Wowzi, a Kenyan startup, has secured new funding to expand the reach of its platform, which turns social media users into brand influencers, to West and Southern Africa — as it capitalizes on the continent’s rising social media usage, driven by the proliferation of smartphones and increasing internet penetration. Wowzi, which connects social media users…
Medicise, a South African startup, has opened a cutting-edge medical facility in Somerset West, Western Cape, that can measure and monitor a wide range of heart and lung functions and then present a complete clinical picture using complex diagnostic algorithms. Medicise, which claims to be Africa’s only such facility, uses highly specialized equipment to measure…
Katapult, based in Norway, has opened an impact accelerator in Mauritius, focusing on regenerative food and agri-tech for regional and international startups looking to enter African markets. The Katapult Accelerator, based in Norway, has invested in a number of African startups and launched spin-offs such as Katapult Ocean and a climate-focused program. Katapult has developed…
Flow, a South African prop-tech startup that allows real estate agents and developers to seamlessly advertise properties on social media, has announced its expansion into Australia, following strong growth in its home market. Flow, founded in 2019 by Daniel Levy and Gil Sperling, goes directly to the source of the world’s largest social platforms –…
BeXel, an Egyptian cloud-based inspection management software company, has raised a six-figure US dollar round of funding in order to expand into Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries. beXel is a SaaS digital cloud-based inspection management software that focuses on industrial services such as energy, oil and gas, and construction. It was founded in early…
A startup founded by university friends that pivoted away from its initial model to find product-market fit in the logistics space, to the point where it was accepted into prestigious accelerator programs. Swoove from Ghana has an interesting backstory. Swoove connects businesses with network logistics services to enable them to reach customers across the continent,…
The MEST Express accelerator programme is now accepting applications from early-stage Ghanaian startups looking to scale their operations. MEST Express is one of three programs that MEST is currently running in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, along with Pre-MEST and MEST Scale. The 20-week accelerator program aims to provide early-stage ventures with the skills and…
A start-up needs investments in order to reach out to its numerous customers especially when the demand for their product or service is high. The major reason for investments in start-ups is the steady growth experienced. Start-up founders need to understand that an investor is not a friend but an enabler with financial capability to…
Wowzi, a Kenyan tech startup, has announced plans to create one million gig jobs for African youth through its online marketplace by 2022, after successfully delivering over 150,000 paid jobs in 2021. The company, which makes scalable influencer campaigns available to brands and companies of any size or industry, has announced plans to expand partnerships…
Olarm, a home and business security startup, provides users with easy control over their alarm systems via its app. The Olarm app allows users to remotely view and control their alarm system from their smartphone, just like a traditional key panel, but it also includes additional features such as alarm status such as arming, disarming,…
It’s a Silicon Cape to Cairo, as Egypt’s rapidly growing startup population and ability to attract growth capital sees the north African country take its place in a north-south, east-west startup “axis.” Egypt’s arrival also introduces new competition to the more well-known startup ecosystems of Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. Egypt has appeared out of…
Millions of small businesses around the world have operated offline over the past decade, especially in emerging markets. As a result, most of them still rely on pens that use pen and paper or a list to store and store important information. In Nigeria, some people keep information on their head. All of these failures,…
Ozow, the South African payment gateway, raised $ 48 million in a Series B funding round to expand the availability of payment solutions. The financial environment has been led by Chinese internet giant Tencent and includes other investors such as Endeavor Catalyst and Endeavor Harvest Fund. Tencent, a major investor, donated $ 20 million, accounting…
Four African blockchain startups have been selected to participate in the CV Labs global incubation program run by venture capital firm CV VC, securing $ 125,000 in funding and additional support. CV VC, based in Switzerland, funds the seed and incubation program, CV Labs, for its global technology team in exchange for a stake. The…
African startups with solutions in the climate sector are invited to apply for the GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation, which aims to support digital innovations tackling challenges around climate change. The GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation is the latest such fund run by the GSMA, after other focused offerings in 2018, 2019, 2020 and earlier this…
Nigerian Aba-based e-commerce startup Chooya has secured US$100,000 cash and a further US$850,000 in programme support from Entrepreneurship World Cup. Founded in 2019 by Igwe Uguru as a “search engine for African traditional markets” and bootstrapped since inception, Chooya was one of 100 finalists – chosen from 200,000 participants – for the Entrepreneurship World Cup, organised by…
