its acquisition of Lynk, a software business that connects unemployed people to job possibilities. Eden Life, a subscription service that delivers high-quality chef-cooked meals, laundry services, and home cleaning, was launched in Nigeria in 2019 with the goal…
Merchants using Zapper’s platform will soon be able to take tap-on-phone payments, according to the company. Zapper is a South African independent mobile payments, insights, loyalty, and rewards platform. The new feature allows them to accept practically all digital payments without the need for any additional point-of-sale hardware and regardless of whether or not customers…
Startups with creative solutions that assist tackle the ocean’s overexploitation, pollution, or climate change concerns are encouraged to apply for the OceanHub Africa accelerator program’s third cohort. OceanHub Africa, based in Cape Town, has supported 16 African ocean-focused startups in various sectors of the Blue Economy, including aquaculture, fisheries, shipbuilding, marine renewables and biotechnologies, coastal…
Hello Tractor, a Nigerian tractor-booking website, has received $1 million in funding from Heifer International to give tractor loans that may be repaid with cash generated by leasing the tractors to local farmers. The “Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) Tractor Financing for Increased Agricultural Productivity in Nigeria” program has already enabled tractor purchases in Nasarrawa, Abuja, and Enugu…
Telegram, a privacy-focused messaging platform, is attempting to entice you to dig further into your wallets with a new Premium app. Telegram already has monetizable capabilities for large group channels, but the firm is currently developing a premium app. Subscription-based premium stickers, emojis, and reactions are now available. These premium-only stickers and reactions are not…
The commitment of mPharma, a prominent African healthcare technology business, to offering affordable healthcare solutions in Africa has been reiterated. Mr. Gregory Rockson, mPharma’s CEO and Co-Founder, revealed this during the virtual introduction of the company’s impact report on Thursday, April 28, 2022. Mr. Rockson stated at the event that mPharma’s contribution to tackling the…
WhatsApp has been discovered to be testing the ability to display Status updates from the Chats list. Users will be able to rapidly check the statuses of their contacts thanks to the new addition, which is expected to increase the Status feature on the instant messaging service. WhatsApp has also been found working on a…
Android and privacy haven’t always gone hand in hand. The majority of Google’s revenues still come from its data-driven advertising business, which is primarily reliant on user data, much of it acquired directly from Android users. By incorporating a variety of security safeguards and privacy protections into the software, Google now provides its users more…
NALA, a Tanzanian Fintech firm, has partnered with Cellulant, an African Payments Company, to facilitate remittance payments into Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ghana from the United Kingdom and the United States. Remittances are the second-largest source of foreign resources for Sub-Saharan Africa, after Official Direct Assistance. In 2019, Africa received around $48 billion in…
The Power Learn Project, an African impact organization, has launched its flagship program One Million Developers for Africa” Scholarship Program (#1MillionDevs4Africa) to teach and empower one million young people with ICT employable skills. Africa is grappling with a massive digital skills gap, which is stifling economic growth and development. According to a report by the…
OnePort 365, a Nigerian digital freight forwarding startup, has raised $5 million in early capital to accelerate Africa’s end-to-end digitalization of freight management and enable its expansion into new markets. Mobility 54 (the Venture Capital branch of Toyota Tsusho and CFAO Group) led the seed fundraising round, which included SBI Investment, Flexport, ODX, a Singaporean…
Last month, WhatsApp announced multi-device functionality for Android and iOS users. This lets users to use their WhatsApp accounts on up to four devices and one phone at the same time without needing to be connected to the internet. Now, the Meta-owned instant messaging company is rumored to be working on a new feature that…
Kwely Inc, a B2B wholesale distribution platform for Made-in-Africa products, has raised $700,000 in a new round of funding to bring its total capital to $1 million. WIC Capital led this round of fundraising, which included Loftyinc Capital, Afropreneur Angels, Haskè Ventures, and other angel investors. DNA Capital, the Lead Investor, and UMA Ventures were…
The African Development Bank’s Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI) will receive $15 million from The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) to develop and extend digital financial solutions to women-owned small and medium businesses in Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique, and Nigeria. This $54.8 million fourth round of funding will help over 69,000 women entrepreneurs in…
