Applications of artificial intelligence, climate technology, and spatial computing are among the latest projects that Y Combinator is looking to support. The list was released on Wednesday. In the most recent iteration of its RFS, or “Request for Startups,” tradition, which dates back to 2009, the organization made a call for the kinds of startups…
VaultPay from the DRC and Chow Central from Nigeria have joined Eden Care from Rwanda in being chosen for the S23 batch of the famed Y Combinator accelerator in Silicon Valley. Disrupt Africa reported last month. The only African company thus far confirmed as a participant in the S23 batch of Y Combinator, which contributed…
Three Nigerian entrepreneurs have been confirmed as participants in the famed Silicon Valley incubator Y Combinator’s W23 class. In addition to other advantages, they will get US$500,000 in funding. The W23 batch of the Y Combinator program, which helped launch businesses like Airbnb, Coinbase, and Dropbox among others, is presently in session and will come…
Seven of the 219 startups that have been disclosed so far are from the continent, and three more startups from the continent have been confirmed as members of the S22 batch of the famed Silicon Valley incubator Y Combinator. The S22 batch of the Y Combinator program, which helped launch businesses like Airbnb, Coinbase, and…
The first 156 firms confirmed to be a part of the famed Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator’s S22 cohort include four African startups. The S22 batch of the Y Combinator program, which helped launch businesses like Airbnb, Coinbase, and Dropbox among others, is presently in session and will come to a close in September with…
Kudi, an African payment network, has rebranded as Nomba. This was announced in a press release as part of the company’s transition from a single payment platform to an omnichannel payment platform. Payment collections, trade finance, company reporting, and multiple location administration are among the new business capabilities produced by the new omni-channel payment platform,…
Until now, the African startup ecosystem has been dominated by Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt (‘the Big 4’), countries that continue to receive the majority of venture capital and other forms of investment. However, the situation appears to be gradually changing as notable startups emerge from other countries on the continent and investors look…
Five more African startups have been confirmed as participants in the renowned Silicon Valley-based Y Combinator accelerator’s W22 batch, bringing the total to 15. The W22 batch of the Y Combinator program is currently in session, and will conclude with a demo day in March, having played a role in the early days of companies…
Six more African startups have been confirmed as participants in the renowned Silicon Valley-based Y Combinator accelerator’s W22 batch, bringing the total to ten. Between now and March, the W22 batch of the Y Combinator program, which has played a role in the early days of companies such as Airbnb, Coinbase, and Dropbox, will take…
Nigerian businesses Moni and Topship have been accepted into the famed Silicon Valley-based Y Combinator accelerator’s W22 batch. Between now and March, the W22 batch of the Y Combinator program, which has played a role in the early days of firms such as Airbnb, Coinbase, and Dropbox, will take place. At a demo day, participants…
Y Combinator, a well-known Silicon Valley incubator, has raised its normal deal size to US$500,000. The Y Combinator program, which helped launch firms such as Airbnb, Coinbase, and Dropbox, among others, is increasingly choosing African digital entrepreneurs to participate in its program. Its alumni list includes names like Flutterwave, Paystack, and Kobo360 (not to mention…
Ethiopia’s beU Delivery and Nigeria’s IdentityPass are among the 40 startups confirmed as participants in the W22 batch of the renowned Silicon Valley-based accelerator Y Combinator. Between now and March, the W22 batch of the Y Combinator program, which has played a role in the early days of companies such as Airbnb, Coinbase, and Dropbox,…
Y Combinator-backed Nigerian agri-tech startup Vendease has raised US$3.2 million in seed funding to expand operations and build out its technology. Founded in January 2020 by Tunde Kara, Olumide Fayankin, Gatumi Aliyu and Wale Oyepeju, Vendease helps to solve food supply chain problems by digitising procurement processes, storage operations and logistics, and offering flexible payment systems to…
Written by Tage Kene-Okafor In Nigeria, there are more than 40 million micro-businesses underserved in some form or another regarding banking services. Although some of these businesses have registered bank accounts, gaps exist in how banks use the data available to serve the needs of each business. With banks, presenting a series of transactions as statements is all these…
What 377 Y Combinator pitches will teach you about startups Written by Natasha Mascarenhas Along with a cadre of other TechCrunch folks, I spent this week extremely focused on one event: Y Combinator. The elite accelerator announced a staggering 377 startups as its Summer 2021 cohort. We covered every single on-the-record startup that presented and…
Number of African participants in latest Y Combinator accelerator climbs to 15 Written by TOM JACKSON The number of confirmed African participants in the Y Combinator accelerator’s S21 cohort has increased to 15 after two more were named ahead of demo days taking place yesterday (August 31) and today (September 1). Disrupt Africa reported last month…
Nigeria tops as Y Combinator S21 receives the highest number of African startups so far Written by Joan Aimuengheuwa It’s an interesting fact to reiterate that the number of African startups participating in Y Combinator’s 2021 summer batch has increased beyond the usual. Compared to other cohorts, the highest number of African startups participating in the programme…
Kenya’s MarketForce raises further $100k funding from Harambeans Prosperity Fund Written by TOM JACKSON Kenyan retail-tech startup had added an additional US$100,000 in funding from the Harambeans Prosperity Fund to the US$2 million pre-Series A round it announced last month. Co-founded in 2018 by Tesh Mbaabu and Mesongo Sibuti, MarketForce enables consumer brands to optimise how they deliver…