54gene, the health technology company centered on advancing the field of African genomics to unlock scientific discoveries as well as improve diagnostic and treatment outcomes within Africa and the global community, is creating a trust which it will use to invest up to 5% of future proceeds from the company’s…
Author: Oluwasegun Olukotun
Surging demand for digital connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic has led IFC’s commitments to the telecoms, media and technology (TMT) sector in emerging markets to exceed US$1 billion for the first time in one fiscal year. Almost three-quarters of these commitments, made in fiscal year ending June 2021, were in…
With digital transformation, a top priority on the corporate agenda as companies identify new ways to grow their business, cyber attackers and opportunist cybercriminals remain very active. And although Africa is not necessarily considered a focus area for the more sophisticated types of cybercriminal activity such as targeted attacks or…
Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC) has launched the MIC Khulisani Ventures, a R150 million early-stage investment vehicle targeting black-owned innovative, high growth businesses in South Africa. MIC Khulisani Ventures will invest in promising high-growth potential companies across all sectors, with the exception of primary agriculture and primary extractive industries. The focus…
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Portugal’s National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (Associação Nacional de Jovens Empresários – ANJE), have announced a three-year partnership to support and promote Africa’s Fashion Apparel and Textile Manufacturing Industry in Portugal and across Europe. This partnership is part of Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme,…
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) today announced the launch of its all-new Aqua. Aiming to achieve carbon neutrality, Toyota has been making ever-better cars based on the concept of “introducing sustainable vehicles practically to the market”. As part of this process, the first-generation Aqua came to life at the Iwate Plant…
The Board of Directors of FCMB Group Plc have announced the appointment of Yemisi Edun as the Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited. This announcement is subsequent to the end of service of the bank’s former Managing Director, Adam Nuru. The Board had earlier reviewed media allegations…
Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced Windows 365, a cloud service that introduces a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when it becomes available) to businesses of all sizes. Windows 365 takes the operating system to the Microsoft cloud, streaming the full Windows experience — apps, data and…
Global leader in CRM Salesforce has launched Advertising Sales Management for Media Cloud, a new industry-specific application for managing cross-channel advertising sales. With Advertising Sales Management, cross-channel planning and execution, automated client reporting and campaign optimization converge in a single platform to help drive revenue for publishers. Publishers such as…
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Standard Chartered today announced an agreement for Standard Chartered to provide USD 200m of not-for-profit funding towards Afreximbank’s structured framework to help finance the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines for African nations. The collaboration between Standard Chartered and Afreximbank will help ensure that 55 countries across…
The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has opened nominations for the 2021 annual AWIEF Awards. Currently, in its fifth edition, the prestigious AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa and across various industry sectors for their achievements and contribution to Africa’s inclusive…
In a bid to expand its services in the Middle East and Africa, Digital road freight platform Saloodo! has launched with BeduConnect. The new service was set up to connect countries of the Arabian Peninsula with North African trading partners due to capacities in both air freight and ocean freight…
CDC Group, the UK’s Development Finance Institution and impact investor, has announced a US$50 million trade finance facility for Ecobank International (EBI SA), the Paris based member of the Ecobank Group. This marks CDC’s first partnership with EBISA with the commitment aimed at providing systemic liquidity to underserved markets and…
Netflix and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) on Tuesday announced a multi-year, exclusive licensing deal in the U.S. for animated feature films. The Netflix window will begin after a 4 month Peacock window. This new agreement builds upon Netflix’s pre-existing Illumination output deal with Universal to now include DreamWorks Animation. …
Nokia on Monday announced that it has signed a deal to deploy its comprehensive network technologies to Angola’s new mobile telecommunications operator, Africell, to provide 2G, 3G and 4G services in the capital city Luanda. This deal significantly expands the footprint of both Nokia and Africell in Africa. By deploying…
EBay Inc., a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world, today announced that it has reached an agreement with Permira to sell approximately 125 million shares of its stake in Adevinta for an estimated total consideration of $2.25 billion. The price represents an approximate…
Microsoft Corp. and NEC Corporation on Tuesday announced an expansion of their decades-long collaboration. Through a new multi-year strategic partnership, the companies will leverage Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, NEC’s network and IT expertise, including 5G technologies, and each other’s AI and IoT solutions to help enterprise customers and the public…
Audiomack has teamed up with leading entertainment provider, Ziiki Media to invest in and amplify African music. This partnership will see Audiomack accelerate the craft of artistes across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa through a couple of marketing campaigns. As part of the partnership, Audiomack will have access to…
Leading Global marketing measurement, AppsFlyer in collaboration with tech giant, Google has launched a report that shows a booming African mobile app market, propelled by a growing fintech space, a rise in ‘super apps’, and the COVID-19 pandemic amongst other factors. According to the report, over 6,000 apps and 2…
Volvo Cars has acquired additional shares in Polestar, the electric performance vehicle brand, which will result in its shareholding increasing to 49.5 per cent. The move reflects Volvo Cars’ strong conviction in Polestar’s positioning and exciting potential in the high growth segment for premium electric vehicles. In recent years, Polestar…