Meet Kemisola Bolarinwa, the CEO of Nigeria’s first wearable tech startup, Nextwear Technology

Meet Kemisola Bolarinwa, the CEO of Nigeria’s first wearable tech startup, Nextwear Technology

Kemisola Bolarinwa dreamed of becoming an innovator as a young girl. Her favorite secondary school subjects were math, physics, and chemistry. Her STEM interests prompted her to join the Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists (JETS) club at her secondary school, St. Helen’s Unity Secondary School, Ondo. The JETS club was founded to introduce students to…

Digital Wallet,
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Africa’s Rise of Digital Wallet-Based Apps

Africa and Asia are the birthplaces of mobile money, and the transition to digital wallets is well underway in countries with high smartphone penetration. According to a recent report, African and Asian consumers are increasingly accepting digital payments. This is the conclusion of a white paper published by TerraPay in collaboration with IBS, highlighting trends…

Bizzyn
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Bizzyn, Tanzanian startup unveils business management product suite

Bizzyn, a Tanzanian startup, has launched a full-featured business and financial management suite of products designed to scale as businesses grow. Bizzyn, which was founded in 2019 by Emmanuel Kimaro and Abbasi Mussa, officially began operations in November of last year. The startup has created a financial and marketing platform for SMEs that monitors finance,…

Lipa Payments

South African Startup, Lipa Payments Brings “Tap to Pay” to Africa’s Informal Sector, Secures Millions

Lipa Payments, a South African fintech startup, has raised R10 million ($659 thousand) in funding from Empowerment Capital’s Imvelo Ventures, which is backed by Capitec Bank SA. Lipa Payments was a finalist in Capitec Bank’s 2020 Life 2.0 Hackathon. With its software solution that allows merchants to accept contactless payments directly from a mobile phone,…

Createch Accelerator Programme
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Nigeria’s CcHub Unveils Createch Accelerator Programme

  The Createch Accelerator focuses on businesses that employ innovation or technology to improve value chains in Africa’s creative industries or to address market problems in these value chains. The program’s goal is to provide knowledge, networks, and assistance to companies operating at the interface of technology and creativity, allowing them to accelerate their route…

NFTs

Addressing the many challenges of NFTs market in Africa

The story of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has recently spread like wildfire, and Africa has joined the party. Some of these digital assets, ranging from art and music to games and videos, are worth millions of dollars. In case you’re unfamiliar, NFTs are unique and non-interchangeable units of data on the blockchain, a digital ledger that…

Artificial Intelligence Apple
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Apple Is set to Acquire Startup That Makes Music With Artificial Intelligence

According to a person familiar with the matter, Apple acquired AI Music, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to generate tailor-made music, adding technology that could be used across its slate of audio offerings. In recent weeks, AI Music, a London-based company founded in 2016, was purchased. Prior to the acquisition, the company had about…

Data Center
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How Africa’s internet economy is powering the investment boom in data centers

Africa’s data center market is expected to attract billions of dollars in investment as the continent’s internet economy grows. According to new data, the African and Middle Eastern data center market received $6.55 billion in investments in 2021 and will receive an additional $12.19 billion by 2027, with the continent receiving half of that amount….

Biometrics
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How Nigerian startups are maximizing biometric technologies

Biometrics are increasingly being used in corporate and governmental security systems, as well as consumer devices. According to Research and Markets, a market research firm based in the United States, the global biometrics market is expected to grow from $17 billion in 2018 to $76 billion by 2027. For a variety of reasons, an increasing…

Windows 11

Microsoft Will Test New Experimental Features for Windows 11

Microsoft has detailed its plans for Windows 11 testing throughout 2022, following the announcement last week that the operating system will receive a larger-than-usual update in February, including Android apps, taskbar improvements, and other features. According to The Verge, the software company intends to experiment more with features for Windows 11 testers to evaluate that…

Jet ZeroEmission

Jet ZeroEmission, the world’s first zero-emission flying boat will be launched in Dubai

The world’s first hydrogen-powered flying boat, the ‘Jet ZeroEmission,’ is set to be built and launched in Dubai. L’Hydroptère’s futuristic-looking boat will have cutting-edge characteristics and technology and can carry up to 12 passengers at a time. The eco-friendly vessel produces no waves, emits no noise, and appears to ‘fly’ 80cm above the water at…

Gidimo

Meet Gidimo, a learning platform that fuses learning and fun to deliver value

The Nigerian educational system leaves a lot to be desired. The problems range from a lack of funding and infrastructure to a scarcity of qualified teachers. Despite the fact that primary education is officially free and compulsory in Nigeria, approximately 10.5 million children are not enrolled. In 2021, education received only N742.5 billion, or 5.6…

Bentley

Bentley Will Unveil First Luxury Electric Car in 2025

Bentley, a German-owned luxury car brand, announced Wednesday that its first all-electric vehicle will be ready by 2025, as part of a major investment in becoming a carbon-zero company. Bentley said in a statement that its first battery-powered electric vehicle will be developed and built at its factory in Crewe, northwest England. The carmaker, which…

Opibus

Mobility startup Opibus unveils electric bus developed in Africa

Opibus, a mobility startup, has introduced the first all-electric bus in Kenya, as well as the first electric bus designed in Africa. 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. Late last…

Google Workspace
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How to leverage Google Workspace for your business

