All about Tech.
The Microsoft Store experience is improving, and it isn’t always due to the enhancements released by Microsoft with the release of Windows 11. The company is working on several fronts, and it recently decided to separate its Office apps from the Microsoft Store. In other words, if you don’t require the entire Office suite, you…
Koko Networks, a Kenya-based bio-fuel technology company, has expanded its business to include other fast-moving consumer goods via a new technology platform that will leverage its established distribution networks in low-income neighborhoods. Koko Club, the company’s new business line, sells the products directly to consumers through the dukas (small shops) that currently serve as agents…
If you’ve heard of non-fungible tokens (NFT) on the Internet, you’ve probably heard of the latest buzzword — Web3. Both terms are coined by supporters of blockchain technology and crypto enthusiasts who believe it is the future of the Internet. Although some, such as Elon Musk, have stated that the term is merely a “marketing…
Last month, Tesla Inc.’s valuation surpassed $1 trillion, making it the fifth company in the world to do so after Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet. A $4 billion deal to sell 100,000 vehicles to Hertz, the rental car company, skyrocketed the company’s shares in the single-largest purchase ever for electric vehicles, representing a $4.2 billion…
Micromobility as a concept, a solution, and a way of life began to take hold in 2021. Increased shared micromobility and COVID-enabled public transportation helped to make small electric vehicles mainstream enough for people to consider purchasing their own. As a result, 2021 was the year of the e-bike, with sales increasing by 240 percent…
China’s ruling Communist Party is pressuring Alibaba to enter the difficult and costly business of designing its own processor chips in order to help China become a self-sufficient “technology superpower” — a business unlike anything the world’s largest e-commerce company has done before. T-Head, its 3-year-old chip unit, unveiled its third processor, the Yitian 710,…
“I’ve always loved and wanted to wear African prints more here,” says Bami Adenike, who lives near alluring luxury boutiques in Paris but has a lasting fondness for African wear. Adenike, a 28-year-old Nigerian artist, moved to France in 2016 and has mostly purchased clothes from French fashion retail stores since then due to the…
Year after year, smartphone manufacturers release new models to keep the momentum going. While 2020 was a slow year for manufacturers due to the pandemic, 2021 saw the release of some exciting smartphones, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 (Review) and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 (Review), as well as many promising ones that…
The year 2021 was a fantastic year for the technology industry as a whole. As much as this was true across the board, certain industries stood out. Of course, there was fintech, which raised mega-rounds of funding. Then there’s health technology, with Helium Health completing a major acquisition in far-flung Asia and 54Gene securing major…
Aircart, a Kenyan startup, has launched an online platform that allows users to sell any digital product using smart links. Aircart, like international platforms like Gumroad, is a storefront for digital content producers, allowing users to upload a product, select their preferred payment method, and immediately receive a shareable link from which they can directly…
Stranerd, a Nigerian startup, has launched a peer-to-peer learning platform where students can ask and answer homework-related questions, with the service designed to give the brightest students opportunities to help others who may be less skilled in specific subjects. Stranerd began as an Instagram page in 2018, but only recently became a standalone digital product….
Google Maps has begun to roll out a feature that highlights the busiest parts of your city or town. The new feature, dubbed ‘Area Busyness,’ is intended to help you avoid crowds by instantly detecting whether your neighborhood or a section of your city has more than the usual number of footfalls. The feature is…
Smartphone cameras are no longer just the most convenient option; they are quickly overtaking traditional digital cameras in terms of computational power and innovation. Users can capture more details and render images accurately in complex lighting conditions thanks to increased sensor size and resolution. Many aspects of image processing have been improved by artificial intelligence…
Drugstoc is a health-tech startup that offers hospitals and pharmacies a procurement platform for all medications, consumables, and small medical equipment. Chibuzor Opara and Adham Yehia founded the startup in 2017 with the goal of closing the supply chain gap in Nigeria’s medical sector. In November, the company raised $4.4 million in a Series A…
Life is returning to normal as Covid-19 vaccinations become more widespread around the world. However, this is not the world we knew before the pandemic. Because of the long-term nature of this global crisis, customer needs and daily lifestyles have changed. This, in turn, will alter my expectations for the world in 2022 and beyond….
KeyTec, a South African startup, describes itself as a “one-stop-shop for video telematics and vehicle data,” offering smart solutions to businesses of all sizes. KeyTec was founded just over a year ago after founder Michael Roberts saw a real need for maintaining and supporting assets and vehicles in the field, as well as the frustration…
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…
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…
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…
South Africans are big fans of televisions and home entertainment systems. In fact, according to Nielsen, the average citizen watches 165 minutes of television per day on top of working from home, home schooling, and other adulting responsibilities, and that doesn’t include time spent on mobile devices. With nearly three hours of viewing time per…
Treepz, a mobility startup, has announced a partnership with CMS Taxi and Motor Nigeria Limited (CMS T&M), a Lagos-based traditional bus company, just a few weeks after raising $2.8 million in seed funding and acquiring Ugabus, a Ugandan bus company. Through this collaboration, CMS T&M passengers will have access to convenient payment options and predictable…
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…
Wabi, an electronic commerce ecosystem, has launched Wabi2b in Nigeria to digitize traditional trade channels and empower women. Wabi2b, the company’s B2B arm, is a marketplace that allows all FMCG wholesalers and distributors to sell their products directly to retailers and traditional stores. According to a McKinsey report titled “Africa’s Growing Giant: Nigeria’s New Retail…
Entersekt, a South African fintech that has developed technology that protects millions of financial services customers worldwide, has received funding from US-based private equity firm Accel-KKR to accelerate its roadmap and fuel expansion into new markets. Entersekt, a global payment security company headquartered in Cape Town, is a global authentication market innovator, with recent market…
Autocheck Africa, the leading auto tech platform, has added a brand new cars section to its website and mobile app. Customers can now access digital financing solutions for brand new cars and trucks with repayment terms of up to 60 months and the lowest interest rates in the market from regional partners such as Ecobank…
Bento, Nigeria’s digital payroll and human resource management platform, is expanding to Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda, with plans to open offices in six more African markets over the next year. Bento’s next phase of growth will take it to Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, and Ethiopia by the end of next year. Bento is…
Long before tech startups democratized stock market investing, anyone looking to invest in the stock market needed a substantial amount of money. However, with the entry of startups such as Risevest, Bamboo, and Chaka, this has changed. Nigerians could now buy stocks with as little as $10 (5,000) for the first time. Despite the fact…
Platform for financial services for gig economy workers ImaliPay has made South Africa its third major African market, following Nigeria and Kenya, with the goal of assisting more African gig economy workers in improving their financial security and shaping their journey to financial freedom. Tatenda Furusa and Sanmi Akinmusire co-founded ImaliPay in 2020 to provide…
Conciliating innovation and regulation is perhaps the single most significant source of concern for tech titan leaders and startup founders worldwide. This is more common in Africa, where regulatory cultures frequently stifle innovation. For example, in Nigeria’s fintech space, innovation has accelerated in recent years, with at least three unicorn startups launched during this time…
Over the last year, there have been several changes in the economies and structures of African countries. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, several people were forced to stay at home and go primarily cashless. Africa’s Fintech stepped in to help, providing Africans with cutting-edge technologies that allowed them to access the best financial services available….