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Funding

Eden Life Closes $1.4m Seed Round to Build Out Africa’s First Home Services App
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021October 13, 2021

Eden Life, Africa’s first home services app for scheduling food, laundry and cleaning services, has completed a $1.4m Seed round, led by UK-based LocalGlobe, along with participation from Samurai Incubate, Future Africa, Village Global, Rising Tide Africa and Enza Capital. This brings Eden Life’s total investment to date to $2m following pre-seed backing from all of Andela’s original co-founders, and additional accelerator…

Read More Eden Life Closes $1.4m Seed Round to Build Out Africa’s First Home Services App
News/Articles

Microsoft begins learners’ clinic in West Africa
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

Microsoft Africa Development Centre (Microsoft ADC), the premier Engineering Center for Microsoft, has announced the commencement of its Game of Learners Clinic, a 3-month intensive programme for students in the university and beginner developers across West Africa. The programme is scheduled to commence in October 2021 and will allow participants to level up on .Net,…

Read More Microsoft begins learners’ clinic in West Africa
Tech and Innovation | News/Articles

Lagos plans advance tech for smart city project
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, professionals and experts in the technology sector have stressed the importance of technology in the drive towards the smart city project of the state. Specifically, Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed his administration’s commitment to greatly invest in technology, which according to him, is critical to the development of the state and nation…

Read More Lagos plans advance tech for smart city project
Tech Brands

Twitter will now let you remove followers without blocking them
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

After testing last month, Twitter is rolling out a feature to all web users that will let them remove followers without blocking them. This safety feature can be helpful if you want to avoid the repercussions of blocking someone — if a blocked user navigates to your profile after you block them, Twitter will tell them that…

Read More Twitter will now let you remove followers without blocking them
Tech Brands | Tech and Innovation

How Microsoft Was Able to Thwart the Largest DDoS Attack Ever
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

A massive 2.4 terabytes per second (Tbps) Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack has been mitigated by Microsoft, the company says. The attack targeted an Azure customer in Europe and was 140% higher than the highest attack bandwidth volume Microsoft previously recorded in 2020. This attack occurred in early August of this year and is currently believed to have…

Read More How Microsoft Was Able to Thwart the Largest DDoS Attack Ever
Tech and Innovation

How Much Will Kenyans Need to Pay for MTN Uganda’s Free IPO Shares?
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

MTN Uganda is offering free shares to Kenyan investors in a bid to motivate them in buying stocks in the telecom firm. MTN Uganda yesterday opened an initial public offering (IPO) at $250-million yesterday. South Africa’s MTN Group is currently selling 4.47 billion shares in its Ugandan arm at a price of Ksh6.20 ($0.056) per…

Read More How Much Will Kenyans Need to Pay for MTN Uganda’s Free IPO Shares?
Tech and Innovation | Africa

The Mobile Malware Scourge Hits SA, Kenya & Nigeria
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

Internet security provider Kaspersky has blocked more than 206,000 mobile malware attacks across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region in just 6-months measured, between January to June 2021. Out of these attacks, a combined 30,000 originated from Nigeria (14,071), Kenya (10,697), and South Africa (5,499), respectively. Significantly, for the African countries monitored, Nigeria…

Read More The Mobile Malware Scourge Hits SA, Kenya & Nigeria
Tech and Innovation

This Startup Puts Tech in Teachers’ Hands to Change Student Lives
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

There is a persistent issue when it comes to the lack of education and how it contributes to the cycle of poverty, especially in underdeveloped areas of the world. According to UNESCO, more than 617-million children worldwide are lacking knowledge in basic subjects. The situation is alarming in Sub-Saharan Africa where out of 100 children,…

Read More This Startup Puts Tech in Teachers’ Hands to Change Student Lives
Tech and Innovation

Are Independent Projects the Future of Nigerian Energy?
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

The successful completion of the Azura Edo 450 MW gas-fired power project in 2016 was hailed at the time as setting the blueprint for future independent power projects in Nigeria. The $900-million plant, which gathered 20 international banks and equity financing partners from more than nine countries, took over six years of project development and…

Read More Are Independent Projects the Future of Nigerian Energy?
News/Articles

Top 5 Best Telecom Networks in South Africa Ranked
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

MyBroadband Insights has released its Q3 Mobile Network Quality Report, which shows the network quality of several of South Africa’s top telecoms gauged by a number of factors, including download and upload speeds, and latency. The report is based on results recorded between 1 July 2021 and 30 September 2021. The download speed (60%), upload…

Read More Top 5 Best Telecom Networks in South Africa Ranked
Startups

16 startups named finalists for 2021 VC4A Venture Showcase
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

Sixteen seed and Series A level African tech startups have been named finalists for the 2021 VC4A Venture Showcase, which will see them pitching to potential funders at the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit next month. Since 2017, the VC4A Venture Showcase has helped startup founders showcase their businesses to investors during the Africa Early…

