TikTok is seemingly thriving during the global pandemic, and today, analytics platform Sensor Tower reported that the social media platform has been downloaded more than 2 billion times globally. TikTok was downloaded 315 million times this quarter alone in the App Store and Google Play combined. Notably, these app download figures don’t…
Author: AdeO
Luno has added Litecoin (LTC) to its trading platform following the introduction of XRP. From 11th May millions of customers around the world will be able to buy, sell, and exchange the coin. Litecoin (LTC), often referred to as the silver to Bitcoin’s gold, is a top ten cryptocurrency with…
Tesla is rolling out a new feature of its partially automated driving system designed to spot stop signs and traffic signals. This feature for Tesla cars arrives after testing on public roads. The update of the electric car company’s cruise control and auto-steer systems is a step toward CEO Elon Musk’s…
The African Leadership Institute has selected 21 outstanding emerging African leaders from 11 different African countries ranging in age 30 to 39 years for the Tutu Leadership Fellowship for 2020. They were selected from 300 entries. Amongst the 21 are 4 Nigerians including Bankole Wellington (Banky W), Olamide ‘Kola’ Aina, Eric Idiahi, and Seni Sulyman.…
Jumia and Twiga foods, two African startups backed by Goldman Sachs — have partnered for produce delivery in Kenya. Jumia will pickup Twiga Foods fresh produce and make contactless delivery in the region. Payments will be made using the JumiaPay app. Jumia Kenya CEO Sam Chappatte said: “We pulled together the core…
Mumm, an Egyptian FoodTech startup has raised a Pre-Series A Bridge Round from Alexandria Angels. The startup, founded by Waleed Abd El Rahman in 2015, is an online marketplace that delivers homemade food to individual customers as well as businesses. Commenting on the deal, Tarek Nasr, Deal Lead Investor of Alex Angels,…
DHL Global Forwarding has launched a dedicated 100-tonne weekly air freight service for organizations and governments shipping goods from China to Africa and the Middle East. Capitalizing on Dubai’s strategic geographical location as the gateway to countries in the region, the leading international provider of air, sea and road freight…
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis that is yet to be controlled. Nations are facing health and economic challenges whose impact will still be felt after the crisis is over. With countries in lockdown to flatten the curve, more need to be done to support the government’s efforts to…
54Gene, the African genomics startup, has been certified by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control to join the accredited testing network for COVID-19. 54Gene has already launched the first of its mobile testing laboratory in Ogun state while that of Lagos and with Kano state will follow soon.| To make…
Alitheia IDF, an SME investment fund for businesses with high-growth in Africa, has reached its second close at US$75 million and will announce its first investments soon. Alitheia invests in businesses that are majority-owned, majority-run, or mainly created to serve women. “Through these three main criteria, we apply a gender lens to…
Earlier this month, WhatsApp rolled out a new feature to limit forwards to only one contact at a time. The idea was to reduce the spread of misinformation spread on the app amid the coronavirus crisis. After announcing the feature, the company says this move has already had a positive impact on its service, in…
Songhai Labs, a knowledge broker platform based in Cameroon and SatSure have entered a partnership agreement to launch an Open Innovation Platform for Agriculture and AgTech ecosystems, where experts from diverse sectors and backgrounds can come together to create innovative solutions for agricultural problems. The platform allows African agritech startups…
Jumia, the leading e-commerce platform in Africa has announced today the launch of its portal in South Africa to help consumers access essential products at the lowest price. The launch of the Jumia portal will provide a steady supply of hygiene & sanitary products such as diapers, soap bars, disinfectants,…
The GSMA has opened applications for the Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion. The Innovation Fund aims to increase mobile internet adoption and usage among those who have mobile internet coverage but are not using it in countries in Africa and Asia. The Fund is supported by…
Nigeria’s logistics sector is in disarray because of disruptions caused by the lockdown of three key cities – Abuja, Lagos, and Ogun – in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. While in other countries, businesses deemed as “essential services” are allowed to function amid the embargo on movement, logistics players…
Spotify, the music streaming giant has launched a new feature “Artist Fundraising Pick” that allows musicians to raise money directly through the app.”Artist Fundraising Pick” will allow fans to donate money to their favorite artists. Artists who share their music on Spotify can opt to have the new feature, the…
Many businesses are presently under lock and key due to the coronavirus pandemic. What was initially believed to be just regular flu soon turned into a global pandemic. Organizations around the world have now resorted to the work from home policy to keep their employees safe and operations running to a certain…
Yoco, a South African fintech startup has launched payment solutions targetted at small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). According to Yoco, the new payments platform will help businesses in South Africa sustain their cash flows as a national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic has grounded everything. Yoco has launched three…
The Lagos Urban Innovation Challenge is designed to support the innovators and entrepreneurs who are shaping the Lagos of tomorrow. The world as we know it is rapidly changing and Lagos, projected to become the world’s largest megacity by 2100, already faces significant challenges despite its position as a regional…
Stears Business, a Nigerian media firm based in Lagos has raised $600,000 seed funding with participation from Omidyar Network’s Luminate. Stears is a digital media & information company that fills this gap by providing audiences and organizations with accurate, unbiased, and digitised information on economic and business activity around them.…