Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

In a detailed LinkedIn statement dated Thursday, October 17, 2024, Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, the co-founder and former CEO of the African genomics firm 54gene, addressed the speculation and rumors that have been swirling since his resignation from the company. He took this opportunity to correct the record regarding his exit…

Aya Data, an emerging AI consultancy firm based in Ghana, has successfully secured a seed investment of $900,000. This funding, comprising both debt and equity components, is earmarked for the expansion of the startup’s two innovative products, AyaGrow and AyaSpeech, as well as for the recruitment of additional skilled personnel.…

One of the top 10 fintech contenders in the Milken-Motsepe Fintech Prize competition is set to secure a $1 million grand prize at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference, which will take place in Los Angeles in May. The Milken Institute, in partnership with the Motsepe Foundation, recently revealed the 10…

During Lenovo’s annual Tech World innovation summit, a significant partnership was announced between Lenovo and FIFA, positioning Lenovo as the Official FIFA Technology Partner. This premier sponsorship encompasses the FIFA World Cup 2026™, set to take place across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, as well as the FIFA Women’s…

Nigerian entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being called upon to submit their applications for the Sterling Bank Green Innovation Challenge. This initiative is focused on providing financial support to businesses that are actively involved in creating innovative solutions within the agricultural sector, clean technology, or social enterprises…

Safaricom, Kenya’s leading telecommunications provider, has forged strategic alliances with Cloudflare, a renowned international web infrastructure and cybersecurity company, and Copycat, a prominent business technology provider in Africa. This collaboration is designed to fortify Kenyan businesses against contemporary cyber threats and data breaches. The core objective of this partnership is…

GoMetro, a company originally established in South Africa and now based in London, specializes in providing B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for fleet management. It has recently been awarded a significant grant of GBP147,000 (approximately US$191,000) from the UK Freight Innovation Fund. This fund is managed by the UK Department of…

JPMorgan Chase & Co. recognized as the world’s largest bank, has announced the appointment of former Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) executive, Sailepu Montet, as its new Country Manager for Kenya. This strategic move is part of the bank’s ongoing efforts to expand its presence in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a…

SpaceX’s Starlink division has submitted a formal request to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for authorization to make significant enhancements to its satellite broadband service, Starlink. This move is aimed at achieving gigabit-per-second internet speeds, a goal that was initially set in 2016. The proposed upgrades would mark a…

Linda Ndungu, the General Manager of Bolt Kenya, has announced the implementation of an advanced trip anomaly detection system designed to enhance the safety of its ride-hailing services. This sophisticated system enables the company to monitor all ongoing trips in real-time, ensuring immediate detection of any irregularities. Should a trip…

Jumia Technologies AG, a prominent African eCommerce platform, has made a strategic decision to discontinue its operations in South Africa and Tunisia as part of a company-wide resource optimization initiative. The planned shutdown by the end of 2024 is aimed at redirecting the company’s focus towards regions with higher growth…

The Kenyan-based company Octavia Carbon, specializing in direct air capture (DAC) technology, has successfully secured a seed investment of US$5 million. This funding will bolster the company’s innovative efforts to harness geothermal energy, particularly the utilization of waste heat, to effectively extract carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and achieve…

Lapaire, a pioneering eyewear startup based in Africa, has recently garnered significant investment from AfricInvest and Proparco to bolster its expansion efforts across the continent. AfricInvest is set to infuse $2.5 million into the venture, while Proparco will augment this with a contribution of EUR 450,000 (approximately $490,278) through its…

Google has forged a pivotal partnership with Kairos Power, embarking on a venture to harness nuclear energy for its AI data centers. The company is charting a course to energize its AI operations with compact nuclear reactors, with the inaugural reactor anticipated to become operational within the current decade, followed…

The Ghanaian digital health startup BIMA has successfully secured a new round of investment from AAIC Investment, with the specific amount remaining undisclosed. BIMA is recognized for providing affordable health insurance and digital health services, specifically catering to the low-income and underserved demographics in emerging markets. As Ghana’s first licensed…

Sistema.bio, a biogas technology firm headquartered in Nairobi, has successfully secured $15 million in new funding to enhance its global reach in providing sustainable energy solutions. This financial boost will enable the company to broaden its operations, venture into new markets, and further develop its regenerative agricultural offerings, aiming to…

The African Business Angel Network (ABAN), a leading network of angel investors in Africa, has joined forces with the Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) project, managed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), to…

The Reunert Group in South Africa has successfully consolidated its subsidiaries, IQbusiness and +OneX, to form a new entity known as iqbusiness. This newly merged entity positions itself as a “digital integrator” in the business and technology services sector, boasting a Level 1 B-BBEE certification. This merger is a strategic…

South African renewable energy firm Terra Firma has unveiled a substantial R1.3 billion ($73.8 million) solar energy project to combat the country’s escalating electricity costs. The project aims to produce a total of 110MWp of solar power, utilizing Eskom’s grid through an innovative financial approach known as “energy wheeling.” This…

Egyptian B2B e-commerce platform MaxAB has recently made a significant announcement regarding its leadership team. Mohamed Ben Halim, who co-founded the company and has been serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO), is set to depart from MaxAB to pursue new ventures. This news arrives on the heels of MaxAB’s…