Read More 16 startups named finalists for 2021 VC4A Venture Showcase
Tech and Innovation

AstraZeneca, RAEng partnership to boost African healthcare innovators
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021October 13, 2021

Global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) have announced a new partnership to establish connections between African healthcare innovators and AstraZeneca’s A.Catalyst Network of more than 20 global health innovation hubs. The joint venture seeks to drive the development of engineering solutions that have the potential to address local challenges with…

Read More AstraZeneca, RAEng partnership to boost African healthcare innovators
Funding

Tunisian logistics startup Lamma raises funding from Orange Ventures
ByTechTrends October 13, 2021

Tunisian last mile delivery startup Lamma has secured an undisclosed investment from Orange Ventures to fuel its international expansion. Founded last year by Hamza Guesmi and Koussi Aymen, Lamma recently launched its q-commerce – “quick commerce” – app, offering delivery services in under 45 minutes. The startup began life as a carpooling service before it pivoted into…

Read More Tunisian logistics startup Lamma raises funding from Orange Ventures
Tech and Innovation | Business

The rise of African tech unicorns,with 4 startups having recently reached a $1 billion valuation
ByTechTrends October 12, 2021October 12, 2021

African unicorns have made big news in recent months, with four startups having recently reached a $1 billion valuation or more this year alone, taking the total up to seven. Two of the new entrants are in fintech, one in edtech, and one in general technology. These and other technology-enabled sectors are where emerging market investors are…

Read More The rise of African tech unicorns,with 4 startups having recently reached a $1 billion valuation
Startups | Tech and Innovation

Kenya’s Sendy invests in Ivory Coast-based logistics startup Kamtar to accelerate pan-African expansion plans
ByTechTrends October 12, 2021October 12, 2021

Kenyan logistics startup Sendy has completed a strategic equity investment in Ivory Coast-based counterpart Kamtar to boost the former’s expansion plans in West Africa. Launched in 2015, Sendy offers a marketplace for last-mile package delivery and logistics services, allowing customers to send packages and documents using a mobile application that connects them to motorcycle riders, and drivers…

Read More Kenya’s Sendy invests in Ivory Coast-based logistics startup Kamtar to accelerate pan-African expansion plans
Blockchain

Bitcoin Gets Closer to $60,000, Dogecoin Value Continues to Slip
ByTechTrends October 12, 2021

Bitcoin continues to one-up its previous days best and moves past $57,000 (roughly Rs. 42 lakhs) for the first time since May. At the time of writing, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency is trading at roughly $57,490 (roughly Rs. 43.3 lakhs) on Binance and CoinMarketCap, while on Indian exchange Coinswitch Kuber, BTC is already valued…

Read More Bitcoin Gets Closer to $60,000, Dogecoin Value Continues to Slip
Events

TLcom to host 3rd Africa Tech Female Founder Summit
ByTechTrends October 12, 2021

Africa-focused venture capital firm TLcom Capital will host the third edition of the Africa Tech Female Founder Summit virtually tomorrow (Wednesday, October 13). Themed “Board and C-Suite Matters – Counsel, Coach and Collaborate”, the third Female Founder Summit will deliver expert insights on how to build and leverage a senior team and board to drive…

Read More TLcom to host 3rd Africa Tech Female Founder Summit
Business

6 reasons why Africa’s new free trade area is a global game changer
ByTechTrends October 12, 2021

• AfCFTA, the largest global free trade area by countries participating, could transform the continent’s economic prospects. • It aims to be a model of cross-border cooperation in an era of growing isolationism. • The agreement must overcome implementation challenges to realize its many benefits. The arrival of COVID-19 in 2020 has rapidly reshaped countries,…

Read More 6 reasons why Africa’s new free trade area is a global game changer
Tech and Innovation

GitOps Best Practices: Orchestrating Continuous Delivery with Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
ByTechTrends October 12, 2021April 16, 2024

From my perspective, GitOps has completely changed how to achieve flawless Continuous Delivery. The infrastructure as code (IaC) approach of the GitOps methodology has revolutionised the software delivery process. Through the utilisation of version control systems, particularly Git, GitOps revolutionises the way teams deploy and manage applications and infrastructure. Declarative infrastructure management principles and the…

Read More GitOps Best Practices: Orchestrating Continuous Delivery with Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Events

Zoho emerges Africa Tech Alliance Alliance Forum (#AfriTECH2021) lead sponsor
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021

Zoho Corporation has been named the lead sponsors of Africa Tech Alliance Forum 2021 (#AfriTECH2021), by the organisers. The hybride event (both online and physical) will take place on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at Oriental Hotel, Lekki Lagos by 10:00am with Olatomiwa Williams, Country Manager of Microsoft Nigeria presenting the keynote address. Andrew Bourne, Regional Manager (Africa), Zoho Corporation will lead a…

