The seven African-focused companies which presented as part of Y Combinator’s 200 strong cohort of Winter 2019 class of 200 startups may seem like a small percentage for such a large class, but it represents the growing significance of African ventures in YC’s universe. Since 2016, the Silicon Valley accelerator—that provides seed…
Author: AdeO
Disney has completed its $71bn takeover of 21st Century Fox which is owned by Rupert Murdoch. As part of the deal, Disney will absorb the Fox film and TV studios, the FX networks, National Geographic and the Indian TV giant Star India in a huge boost to its content. It…
The European Union has fined Google 1.5 billion euros for antitrust violations in the online advertising market, continuing its efforts to rein in the world’s biggest technology companies. The fine, worth about $1.7 billion, is the third against Google by the European Union since 2017, reinforcing the region’s position as…
Itanna, the venture platform launched by Honeywell Group in 2018, has announced the commencement of the 2019 edition of its Accelerator Programme and is calling for applications from tech-enabled startups. The 2019 edition will be the second programme for Itanna. Itanna launched in 2018 with four cohort companies. The four…
FlexClub, a South African startup that matches investors and drivers to cars for ride-hailing services, closed a $1.2 million seed round led by CRE Venture Capital. Nairobi based Savannah Fund and South African angel investor Michael Jordaan joined lead investor CRE in the $1.2 million round. Techcrunch reports that the company will…
This figure will no doubt increase astronomically if Nigeria’s aviation sector can be repositioned for better service delivery. However, before this can be achieved, there are certain challenges that need to be addressed. The first point of call for any international tourist is the airport. Hence, it has to offer…
Nigerian e-health startup Stack Dx, Tanzanian fintech startup Nala and Nigerian agri-tech startup ThriveAgric have been selected to take part in the Winter 2019 batch of the Silicon Valley-based Y Combinator programme. Y Combinator runs two accelerator programmes each year, investing US$150,000 in startups from across the world and giving them…
Apple has finally updated its smallest tab-iPad Mini and the larger iPad Air. Both models have been brought up to parity with the iPhone XS and the iPad Pro with Apple’s A12 Bionic processor, which is up to three times faster than that in previous versions, which have chips dating back to 2014. The…
Facebook says it has removed 1.5 million videos of the Christchurch mosque shootings in Newzealand “in the first 24 hours” after the attack. “We continue to work around the clock to remove violating content using a combination of technology and people,” Facebook New Zealand’s Mia Garlick said on Twitter. Garlick…
Access Bank and Diamond Bank have announced that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have secured the final approval for the merger. The two financial institutions announced this in separate corporate disclosures issued on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) over the weekend. “Access…
I-startup Southwest is a Federal Government intervention of the National Social Investment Program (NSIP) under the office the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This program provides an opportunity for innovative and dedicated teams who have viable ideas and solutions in Manufacturing, ICT, Agriculture, Health and Governance to…
Tech giant, Google has disclosed the names of the 12 startups selected for the third cohort of its Launchpad Africa accelerator, based in Lagos. They include four startups from Kenya, three from Nigeria, two from South Africa and one each from Uganda, Senegal and Egypt. The names of the startups…
Social Media is a great tool and most popular way of promoting your business or brand in between audience. Today, every individual is present on at least one social media platform. In fact, 86% of the people follow the social media handles of the brands they want to get associated…
James Bond will be ditching gas-guzzling V-8s and V-12s in favour of an eco-friendly electric car for the next instalment of the franchise. The new movie, set to be released next year, will be the 25th Bond film and the final movie to feature Daniel Craig as 007. Of course,…
YouTube has announced the launch of YouTube Music in South Africa. The new music streaming service offers music videos, official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, and covers from YouTube. While fans can enjoy the new ad-supported version of YouTube Music for free, YouTube has also announced YouTube Music Premium, a…
Employing the best hand for a job is a long, arduous, painful and stressful process because you have to sort thousand of curriculum vitae. In the end, you may not employ the best person to fill the vacancy. This process is not sustainable. But thanks to Kenya’s Shortlist which is…
Unlike in the past when Nigerians queue at banks for their transactions, and today you can do it in the comfort of your home with your smartphone by either using the mobile app or USSD. It’s that simple. And the emergence of fintechs has further strengthened the financial sector. However,…
Ampion and Plutos Ventures has launched Ampion Ventures to build a scalable digital business model in selected African countries by providing seed capital and strategic expertise support. Plutos Ventures will provide Ampion Ventures with its first seed financing. Ampion Ventures is led by Fabian-Carlos Guhl — who has worked with…
Gray Matters Capital, a US-based impact investor focused on the funding for-profit social enterprises in markets of Africa, India, Latin America, USA and South East Asia, has announced the names of the start-ups which have made it to the second cohort of its GMC Calibrator Program. The GMC Calibrator is…
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I has launched its first Startup Challenge to promote collaboration between start-ups and our members, Mobility Clubs. Mobility clubs are well-established consumer service providers: by participating in the Start-Up Challenge, start-ups can benefit from their expertise and have the opportunity to pitch their ideas…