Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has joined forces with Switzerland-based company Seedstars, to launch INFUSE 2024, a globally open initiative calling for innovation proposals. The main aims of the initiative are to strengthen health systems against the threats posed by climate change and improve the delivery of immunization programs. Seedstars is…
Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi
On Wednesday, the European Union Parliament made history by approving the world’s first substantial regulatory framework to oversee mediatized artificial intelligence, a primary area of tech investment. The provisional political agreement was achieved in December and received approval in the Parliament with 523 votes for, 46 against, and 49 not…
Chinese tech major, Xiaomi, has announced that it will begin deliveries of its first electric vehicle (EV) in the ongoing month, marking its debut in the fiercely competitive auto sector. The price for the new car is anticipated to be revealed on March 28. Xiaomi, which ranks as China’s fifth-largest…
The US House of Representatives has passed a significant bill which, if enacted, might result in TikTok being outlawed in America. The proposed legislation stipulates that ByteDance, the parent company of the social media behemoth, has six months to sell its predominant stake, failing which, the app will be terminated…
China has issued a warning to the US, suggesting that a prospective ban on TikTok could have repercussions, following lawmakers’ approval of a bill that could lead to the app’s prohibition. The proposed legislation in the House of Representatives mandates that TikTok, owned by a Chinese company, must cut ties…
The Prudential Authority of the South African Reserve Bank has granted Capitec approval to increase its stake in international online consumer loan company, Avafin Holding Limited (Avafin), from 40.66% to 97.69%. The deal, which is estimated to be worth €26.3 million, is still subject to clearance by the Financial Surveillance…
Kenya is emerging as a leader in Africa’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector with the introduction of digital hubs throughout the country. This initiative is being implemented via the Jitume project, a government-led initiative which translates to ‘Send Yourself’ in Swahili. The construction of these hubs is part of Kenya’s…
Safaricom, a telecom company in Kenya, has established a new engagement platform called “Grow with Safaricom Business” aimed at helping Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) expand their businesses. According to the company’s statement, the platform will provide Kenyan MSMEs with a space to exchange information and collaborate on crucial…
Telkom Kenya, the third-largest telecommunications provider in the country, has experienced a significant drop in its subscriber base, losing approximately 800,000 customers in just three months. This comes on the heels of the American Towers Corporation (ATC) shutting down its network towers. By December 2023, the number of Telkom’s mobile…
Airtel Africa is currently contemplating taking its mobile money division, Airtel Money, public, with potential valuations exceeding $4 billion, according to a Bloomberg report. This development is still in the early stages of discussion and the company may eventually decide not to proceed with the initial public offering (IPO). Despite…
The ride-hailing company, Bolt, has extended its operations into Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as part of the company’s efforts to increase the availability of private transportation options in the city. Following this launch, Bolt is focusing on recruiting over 200 drivers and has begun accepting…
ORA Technologies, a startup based in Morocco, has successfully raised $1.5 million in a seed funding round from local entrepreneurs. This funding will support the company’s goal to activate its e-wallet function, which facilitates instant money transfers, through a collaboration with M2T, a subsidiary of Banque Centrale Populaire. This follows…
Over the past year, since June, a total of 22 entrepreneurs from 10 tech startups across Africa have been welcomed into the global Endeavor network, receiving a wide range of support to help their businesses expand and grow. Endeavor is an initiative committed to propelling long-term economic growth by identifying,…
Startups from Kenya and Nigeria have been selected for the sixth edition of the CV Labs accelerator, gaining access to US$135,000 in capital, connections to other funding avenues, personalized mentorship, and customized growth strategies. CV Labs is the ecosystem division of CV VC, a global blockchain investor based in Switzerland.…
Flat6Labs, a top seed and early-stage venture capital firm in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), along with Organon, a healthcare firm focused on women’s health, have unveiled the second cycle of their collaborative project, the Women’s Health Accelerator Programme. Flat6Labs, first introduced in Cairo in 2011, has established…
Despite the challenging macroeconomic conditions impacting businesses, Nigerian startups persist in creating technological solutions to a multitude of problems within the country. Their efforts have managed to maintain investor interest amid these difficult times. The Innovest Ignite Lagos accelerator has a mission to provide support to 5,000 startups originating from…
30Med, an innovative healthtech startup headquartered in Egypt, has recently received an undisclosed sum in pre-seed funding from private angel investors. According to reports, this will furnish the company with the necessary financial backing to further develop its platform and broaden its footprint in the medical community. Founded by Ayman…
The Nigerian government is stepping up its scrutiny of Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, by demanding information about the platform’s top 100 users in the country. This development comes in the wake of the alleged detention of two Binance executives in Nigeria, believed to be linked to…
Nigerian payments giant Interswitch, backed by Visa, has decided to merge with M-Kudi, a provider of mobile money services. This strategic move by Interswitch is a step towards securing a Payment Service Bank (PSB) license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Pending regulatory approval, this merger will enable Interswitch to…
United States-based satellite broadband service provider, Omnispace, has recently made public a collaboration with MTN Group, a leading telecommunications operator in Africa. The partnership aims to enhance the capabilities of MTN’s mobile network across the continent. In this venture, Omnispace intends to combine its non-terrestrial network (NTN) with MTN’s land-based…