Uber is reportedly looking into offering loans directly to drivers, according to a report from Recode. The ride-sharing company recently sent out an in-app survey to some drivers that indicated the company is starting to build a “new financial product” designed to help Uber drivers “in a time of need.” The survey…
Author: AdeO
Google for Startups UK has selected 10 African tech startups that will participate in a 12-week program. The program is designed to connect the best of Google expertise and the London startup ecosystem to technology companies from Africa and help drive socio-economic impact in their operating countries. The 10 participating startups are:…
Samsung plans to release its redesigned Galaxy Fold in September, but reports suggest we’ll see it this Friday, Sept. 6. The foldable phone will come out in South Korea that day, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Friday happens to be the first day of the IFA 2019 trade show in Berlin, which would give Samsung a platform…
Nigerian startups raised over $224.3 million in funding across various sectors in the last eight months according to the data curated by Maxime Bayen. This represents 24.1 per cent of the over $1 million raised across Africa. These reports comprised of 44 startups from nine African countries. Although, the majority…
PEG Africa, a West Africa-based pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar company has raised a US$5 million debt round from ElectriFi, taking its total secured investment to US$55 million as it bids to continue its rapid growth in existing markets. Founded in 2015, PEG Africa deploys solar home systems to households and SMEs…
ENGIE expands its decentralized energy offering in Africa through the acquisition of Mobisol, a pioneer of off-grid solar solutions. Founded in 2011, the company employs over 500 people as well as approximately 1,200 contractors. Mobisol has operations in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya and has installed more than 150,000 solar home…
DHL Express has announced the launch of an innovative mobile platform that will allow its customers in Sub Saharan Africa to track and coordinate the delivery of their shipments with greater ease and convenience. This is according to Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, who says that…
Ugochukwu Festus, a businessman at the popular computer village in Lagos was in dire need of cash to clear his newly arrived goods (gadgets and electronics) at the Apapa Port. He was well aware of what delay means and of course, he knew he could not approach his bank for…
Facebook may soon start hiding likes on News Feed posts. The company already tested a similar move on Instagram in August as a way to help break users’ fixation with getting likes on their pictures. Data miner Jane Manchun Wong discovered that Facebook is experimenting with the change in its Android app yesterday. The…
Smartphones are pretty much essential to modern living, but they have a tendency to cause interruptions at the most inconvenient times. Whether you’re heading into a meeting, or going out for a date, or just want to live a life less shackled to your mobile, here are some approaches you…
The Global Innovation Fund has announced an undisclosed investment in Mr Green Africa, a plastic recycling startup based in Kenya. Mr Green Africa recycles and sells ethically sourced materials with a traceable social and environmental impact. It currently engages over 2,000 previously marginalised waste collectors and sells over 2,000 metric…
Four African tech startups have been selected to join the Merck, Make-IT in Africa accelerator programme. They are South African startup Akili Labs, which designs modular, connected smart point of care molecular diagnostics systems; Kenya’s Bluewave Insurance, which makes insurance more accessible and available for low-income earners; Nigeria’s Chekkit, which designs anti-counterfeit solutions for…
Jumia is bringing a member of its Board who is also an American BasketBall Player and Silicon Valley Investor – Andre Iguodala to Nigeria for an interactive session with techpreneurs on September 11th, 2019. The event will be hosted by Techpoint. The session is themed: “Moving from Zero to Growth.” The aim…
Google has revealed the five most-searched Big Brother Naija Housemates. While the housemates struggle for the grand prize of 60 million Naira, fans have been scouring the net to find out more about their favourite contestants. Eight weeks in, 26 housemates and 12 evictions later, it looks like the most-searched housemates…
Eleven student teams from various universities will pitch their innovative ideas to solve societal problems to a team of academic and industry experts at the Professor Ogindipe Innovation Challenge (POIC) next Tuesday at the Jelili Omotola Multipurpose Halls of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). At a press briefing to announce…
Ecobank has announced that the International Finance Corporation and the funds managed by the IFC Asset Management Company (“AMC”) have completed the sale of their 14.1 per cent stake in Ecobank to Arise B.V. J. P. Morgan Securities PLC acted as Sole Placement Agent and Sole Financial Advisor to IFC…
Itanna, the corporate venture capital platform of Honeywell Group, has officially announced the launch of the second edition of its accelerator and investment programme. As communicated when it launched its first accelerator programme in 2018, Itanna’s objective is to stimulate economic growth in Africa by investing and supporting tech-enabled, for-profit startups…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced that loan defaulters will lose all their bank deposits according to a new clause introduced in the offer document. Thanks to the Bank Verification Number (BVN), bank customers, who take loans but default in paying back, will henceforth lose their assets across the…
Nomanini, the pioneering fintech platform for the informal retail ecosystem, has today announced a $4m funding round led by Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank, and completed by Goodwell Investments, an Amsterdam-based investment firm focused on fintech and financial inclusion. Through the terms of the strategic investment, Standard Bank gains a stake in…
EZ Farming, a Nigerian agritech has received $150,000 seed funding from 500 Startups, a San Francisco-based accelerator after a four-accelerator program. EZ Farming is a marketplace that enables farmers to fund their businesses through the provision of micro-loans and ease of access to produce buyers across the world. Successful startups that participate in…