Mindjoy, a Cape Town-based ed-tech company, wants to make coding skills available to kids – and adults — on any internet-enabled device. Gabi Immelman founded Mindjoy in July 2021 to address one of the industry’s most widespread issues: a lack of digital skills development. Mindjoy offers live, small-group virtual coding sessions to kids aged eight…
DigsConnect, a student housing marketplace, has secured funding from international startup capital firm The Delta as part of its latest funding round. The DigsConnect website, which was founded by Alexandria Procter and Greg Ramsay-Keal in 2018, allows landlords, estate agents, and property managers to post their property listings, with students searching and filtering through these…
KenGen, a Kenyan power generation company, has finished drilling seven geothermal wells in Ethiopia, four of which are at the Aluto-Langano site and three at Tule Moye. According to Business Daily, KenGen won a Sh7.6 billion ($65.6 million) joint contract with Kerui Petroleum Equipment Company and Shandong Kerui Oilfield Service Group in February 2019 to…
Elizabeth Rogo, President (East Africa), African Energy Chamber, has been appointed to the National Oil Corporation of Kenya’s board of directors. Elizabeth is a professional engineer with more than 21 years of experience in the energy industry. She is expected to lead the National Oil Corporation of Kenya’s efforts to improve oil and gas exploration,…
The nine startups chosen for the Fintech Incubation Programme have been announced by Nigeria’s technology innovation center Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), in collaboration with Google, the Ministry of ICT and Innovation Rwanda, and the Mojaloop Foundation. The Fintech Innovation Project, which includes the Fintech Incubation Program and other development initiatives, is part of Rwanda’s ongoing efforts…
With the introduction of a community fund, Reddit is giving new life to the dreams of several projects and creators. Reddit announced on Monday that it is launching a new initiative called Community Funds, with an initial investment of $1 million to support a variety of projects. The new fund is the result of six…
The Kenyan electric vehicle company Opibus has rebranded as ROAM, following a strategic shift in the company’s vision as a result of its expansion. Opibus, which was founded in 2017, is the leading provider of locally designed and manufactured electric vehicles. Its vision is to develop dependable and cost-effective products for the pan-African mass market….
Farmerline, a Ghanaian startup that bills itself as “Amazon for African farmers,” has received a US$6.4 million pre-Series A investment as well as another US$6.5 million in debt to help it expand. Farmerline, founded in 2013 by Alloysius Attah and Emmanuel Owusu Addai, collaborates with agribusinesses and farm associations to provide high-quality fertiliser and seeds,…
Afriex, a Nigerian payment platform that allows users to send and receive money for free to and from Africa, has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round. Nairametrcs reported on Tuesday that the money will be used to “expand its blockchain money transfer platform.” The company is now valued at $60 million. Sequoia…
Techstars, a global investment firm that provides early-stage entrepreneurs with access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, and customized programming, has launched the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator Program in collaboration with ARM Labs, a Lagos-based innovation program focused on assisting fintech startups. The new accelerator program will invest in early-stage African fintech and proptech companies. “Lagos…
Insecta Studios, a creative company based in Nigeria that uses storytelling and design to connect brands and people, has launched Raknida, a platform aimed at providing high-quality and affordable wall arts that inspire people, promote overall well-being, support the economic advancement of young African artists, and fuse art and tech experiences that open up unique…
Stitch, a South African fintech firm, has introduced LinkPay, a service that allows customers in South Africa and Nigeria to link their financial accounts and pay securely via rapid bank transfer in seconds. The Stitch API enables developers to quickly connect apps to financial accounts, allowing users to exchange transaction histories and balances, confirm their…
The Central African Republic, a landlocked country roughly in the middle of Africa, has become the first African government to recognize Bitcoin as legal cash. The Central African Republic’s Ministry of Finance and Budget, as well as the Ministry of Digital Economy, Postal Services, and Telecommunications, have presented a joint document that recognizes Bitcoin as…