Canada is no stranger to technology and innovative startups, which makes it the right candidate for a perfect fintech hub. Toronto, in particular, brings in a lot of pleasing pieces of evidence. Tech companies in Toronto are starting to become competitors to tech giants found around the world. Before fintech…
Author: AdeO
Facebook is expanding its Coronavirus Information Centre to 17 more countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. The Information Centres form part of Facebook’s effort to help the global fight against COVID-19 by providing people with the latest news and information from trusted health authorities as well as resources and tips…
Google has announced that Nigerian startup `mDoc’ was one of 11 startups selected to participate in the fully digital inaugural Google for startups Accelerator on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a statement, Yossi Matias, Google’s Vice President, Engineering, said the 11 were selected based on their vision to address challenges outlined…
The African Development Bank has announced the creation of the COVID-19 Response Facility to assist regional member countries in fighting the pandemic. The Facility is the latest measure taken by the Bank to respond to the pandemic and will be the institution’s primary channel for its efforts to address the…
Jack Dorsey, the CEO of both Twitter and digital payments platform Square, has disclosed that he will donate $1 billion worth of equity in Square to his Start Small LLC to fund COVID-19 relief around the world. Dorsey made the announcement in a tweet, revealing that the sum equates to…
With the COVID-19 outbreak, a lot of Nigerians are working from home. Working from your comfort zone may not encourage productivity because there will be a lot of distractions especially if you are residing with family and friends. If you’re going to work from home, no matter the duration, these…
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has announced the postponement of the 2020 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme and TEF forum to 2021. The Tony Elumelu Foundation stated that the decision is a response to the current global crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the obvious limitations it could cause to the programme.…
The Jack Ma Foundation announced today it has officially launched the second edition of the “Africa’s Business Heroes” (ABH) prize competition with applications now open to African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, as well as every sector, age group, and gender. Applications will also now be available in both French and…
Antler, a Singapore headquartered early-stage venture capital (VC) company is inviting startups tackling the Covid-19 outbreak to apply for funding. Antler, which has an African office in Nairobi, plans to invest in up to five teams and deploy up to $500 000 in all five. Antler said in a statement last week that…
Visa has partnered with fintech company Chipper Cash as it plans to expand its reach in Africa. Chipper Cash, which enables instant cross-border mobile money transfers, already has over a million customers and recently launched in South Africa. The company will use $6 million it raised in 2019 to grow in new markets and…
Techstars Toronto has chosen Quidax, a Nigerian cryptocurrency startup to join the accelerator program’s third cohort, which will now begin on June 8, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on Africa, Quidax allows businesses and individuals to buy and sell cryptocurrency with their local currency while making it possible…
Kickstart, one of Europe’s largest innovation platforms, is welcoming applications for the fifth iteration of its annual B2B scale-up programme aimed at late-stage start-ups interested in entering the Swiss market. Around 100 entrepreneurs will join the three-month programme in September to connect and create specific pilots and commercial projects with…
Disney-owned Hotstar has launched its Disney+ video streaming service in India after delaying the planned launch for a month. The launch will bring Disney+’s catalog of movies and shows such as Lion King, Iron Man, and The Mandalorian for a premium subscription of ($20) a year. The premium package will give users access to ad-free live…
In a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19, popularly known as Coronavirus, remote work (essentially working from home) has been the centre of discussions on social media and the Internet in Nigeria and across the world. We have followed these discussions and noticed that reactions are mixed. The reason…
Microtraction has invested in Gradely, a Nigerian ed-tech startup that applies artificial intelligence (AI) to improve learning outcomes in schools. Founded in 2017, VC firm Microtraction invests in startups at the very earliest stage of their development and has so far backed a host of Nigerian startups, like Accounteer, Riby, Thank U Cash, CowryWise, Wallet.ng, Schoolable, 54gene, Termii and Festival Coins, as…
The Lagos State Government has sealed-off the warehouse of one of the largest online marketing store in Africa, Jumia. This action was carried out by two agencies of government, Lagos State Environment Protection Agency (LASEPA) and Lagos State Safety Commission. Another company, SPN Packaging Studio Press Nigeria Plc, was also…
SoftBank has backed out of plans to buy $3 billion in WeWork stock from other shareholders, a board committee of the office space company said dealing a blow to shareholders, including Adam Neumann, the company’s co-founder, and former chief executive, who had hoped to sell their stock. SoftBank, a Japanese…
Nigerian Ekechi Nwokah, the CEO of US-based fintech startup Migo has been selected as one of seven entrepreneurs to join Endeavor, a non-profit organisation that supports high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. Endeavor said in an announcement said that the seven were selected at Endeavor’s first Virtual International Selection Panel held over Zoom. Nwokah…
The Jumia Group has introduced a ‘contactless’ delivery option for prepaid packages on the e-commerce platform as part of measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The company said the measure became necessary to keep consumers, delivery agents and partners, safe in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.…
Founders Factory Africa has selected four startups that will participate in its Venture Scale programme, providing them with funding and tailored support services. Founders Factory, which originally launched in London in 2015 and has already built 70 startups, launched African operations in Johannesburg in 2018, from where it plans to design,…