The second cohort of the Black Founders Fund for Africa has accepted applications, according to Google for Startups. Google has extended its financial commitment to eligible businesses by investing an additional $1 million. For this cohort, Google for Firms will invest $4 million in 60 qualified black-founded startups in Africa. The Black Founders Fund Africa…
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has chosen six African digital startups among the 100 most disruptive Technology Pioneers of 2022, companies that are changing industries ranging from healthcare to retail and beyond. The WEF Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage firms from around the world that are using new technologies and innovation to revolutionize business…
Eko Innovation Centre, one of the leading tech hubs in Nigeria, curators of events like Art of Technology Lagos, and The Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon amongst others, together with GDM Group, Nigeria’s leading marketing and innovation company is changing the narrative around innovation in media and marketing. To achieve their goal of creating lasting and innovative solutions…
The SAB SHARP Awards, created in collaboration with the SAB Foundation, are aimed at innovators and social entrepreneurs with creative ideas or prototypes that empower women in at-risk communities. The SAB SHARP Awards are seeking for ideas that help these women become economically self-sufficient or address challenges like Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and gender-based violence. Applicants…
The FT x Cardano Blockchain Challenge is looking for companies who are working on Cardano or are interested in using the Cardano blockchain technology and ecosystem, and will provide selected companies with access to a bootcamp and accelerator program. The FT x Cardano Blockchain Challenge is a collaboration between Cardano’s Project Catalyst, a community and…
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…
Unicorn Group, an investment firm, has launched its fourth entrepreneur incubation program, which is open to startups from a variety of countries for the first time. Unicorn Group is a pan-African investment firm that seeks out innovative ideas, startups, and early-stage companies in Africa’s technology and technology-enabled sectors that have the potential to become unicorns….
The Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition has announced a new Community Lead and ScaleUp Program to provide ABH applicants and finalists with more enhanced mentoring and networking opportunities. Now in its fourth year, applications for the ABH grant are now open in both French and English, and the competition has already attracted talented entrepreneurs…
Nigeria’s first marketing and media hackathon, dubbed MarkHack 1.0, has been established by Eko Innovation Centre, a growth and development hub for startups and entrepreneurs in Nigeria. The luncheon, which took place at D’Podium Event Centre in Lagos, was attended by innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, marketers, and media professionals, as well as many more from across…
Grindstone, a South African business accelerator that provides selected companies with access to a structured entrepreneurship development program, is now accepting applications. The Grindstone Accelerator is a structured entrepreneurial development program co-owned by VC fund manager Knife Capital and Thinkroom Consulting, with primary funding from the SA SME Fund. Grindstone Ventures, a ZAR100 million (US$6.5…
Applications for the fourth year of the Africa Business Heroes (ABH) prize program are now open in English and French. ABH annually awards a share of a US$1.5 million grant to ten outstanding African entrepreneurs. The fourth annual edition of the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic program highlighting and celebrating Africa’s entrepreneurial excellence, “Africa’s Business…
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have launched the Innovations to Empower Women and Girls Challenge to help scale innovative solutions that can help disrupt inequalities and advance women’s and girls’ empowerment. The Innovations to Empower Women and Girls Challenge, the UNFPA’s first joint innovation…
The LHoFT Foundation has chosen ten African fintech startups to participate in CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa: Special Edition in Dubai, which aims to encourage companies focused on financial inclusion. CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa, created by the LHoFT Foundation, aims to make a real difference in Africa’s financial inclusion by providing education, insight, and connectivity to participating firms…
The future of both media & marketing depends on the ability to meet increasing ROI demands and continually adapt to new marketing tools, media philosophies, and channels. However, the rate of change in the media & marketing industry is slow paced but the challenges seem to be multiplying and everyone is faced with the same…
On September 16, 2021, we launched the #Digitalforall Challenge, a free digital skilling initiative and competition designed to drive young people’s engagement in the digital economy across Nigeria, with the goal of equipping Nigerian youths with skills to enable equal access to technology-centric decent work and economic opportunities. It is a sub-program of Microsoft’s Emerging…
