Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

Nigerian consumer data analytics firm Terragon Group recently announced that it had secured an undisclosed investment from VestedWorld, an Africa-focused early-stage investment fund manager. VestedWorld has invested in Terragon to further increase the company’s geographic reach, expand its product suite and develop new partnerships. Understanding the African consumer Founded in 2011 with the…

South African-based fintech startup Ukheshe Payment Solutions has won second place at the first KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Africa competition, which came to an exciting close this week. The competition is aimed at recognizing the fastest-growing, most innovative technology companies across the continent. Africa’s prospective unicorn Founded in 2018, Ukheshe was showcased…

Leading global payments solutions, Visa, on Thursday agreed to acquire Swedish financial technology start-up Tink for 1.8 billion euros ($2.1 billion), in a deal aimed at bolstering the payment giant’s digital ambitions. The deal comes after Visa’s bid to buy Plaid, an American rival to Tink, was torpedoed by U.S. regulators.…

The antivirus software creator John McAfee has been found dead in his cell in Spain, hours after the country’s national court approved his extradition to the United States, where he was wanted on tax-related criminal charges that carry a prison sentence of up to 30 years. Catalan’s regional police force, the Mossos…

Finch Technologies which works with and provides controllers and technology to some of the biggest names in virtual and augmented reality has made another undisclosed investment in FundingHub, South Africa’s leading business finance marketplace. This second investment makes the company FundingHub’s majority shareholder. Michael Bowren, Finch Technologies CEO clarified the decision: “We…

Google will open its first retail store in New York City, highlighting the internet giant’s effort to promote its consumer hardware devices. The store, in Manhattan’s trendy Chelsea neighborhood, will open to the public Thursday, the Mountain View, California-based company said Wednesday in a blog post. The shop, which is…

The Cape Skills and Employment Accelerator Project has been launched by the City of Cape Town in partnership with the National Skills Fund (NSF) to create employment opportunities for youth and women between 18-35. The City is contributing R55-million over three years towards training and work placement in companies in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)…

One platform to access all payment and fintech services across Middle East & Africa MoneyHash announced its acquisition of an undisclosed pre-seed investment led by Amir Farha’s COTU Ventures in a statement released on 7 June. Kepple Africa Ventures and other angel investors also took part in the round. The Egyptian startup plans to…

Waymo, the self-driving company of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has raised $2.5 billion as its investors appear undeterred by a CEO change and progress that has lagged expectations. The investment comes about a year after the company raised $2.25 billion in its first external fundraising round. Waymo said Wednesday that the new funding came from Alphabet,…

Webrock, venture capital and private equity company headquartered in Stockholm, has partnered with Healthforce, a digital health company majority-owned by South Africa’s leading retail pharmacy chain Dis-Chem, to launch a Swedish healthcare app Doktor.se in South Africa. The launch of the platform in Africa follows a pre-seed round of $3-million in funding secured and…

South Africa’s newest kid in the block and first open banking marketplace, Spot Money has launched a shared wallet feature on their fintech app, Spot. The feature is a digital solution that seeks to create transparency for shared financial investments, like stokvels. New Shared Account feature The Spot app offers customers transactional…

SA-based venture capital fundraiser Akro has joined the University of Cape Town’s Investsoc and Entrepreneur’s Society to launch 2021’s UCT Shark Tank. Applications are open until midnight on 27 August 2021. Applicants must be formally registered current students or alumni from 2018-2020. This year’s event will not be just a pure pitch competition –…

On 22-25 June 2021 the Netherlands Enterprise Agency will launch the Virtual Tech Mission in participation with several South African tech organisations. The event brings together companies active in the healthtech, fintech, and smart logistics industries to discuss local issues affecting both nations and create future networking opportunities. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency works to bring subsidising,…

Forge Academy a forerunner education facility focused on training students for careers that rely on 3D printing, next-generation computing, virtual and augmented reality, and digital marketing so that they can be equipped to have influence, impact, and increase in the Fourth Industrial Revolution will host an SMME Showcase for tech…

El Salvador has become the first country in the world to officially adopt the largest and most popular cryptocurrency bitcoin as legal tender. Lawmakers in the Central American country’s Congress voted by a “supermajority” in favor of the Bitcoin Law, receiving 62 out of 84 of the legislature’s vote. The price…

Johannesburg-based Khula Africa Innovation Projects an organization dedicated to creating innovative projects that help accelerate Africa’s growth into the digital age has launched a new edutech platform for local teachers and students. Titled Smartpozi, the platform is a digital directory that connects qualified teachers with students who require academic support. Siyabulela Bomvu, co-founder…

Established by Campus AFD (French Development Agency), The Social & Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC) has officially opened applications for this year’s programme. Innovative African entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply to the programme as it aims to drive growth in the continent’s ecosystem. Campus AFD is committed to assisting African social entrepreneurs with…

Five African startups have received a $5000 funding grant from Southern Africa Innovation Support Programme (SAIS) and Seedstars, a private Swiss-based tech company. The startups have been selected from the 2019/2020 Investment Readiness Programme (IRP), a startup education initiative that helps participants convert their ideas into sustainable tech solutions. Investment Readiness Programme Zambian mobile…

Cape Town-founded mobility technology startup WhereIsMyTransport and is a central source of complete public transport data for emerging-market megacities has secured $14.5-million which’s equivalent to at least R42-million in funding from Naspers. This investment forms part of the R201-million funding round led by Naspers Foundry, Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund, and SBI Investment. Many…

Silicon Cape and the United States Embassy in South Africa will host a virtual hackathon over the weekend of 19 and 20 June 2021. Daily bootcamps will be held from 21 to 25 of June, with the overall winner announced on the 27 of June. This collaboration is part of the Hackathons for South…