The development of Covid-19 and the desire to be safe has forced many businesses to operate in silos, which has hampered effective communication. Most firms now rely primarily on communication technologies to bring together a big number of people who are physically separated. In fact, applications such as Zoom are a major focus. However, as…

MNT-Halan

Egyptian fintech startup MNT-Halan adds BNPL feature to it’s digital ecosystem

MNT-Halan, an Egyptian fintech startup, has launched a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) function to its digital ecosystem, which also includes business loans, payments, consumer finance, bill payments, e-commerce, and delivery. The service is powered by Neuron, the company’s proprietary technology. MNT-Halan began as a ride-hailing service for two- and three-wheeler vehicles in 2018, and has since evolved…

UberMoto

Uber unveils its motorbike section, UberMoto in Ibadan

Uber, the ride-hailing business, has announced the addition of an UberMoto motorbike component to its product offering in Nigeria. The new service, which will launch in Ibadan, is a two-wheeled low-cost alternative and smart mobility option for city dwellers who want to navigate traffic more swiftly and efficiently. Uber Country Manager, Tope Akinwumi, noted in…

BitCo Telecoms
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South Africa’s leading IT Service Provider, BitCo Telecoms Reveals Exponential Growth in the ISP market

BitCo Telecoms, one of South Africa’s major Telecommunications and Internet Service Providers, announces fiscal and market share growth for 2021, as well as plans to expand its national last mile carrier-grade network and geographic coverage to outlying areas and towns in 2022 and beyond. In 2021, BitCo had a great year of company growth, with…

home automation

5 hottest home automation trends for 2022

The internet of things (IoT) is growing in popularity, with forecasts indicating that around 50 billion IoT devices would be in use worldwide by 2050. This is due to the fact that today’s time-pressed consumers are already turning to technology for more convenience and efficiency in both their personal lives and their home environments. As…

Software Outsourcing

Exploring the top Software Outsourcing Country in 2022

The role of software outsourcing organizations is rapidly evolving from “contract software engineers” to strategic business partners. It has been recognized that offshore software development companies occupy crucial places in today’s corporate business models. Due to the increasing adoption of technologies, there will be a strong demand for blockchain, big data and IoT software developers,…

Digital Transformation

4 Must-Have Elements of Digital Transformation

Organizations and enterprises are undergoing digital transformations as a result of a slew of new digital technologies that are gaining traction across all industries. This transition is being carried out with an eye on both the short-term and long-term changes that will arise from these new developments. The most critical aspect in a company’s ability…

3D Map

Researchers Are Developing the Most Detailed 3D Map of Universe to Explain How it has Evolved

An multinational team of scientists has created the most detailed 3D picture of the universe to date, with astrophysicists revealing information about the first 7.5 million galaxies out of 35 million. The breathtaking image depicts a cosmic web of galaxies stretching back billions of light-years. And this is simply the beginning of the seven-month-old project….

Wearable Tech

Report: Wearable Tech will dominate consumer IoT with $97.5 billion revenues in 2022

According to GlobalData, a prominent data and analytics organization, wearable technology will account for 46 percent of the consumer Internet of Things (IoT) market in 2022, followed by automated home (37 percent) and linked automotive (17 percent). According to GlobalData’s study, ‘Tech, Media, & Telecom (TMT) Predictions 2022 – Thematic Research,’ wearable technology will earn…

YouTube

YouTube Is Testing Smart Downloads Feature That Will Allow Users to Downloads 20 Videos Automatically per Week

According to reports, YouTube is developing a new feature that allows viewers to watch content without requiring an internet connection. When Android devices are connected to Wi-Fi, YouTube’s new Smart Downloads feature can automatically download videos. The most recent Smart Downloads function might download up to 20 recommended videos every week. For a limited time,…

Pathway Cycles

Pathway Cycles is charting the course to a high e-bikes adoption rate in SA

Pathway Cycles, a local firm that pioneered the use of e-bikes in South Africa, aims to develop a sustainable business model for its stakeholders while also providing a greener, more affordable solution to those wishing to go around. Pathway Cycles is an eco-friendly delivery service that uses a tried-and-true, trademarked methodology that combines e-bikes, digital…

digital currency

A single digital currency for Africa is in the works

The attempt by Africa to achieve economic and monetary union dates back many years. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s largest trade deal since the World Trade Organisation, was signed in 2018 by the continent’s leaders (WTO). The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an agreement that aims to create a…

Technology trends
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Technology trends that will transform Kenyan business in 2022

According to CM.com, many businesses are still responding to changes in the business environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The global crisis prompted many businesses to reconsider how they communicate with their customers and repackage product and service offerings for the new landscape – one defined by digital transformation. This evolution is reflected in…

New mobile apps are helping Togo tackle COVID-19
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New mobile apps are helping Togo tackle COVID-19

The COVID-19 disease has infected over 290 million people worldwide, claimed over 5 million lives, and pushed millions into extreme poverty. The pandemic has been devastating in every way, and its impact has been felt in Africa as well, where over 9.7 million cases and 228,000 deaths have been reported. However, the magnitude of the…

Victor Maina, CEO of Kenya’s Duqha offers some insight into its retail-tech solution
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Victor Maina, CEO of Kenya’s Duqha offers some insight into its retail-tech solution

While eCommerce has grown in Africa over the years, online shopping on the continent remains significantly lower than the global average. Only around 35% of Africans shop online. This simply demonstrates that many Africans (approximately 65 percent) continue to rely on retailers and small shop owners for their daily household needs such as groceries, utilities,…