All about Tech.
Through its non-profit initiative, the African Centre for Translational Genetics (ACTG), 54gene, the health technology company advancing African genomics research for improved global health outcomes, has completed its first consortium-led publication on over 100,000 Nigerians, as commissioned in 2020 at its launch. The Non-Communicable Diseases Genetic Heritage Study (NCD-GHS) consortium has published an article entitled…
Kenya Power, a power corporation, aspires to become one of Kenya’s largest internet service providers. The startup intends to package internet and electricity for business users. This will follow pilot tests with more powerful users. Kenya Power will have 8.59 million customers by December 2021, according to data, including small businesses and huge industrial clients….
2021 was a truly transformative year for the mobile app industry. In light of multiple lockdowns as well as wholesale privacy changes affecting user acquisition on iOS, consumer habits and user behavior patterns have undergone immense change and impressive growth. But how have these challenges affected the app marketing ecosystem? Mobile app trends 2022 provides…
Orodata Science sets another significant milestone with the launch of its vaccine tracker, “Orodata Covid19 Vaccine Tracker” driven towards achieving equitable economic recovery by improving access to data. COVID-19 precipitated a global economic crisis, and even as wealthier nations are bouncing back, it is creating a great divergence between them and the rest of the world….
VeelPay, a new fintech platform, is expected to launch soon to enable rapid money transfers from anywhere to anywhere in the world using cutting-edge encryption technology. The platform, which has been in stealth mode for some time, aims to allow users to send and receive money, store funds, pay bills via credit card or M-Pesa,…
Norebase, an African trade technology company that has built a single platform for firms to start, scale, and operate in any African country, has received $1 million in pre-seed funding from Samurai Incubate and Consonance Investment. Sahil Lavingia (Gumroad) and Kinfolk VC also contributed to the money. Future Africa, Ventures Platform, Microtraction, Boleh Venture, Voltron…
Phindor, a Kenyan startup, has released a next-generation shop assistant system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to support local companies with record administration, data collection, and storage. Phindor originated as a website that helped customers find and compare prices for school supplies, but in 2018 it shifted its focus to data management and analysis. “We…
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…
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…
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…
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…
African startups raised approximately $5 billion in 2021, nearly tripling the amount raised in 2020. While the ecosystem has received more funding, technical talent has not grown at the same rate. According to the Africa Developer Ecosystem Report, the number of professional software developers in Africa will increase by 3.8 percent to 716,000 engineers by…
FibreOne Broadband, Nigeria’s broadband and fiber-to-the-home provider, reports a nearly 300 percent increase in customer base. Residential customers increased by 77%, while small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) increased by 23% during the same time period. FiberOne Broadband, which was founded in 2017, connects people in their homes and businesses, allowing them to enjoy a whole…
WhatsApp has finally caught up to the competition and increased the file limit. Large files of up to 2GB can now be shared. WhatsApp also intends to expand the range of emoji message reactions from Thanks to Sad, Surprised, Like, Laugh, and Love to cover all emojis and skin tones. WhatsApp groups are also getting…
Gaviti, an automated service that helps businesses collect and manage customer bills, has closed a $9 million Series A fundraising round headed by Flashpoint in the United Kingdom, with participation from Moneta VC, North First Ventures, TAU Ventures, and LETA Capital. Their platform allows organizations to manage their collections process through a user-friendly application, giving…
The Central Bank of Nigeria granted MTN the permission to operate Mobile Money (MoMo). Since its inception in 2019, MTN Nigeria’s Mobile Money (MoMo) service has attracted over 9 million subscribers. According to TechCabal, the license means MTN Nigeria would be able to provide practically all the services provided by traditional commercial banks, except for…
Truck hijackings in South Africa continue to affect the country’s economy. These crimes have been on the rise for some years now, with Police Minister Bheki Cele reporting one of the most considerable increases (31.7%) in truck hijackings just over a year ago. Arrive Alive outlines several factors to help reduce the risk of hijackings, including the importance…
The EatSafe Innovation Challenge, organized by Feed the Future in collaboration with the SUN Business Network (SBN) and the Innovative Food System Portal, is searching for businesses, students, researchers, and other innovators in Nigeria and Ethiopia who are concerned about food safety. The EatSafe Innovation Challenge invites innovators to offer their thoughts on how existing…
Visa, a global leader in digital payments, announced the opening of a new Innovation Studio in Nairobi, Kenya, today. Its first dedicated innovation site in Sub-Saharan Africa is the studio (SSA). This facility will service the Sub-Saharan Africa area, according to a news release, and will join Visa‘s network of innovation centers, which have been…
Kena Health is a new health app located in South Africa that allows users to interact with a nurse, doctor, or mental health expert directly from their phone. Kena Health is an app that connects users to a team of certified healthcare practitioners for guidance, diagnosis, prescriptions, sick notes, and, if necessary, referrals to a…
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Stax is a firm that moves banking with Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) from the phone dialer to an offline mobile application, improving the user experience of offline banking. According to Stax’s blog, USSD has been around for 24 years and is largely utilized by telecoms to let them communicate with their clients. Telcos, for…
In the last few years, we’ve seen great innovation across various industries, breakthroughs for marginalised communities, and a digital revolution that has impacted every aspect of our lives. Although these are milestones to be celebrated, there is still so much more that needs to be done when it comes to developing the presence of women…
Climate change has piqued the public’s interest for several decades. As a result, in the recent past, innovations toward engines that do not emit waste products have emerged. eWAKA has launched an electric ‘bodaboda’ in response to the go-green campaign. This new market entrant in Africa not only introduces sustainable mobility options, but also aims…
FreshSource, an Egyptian startup, is a B2B agri-supply chain platform that connects food producers to businesses and exporters, increasing their income, and it is now looking to expand across the MENA region. FreshSource, founded in January 2019 by Farah and Omar Emara, is a B2B agri-supply chain platform that uses technology to transform the way…
Yemaachi Biotech, a Ghanaian cancer research and diagnostics company, has raised $3 million in a seed round to advance its goal of global precision oncology diversification. V8 Capital led the round, which included LifeLine Family Heritage Fund, Y Combinator, Tencent, LoftyInc Capital, VestedWorld, V Square Capital, and Ethan Perlstein. In January, the company launched its…
A swift buzz has taken over the streets and suburbs of Kampala about this new and amazing technology, you can almost hear the words ‘my ADAS?’ ringing in your head. On 6th April 2021, Africa Digital Address Systems Ltd, a Ugandan based company, revealed ADAS for the first time, to the world. The ADAS app…
According to Google, an undersea cable that will boost internet speeds for millions of Africans has arrived in Togo, the latest phase in a multi-year program to provide customers with cheaper access across the continent. The Equiano cable, the first of its kind to reach Africa, has twisted its way from Portugal and will increase…
Simplifyd Systems Inc., a YCombinator-backed Nigerian startup aiming to become the platform of choice for data-free Internet access across Africa, has taken a giant step forward. The company is announcing the launch of ZeroData, its toll-free internet application platform, to address the challenges associated with accessing affordable data in the face of the staggering rate…
South Africans aren’t unfamiliar with the concept of a side hustle. Indeed, according to a recent Momentum/Unisa Household Index, an estimated 14% of all households are currently engaged in side hustles. While many people wear multiple work hats out of a love for a particular craft or to simply help others, side hustles are more…