Read More Zoho emerges Africa Tech Alliance Alliance Forum (#AfriTECH2021) lead sponsor
Gadgets/Apps

Instagram will warn kids if they consume too much ‘sensitive’ content
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

After accusations of ignoring mental health impact on teens using Instagram, Facebook will roll out new measures to make amends. These measures include warnings for consuming too much harmful content, parental control on content, and a “take a break” prompt. Speaking on CNN’s State of Union show last night, Nick Clegg, Facebook’s VP of global affairs, said the nudge…

Read More Instagram will warn kids if they consume too much ‘sensitive’ content
Tech and Innovation

Nigeria’s Opay is the only African fintech listed in the 2021 Top 250 by CB Insights
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

The African tech startup space has continued to be dominated by financial technology companies. These fintech companies have gained more traction, attracted more funding and generally have positioned themselves as the beacons of the African tech space. ? All the top 6 funding raised on the continent so far in 2021 have been raised by…

Read More Nigeria’s Opay is the only African fintech listed in the 2021 Top 250 by CB Insights
Gadgets/Apps

A Community feature for WhatsApp is reportedly in the works
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

WhatsApp was working on adding lots of new features recently. The most recent improvement the popular messaging app is going to be getting, according to an APK code teardown done by XDA-Developers, is dubbed “Community”. This new feature that WhatsApp may be working on will reportedly coexist with the existing feature Groups. WhatsApp Community: a feature…

Read More A Community feature for WhatsApp is reportedly in the works
Funding | Startups

Favour Ori’s new fintech startup, Payday raises $1m pre-seed to build Africa’s paypal
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021

Payday, a Pan-African financial technology company has announced a $1m pre-seed fund raise. According to the startup, the raise will help it to build an online payments system that is equivalent to Paypal. According to the announcement, the raise was supported by several investors including LofyInc, Microtraction, Magic Fund, Ventures Platform, Voltron Capital, CcHub Syndicate, Helicarrier…

Read More Favour Ori’s new fintech startup, Payday raises $1m pre-seed to build Africa’s paypal
Events

Africa Code Week initiative aims to bridge Africa’s digital divide
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

Africa’s biggest digital skills initiative, SAP Africa Code Week (ACW), officially launched yesterday with a strong focus on virtual learning as the continent struggles to recover after COVID-19 disruption. The launch coincided with World Teacher’s Day, which focuses this year on “teachers at the heart of education recovery”. Speaking at a virtual event to mark both World Teacher’s…

Read More Africa Code Week initiative aims to bridge Africa’s digital divide
Tech and Innovation

Aggregators are enabling independent voices in Kenya’s controlled news circuit
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

Kenya is all about the news. No, literally, “Habari”, a common greeting in Swahili, means “Any news?” in English. Everyone has their favourite publication. And every publication has a different story. Data-driven digital media is taking the place of print in Kenya. As the world becomes busier and more digital, the consumption of media has…

Read More Aggregators are enabling independent voices in Kenya’s controlled news circuit
Business | Gadgets/Apps

Impact of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram outage on businesses
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021

Recently, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook faced a long six-hour outage. Initially, many people blamed it on their internet service provider but soon the realization that it is not the faulty internet connection but the fact that these social media platforms were actually not functioning as a shock to many. Even though many users of these…

Read More Impact of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram outage on businesses
Tech and Innovation

Digital technology: friend or foe against climate change?
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

From the energy that goes into making smartphones to the fact that even emails create carbon emissions, the world’s internet addiction comes with costs to the climate. But could digital technology be part of the solution to climate change, as well as the problem? Ahead of next month’s COP26 climate talks, AFP looks at five…

Read More Digital technology: friend or foe against climate change?
Funding

Tiger Global backs African fintech Mono in $15M Series A round
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021

Mono, an African startup that helps connect consumers’ bank accounts to financial applications, has raised a $15 million Series A round, the company confirmed to TechCrunch today. The round, led by Tiger Global — the VC firm’s third major investment in Africa this year after Flutterwave and FairMoney — also had participation from new investors Target Global (an investor…

Read More Tiger Global backs African fintech Mono in $15M Series A round
Gadgets/Apps

WhatsApp to Add Ability to Pause Recording Voice Messages, Fix for Chat Backup Issue Found
ByTechTrends October 11, 2021

WhatsApp is reportedly working on letting users pause voice recordings while they are being recorded, through a future update. The alleged update will let users pause and resume recording their voice message right from where they had paused. Furthermore, the instant messaging service is also reportedly working on fixing an issue with chat backups. A…

Read More WhatsApp to Add Ability to Pause Recording Voice Messages, Fix for Chat Backup Issue Found

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