Dropbox CEO Drew Houston is joining Facebook’s board of the directors, the company said Monday. Houston co-founded Dropbox in 2007 alongside fellow MIT student Arash Ferdowsi. Mark Zuckerberg is a friend of Houston’s. “Drew brings a valuable perspective to our board as a leader of a technology company with services used by millions of…
Author: AdeO
CeedCap, a startup studio on a mission to build great companies, has announced its official membership into the Global Startup Studio Network (GSSN), a network of venture builders, giving startups the power to create and grow powerful businesses and make a meaningful impact, wherever they call home. This milestone is…
For any business, the first year of operation can be very topsyturvy. However, planning ahead, reaching out to obtain the resources you need and surrounding yourself with the right people can ease some of those growing pains. Here’s advice you can follow to have a successful first year in business.…
South Africa has become the first country in Africa to join the Facebook Amber Alerts programme. This follows the announcement of a partnership between Facebook and The South African Police Service (SAPS) to use the Facebook platform and community to help find missing children.The system enables the South African Police…
The African Drone Forum (ADF) has announced the finalists of the first African Drone Business Challenge (ADBC), a business plan competition for African entrepreneurs to uncover new commercial use cases for drone applications that demonstrate a high potential for local impact. The 10 finalists are DRONE ERA (Benin) Africa Bees (DRC) Kenya Flying Labs (Kenya)…
Facebook in partnership with Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) announced the second edition of the annual Innovation Showcase Week (ISW 2020) scheduled to hold on the February 13th and 14th. Tagged “The Best of West-African Innovation”, the two-day exhibition will bring to view solutions built by companies in the CcHUB and Facebook…
SDG500, a $500m impact investment platform, has launched, combining partners from the private and public sectors, including United Nations entities, non-governmental organisations and a private equity firm, to catalyse investments that will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The platform will raise $500m for hundreds of businesses in emerging…
Jumia, Africa’s largest e-commerce company, has appointed Massimiliano Spalazzi as the Chief Executive Officer, Jumia Nigeria. The Company said that the appointment is in line with the operation’s plans as Jumia has grown from startup to full-fledged technology status. Massimiliano Spalazzi takes over from Juliet Anammah who has assumed the role…
Go Global Africa, an initiative of the International Tech Hub Network is now for open for applications from Kenyan, Nigerian and South African entrepreneurs who are using technology to solve problems in their countries. Go Global Africa is part of the UK Government’s Prosperity Fund Digital Access Programme led by…
Airtel Africa and Western Union have entered into a partnership to facilitate mobile remittance service. Airtel said in a statement that through the partnership, its customers would be able to reliably send and receive international money transfer directly from their phones, using the Airtel Africa mobile money. It said the…
Amazon Music which has only been around since 2016 has passed the 55 million subscriber mark, making it a serious threat to Apple’s service, according to a report by the Financial Times. Amazon Music has been offering six price tiers, ranging from a free service to a premium, but Amazon said…
WhatsApp, a Facebook-owned messaging app for Android has now hit 5 billion downloads, making it only the second non-Google app to achieve this milestone. According to Statista, WhatsApp is the most popular global mobile messenger app worldwide with approximately 1.6 billion monthly active users, outranking Facebook Messenger at 1.3 billion…
MFS Africa, a South African based fintech startup has secured an additional $1.2-million as a follow-on investment, from Nairobi-based FSD Africa Investments. FSD Africa Investments, which is the investment arm of the UK government-funded specialist development agency FSD Africa, made the announcement in London during the UK-Africa Investment Summit. The investment arm invests in…
CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, has committed US$15 million to TLcom’s TIDE Africa Fund to support early-stage high-growth start-ups across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). With a presence in the key financial hubs of Lagos and Nairobi, TLcom targets businesses that leverage technology to address African business…
How many tabs do you have open in your browser right now? If you said under ten or so, kudos–you probably don’t have a tab problem. Others, though, including myself, often have dozens of tabs overflowing in their browsers. Here’s how you can take back control and make your browser…
The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Business Machine, (IBM), to bridge the huge digital literacy gap in Nigeria. Speaking at the signing of the MOU, Country General Manager of IBM Nigeria, Dipo Faulkner, observed that digital economy and emerging technologies have brought changes…
Catalyst Fund has received $15 million in investment from JP Morgan and UK Aid to back fintech startups in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, India and Mexico. The Catalyst Fund is an inclusive fintech accelerator managed by BFA Global and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Established in 2016, the Boston-based accelerator was backed…
Morrocan real-estate startup, Mubawab has raised a $7-million investment from UAE-based Emerging Markets Property Group (EMPG). According to reports, the Moroccan firm will use the funding to grow its team and expand its operations. Mubawab connects those looking to sell or property to individuals and other players in the real-estate sector. The company…
Startups participating in the second season of the Facebook Accelerator Programme have recorded significant achievements, including raising over $500,000 in committed investments and grants in just three months (halfway through the programme). Within the same period, they have also made significant product pivots, sealed key partnerships and made progress towards…
Opera has been accused of offering predatory loans terms on borrowers in Nigeria, Kenya and India. This is according to a report by Hindenburg Research alleging that Opera is running four Android apps aimed at India, Kenya and Nigeria (CashBean, OKash, OPay and OPesa) that appear to be in direct violation…