It is difficult to comprehend the impact of technology on businesses and society as a whole. This year’s annual Thoughtworks Looking Glass report attempts to put a wide range of technologies into context so that business leaders can see where technology is leading them. The report examines the impact of 100 current and emerging technologies…
What is artificial intelligence (AI)? Artificial intelligence is a rapidly developing technology that is already being used in a variety of applications. AI has proven to be much more than we thought it was in the past, from self-driving cars to language translation software. AI is a concept that is frequently created before it is…
According to two people familiar with the situation and emails obtained by Reuters, California’s civil rights regulator is looking into Google’s treatment of Black female employees following allegations of harassment and discrimination. According to the documents and sources, attorneys and analysts at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) have repeatedly interviewed several…
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a $170 million loan to Nigeria to fund a digital and creative industries initiative. The Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises Program (i-DICE) is a Nigerian government initiative that promotes investment in the digital and creative industries. It is part of Nigeria’s efforts to…
54gene, a Nigerian health technology company advancing African genomics research for improved global health outcomes, has announced the launch of 7RiverLabs, its diagnostic arm. 54gene, founded in 2019, is a research, services, and development company that uses human genetic data from diverse African populations to improve the development, availability, and efficacy of medical products that…
Duhqa, a Kenyan retail-tech startup, was named one of six global winners of the FTxSDG Challenge, which means it could receive 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 developing innovative solutions…
Sympl, Egypt’s first ‘Save Your Money Pay Later’ service, has announced a partnership with El Nada Hospital, Egypt’s leading maternity hospital. Through the Sympl checkout platform, the partnership provides patients with interest-free deferred payment plans. The collaboration will provide El Nada Hospital patients with more payment options and improve their checkout experience by enabling better…
SweepSouth, a South African online home services platform, has acquired Egyptian startup FilKhedma, a home services marketplace operating in three cities, in order to expand into the North African country. SweepSouth, which was founded in 2014, is an online platform that offers on-demand home cleaning services in various South African cities. The startup has raised…
Adidas Originals has recently entered the emerging market of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse. Over the weekend, the company earned more than $22 million after its NFT pieces were minted within minutes of going on sale. According to the CoinGecko calculator, each of these NFTs was priced at ETH 0.2, which converts to $769….
According to LinkedIn, the platform has 800 million members in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. It’s a place for decision-makers, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and employers to connect, collaborate, recruit, and share their thought leadership in a specific industry or area of expertise. But did you know that when someone conducts an online search for…
A malicious Android app with over 500,000 downloads from the Google Play app store has been discovered to be hosting malware that stealthily exfiltrates users’ contact lists to an attacker-controlled server and unknowingly signs users up for unwanted paid premium subscriptions. The latest Joker malware was discovered in Color Message (“com.guo.smscolor.amessage”), a messaging-focused app that…
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,…