Eight more African startups have been confirmed as participants in the renowned Silicon Valley-based Y Combinator accelerator’s W22 batch, bringing the total to 23. The W22 batch of the Y Combinator program is currently underway and will conclude with a demo day next week, having played a role in the early days of companies such…
Following the launch of the Irish Tech Challenge South Africa, South African tech startups now have the opportunity to gain international exposure and access to global markets. The Irish Tech Challenge South Africa, a collaboration between the Irish Embassy in South Africa, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), and…
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) has opened applications for its Innovating Justice Challenge 2022, which seeks innovations aimed at preventing or resolving a justice problem for a large number of people, including small and medium-sized businesses. HiiL is looking for justice innovators from Africa and the Middle East, specifically Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya,…
The 4th Industrial Revolution Incubator, a South African platform for SMMEs, will present its solutions at the fifth edition of the Internet of Things Forum Africa (#IOTFA2022). The conference will address transformational IoT trends and will investigate the benefits of IoT in key industries. IOTFA 2022 will bring together over 600 delegates and 30 speakers…
Katapult, based in Norway, has collaborated with the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change, Norrsken, and Smart Africa to launch the Katapult Africa Accelerator Programme, which will aim to accelerate and invest in agri-tech and climate-tech startups. The Katapult Accelerator, based in Norway, has invested in a number of African startups and launched spin-offs…
Startupbootcamp AfriTech and Telecel Group have chosen 11 African startups to participate in the second edition of the Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP), which provides funding and support to participants. Startupbootcamp AfriTech was founded in 2017 as the first pan-African startup accelerator backed by multiple corporations. Disrupt Africa announced in March of last year that…
Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian organization, has established a $1 million Crypto for Good Fund to test and support blockchain-based solutions for people who are low-income and/or unbanked. “We are excited to partner with visionary founding teams to identify, test, and prove the potential of crypto and web3 to improve financial access for the world’s…
The Internet of Things Forum Africa will be held for the fifth time on March 29 and 30, 2022, at the Maslow Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. IoT Forum Africa 2022, hosted by IT News Africa, is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, with an exciting lineup of visionaries, thought leaders, and…
Twelve African tech startups have been chosen for the first cohort of the FAST startup accelerator, which was developed by Microsoft in collaboration with Flapmax to strengthen and scale Africa’s digital ecosystem. The 12-week FAST programme, which starts next week, brings together startups from six different countries and nine industries, chosen from over 800 applications…
Are you a student, entrepreneur, tech enthusiast, creator, developer, marketing professional, media practitioner, or project manager with a big idea that can disrupt Marketing and Media in Nigeria? You can win up to $20,000 at MarkHack 1.0. We are faced with a fast-changing ecosystem, with new media frontiers, new consumption patterns, and a new way…
Dubai, UAE – February 28, 2022: Asia Innovations Group’s (AIG) flagship app Uplive has been ranked as the world’s fastest-growing social app by third-party analytical platforms AppAnnie and Sensor Tower. The global rankings, which come hot on the heels of the app’s unveiling of its first-ever Television Commercial for the Middle East region, which aired…
The Stanford Africa Business Forum has opened applications for the New Venture Pitch Competition, which will give early-stage ventures the opportunity to pitch on stage at the April event. The Stanford Africa Business Forum, which will take place both in-person and virtually on April 16, will look at how African innovations in various sectors can…
Five more African startups have been confirmed as participants in the renowned Silicon Valley-based Y Combinator accelerator’s W22 batch, bringing the total to 15. The W22 batch of the Y Combinator program is currently in session, and will conclude with a demo day in March, having played a role in the early days of companies…
Three African startups have been chosen to participate in the 12th edition of the SOSV MOX accelerator, where they will receive up to $150,000 in funding and tailored support. SOSV invests in 150 companies each year through category-leading startup development programs, providing multi-stage investment to develop and scale big ideas for positive change. MOX is…
The latest Westerwelle Young Founders Programme, which offers outstanding young entrepreneurs from developing and emerging countries six months of business mentoring and the opportunity to attend the Young Founder Conference in Berlin, is now accepting applications. The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding fosters global collaboration among young entrepreneurs, executives, and decision-makers. Its Young Founders Programme…