South African insurtech startup OneSpark has launched what it claims is the world’s first AI-powered, pay-as-you-need, P2P life insurance product in a bid to make policies more efficient and affordable. Disrupt Africa reported late last year on the launch of OneSpark, powered by a “significant, dollar-based” funding round secured in October. At launch, the startup admitted its…
Applications are now open for the latest Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, a three-month programme designed to help startups scale across the continent. Launched in 2017, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme has so far supported 82 startups from 17 African countries, which between them have raised more than US$117 million in funding and…
Africa-focused early-stage investor DFS Lab has invested in 19 African tech startups so far in 2021, making it one of the most active firms on the continent and taking its total portfolio size to 22. Founded in 2017, DFS Lab helps founders leading next generation digital commerce businesses in Africa build solid foundations, and matches them with…
Egyptian ed-tech startup OTO Courses has raised US$400,000 in cash and in-kind services from EdVentures to further develop its product to reach more users. Founded in 2015 by Ahmed Badr and Tarek Nour El-Din, OTO Courses has developed an online learning platform that offers general and specialised English language courses for individuals or businesses. Teachers are carefully…
European startup accelerator and investor Startup Wise Guys has launched a programme that offers investment and coaching for digital, B2B SaaS startups operating in East and West Africa. Launched in Estonia in 2012, Startup Wise Guys runs acceleration programmes for early-stage B2B SaaS, fintech, cybersecurity and sustainability startups, has made more than 220 investments, and already has…
Egyptian startups are the most accelerated in Africa, with 38.6 per cent of them having taken part in some kind of acceleration or incubation programme. That is according to the newly-released Egyptian Startup Ecosystem Report 2021 from Disrupt Africa, which dives into the local ecosystem by analysing active startups, local support networks, and funding and exit activity over…
Adia Sowho, MTN Nigeria’s chief marketing officer, has expressed optimism about the future of the Nigerian startups while discussing the Nigerian Startup Bill at the Nigerian Economic Pre-Summit event. The virtual event which featured addresses from Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, the minister of Communications and Digital Economy; Abubakar Lado, chairman, House Committee on ICT; Davidson Oturu,…
Kenyan startup BasiGo, an electric vehicle technology and financing company working to bring electric bus services to Sub-Saharan Africa, has launched operations in Nairobi having secured KES100 million (US$900,000) in funding earlier this year. BasiGo provides state-of-the-art electric buses along with charging and maintenance services for bus operators, making these vehicles affordable through a financing model…
South African startup Michanic is connecting customers and fleet owners with trusted, qualified and vetted mechanics in Gauteng and Cape Town. Formed in 2016, Michanic allows users to request instant service and repair quotes from its online platform, saving up to 35 per cent compared to dealerships and independent garages in the process. The startup was founded…
Kenyan startup WorkPay, which builds human resources (HR) and payroll solutions for Africa, has expanded into Nigeria. Originally called TozzaPlus until it rebranded in 2019, WorkPay is a cloud-based human resources management and payroll solution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Africa. The startup’s time tracking and salary disbursement tools help African businesses save money and time…
Nigerian startup AmplifiHub has developed an online platform that empowers music producers, arrangers and songwriters in Africa to connect with more customers and make more money. Founded in 2019, AmplifiHub provides musicians with revenue generating opportunities like owning an online beat store, connects them with potential customers via a chat feature, and helps them collaborate with creative…
Five tech-enabled Kenyan startups have been selected for the second edition of the NINJA Accelerator, embarking on a 12-week programme that concludes with a demo day in January. Powered by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in partnership with Double Feather Partners, Deloitte Tohmatsu and GrowthAfrica, the NINJA Accelerator helps startups address specific issues in order to help…
The Kigali-based non-profit Norrsken has partnered the Novartis Foundation to build and launch what it says will be the leading hub and accelerator for e-health startups in East Africa. Founded by Niklas Adalberth, one of the founders of Swedish fintech unicorn Klarna, in 2016, Norrsken aims to help entrepreneurs solve the world’s greatest challenges. Disrupt Africa reported in 2019 the…
Villgro Africa, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures (JJIV) on behalf of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, is initiating a call for East African healthcare innovations and startups that strengthen the capacity of frontline healthcare workers while improving access and quality of care. Frontline healthcare workers, which include community health workers, midwives, pharmacists,…