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IFC invests $10.5 million in new 4DX Ventures Fund to support tech startups in Africa
Africa is among the regions least served by venture capital, receiving just 2% of global venture deal volume in the third quarter of 2023.
Orange launches Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East to encourage entrepreneurship
Since 2011, the OSVP prize has been rewarding innovative start-up projects that use and develop new technologies to make a positive impact in Africa and the Middle East
[Column] Kevin Ng'ang'a: E-commerce can create a borderless and efficient market for Africa
One area that has the potential to create a borderless and efficient market as envisioned by AfCFTA is Africa’s e-commerce space which Statista estimated hit the $40 billion-mark last year.
Conference discusses the role of nature-based solutions in healing the planet
The Global EverGreening Alliance in partnership with the Government of Zambia, AFR100, and AUDA-NEPAD has convened a global conference bringing together global thought leaders and action-takers to deliberate and come up with actionable strategies to tap into the potential of nature to address challenges.
[Free Webinar] Accelerating FX Success: Expansion Strategies for Marketing Agencies in Eastern, Western Africa
This event is tailored for marketing executives and CFOs looking to gain actionable insights into international expansion, building a global clientele and establishing strong online presence.
Christine Namara joins Flat6Labs as partner for Africa Seed Fund
In a strategic move to strengthen its existing footprint in the vibrant African startup ecosystem, Flat6Labs, the seed venture capital firm in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, has appointed Christine Namara as Partner for its Africa Seed Fund.
Global mobility firm inDrive launches venture targeting startups
inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, has announced the launch of a new venture and M&A arm aiming to invest up to $100 million in promising startups.
Kuramo Capital to invest $150m in women-led startups in Africa
Kuramo Capital Management has announced plans to invest $150m in female-led enterprises.
Mobility startup Treepz launches insurance program for car rentals in Africa
Treepz is introducing an insurance program for car rentals in Africa.
Sony launches Sony Innovation Fund Africa
Sony has launched ''Sony Innovation Fund: Africa" to support the growth of the entertainment businesses in Africa.
BFA Global, FSD Africa and IUCN launch Africa Blue Wave to support tech startups
BFA Global, FSD Africa, and IUCN have launched the Africa Blue Wave.
South African payments startup Revio raises $5.2 seed round to grow coverage across Africa
Revio has announced a seed investment round of $5.2m.
Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Health unveils the 2023 cohort
The Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Health has unveiled its 2023 cohort.
IFC invests in e-Commerce platform ANKA to support Africa’s creative Artisans
IFC has invested $3.4m equity investment in African e-Commerce platform ANKA.
[Column] Sandi de Souza: Why top-performing companies use AI to boost procurement
Leading organisations are augmenting their source-to-pay processes with AI
Flapmax announces 12 African startups selected for FAST Accelerator program
Flapmax announced the twelve companies selected for FAST Accelerator program.
50 African women to benefit from fellowship on agri food policies
The two-year career development program aims to grow a pool of confident and capable mid-career African women to lead policy changes to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods, particularly women.
Catalyst Fund marks its first close to back climate tech startups in Africa
The Catalyst Fund has reached the first close of its targeted $40m fund.
Investor-founder disconnect poses major threat to African tech funding
African tech investors will not invest follow-on funding in a startup failing to provide regular reporting updates.
[Column] Marcel Bruyns: AI is getting smarter and critical infrastructure is set to benefit
AI has emerged as a defining trend in today's business arena.
[Column] Dong Won Lee: Tech innovations should enrich the total customer experience
New technologies are now ingrained in our lives.
One Campaign urges African leaders to elevate policy changes to tackle climate change
The One Campaign is urging all leaders to use this pivotal moment to unite around a shared pan-African agenda – one that brings justice and prosperity.
African fintech startup Lipa Later gets greenlight for public fundraising in US
Lipa Later Group is a global trailblazing innovator recognized as one of Africa's Fastest-Growing Fintech Companies by the Financial Times that continues to reshape the finance, payments, and e-commerce landscape in Africa.
MEST Africa Challenge Startup Pitch Competition applications open
MEST Africa has opened applications for its 2023 Challenge Startup Pitch Competition for African startups.
Nigeria's Treepz among startups selected for 2023 VC4A Venture Showcase Africa
Treepz hes been selected to participate in VC4A Venture Showcase Africa.
Google launches AI First accelerator program for African startups
Google has announced the launch of a new accelerator program to support AI startups in Africa.
[Column] Ololade Odunsi: Global tech job cuts - what African techies can do to thrive
There have been nearly 160,000 Layoffs among US tech companies.
[Column] Mukesh Bector: How Augmented Reality is transforming print technology
The journey of print technology has been nothing short of remarkable.
Closing the capital gap on impact investment in Africa, report
African fund managers face unique obstacles that impede their access to capital for social impact.
FAST Accelerator launches 2nd Cohort of AI program for African startups
Flapmax has launched the second FAST Accelerator program.
Kenyan healthtech startup Zuri Health secures additional investment from Marula Square
Zuri Health has secured additional investment from Marula Square.
Nigeria's Remedial Health raises $12m to deliver financial services for neighborhood pharmacies
Remedial Health has secured $12m in an equity and debt funding round.
[Column] Hani Raad: Dedication, innovation, and education - the recipe for Africa’s digital prosperity
Africa has come a long way in terms of digital innovation and adoption.
[Column] Nchaupe Khaole: Unlocking South Africa's technology investment potential
Technology enabled businesses and the solutions they develop represent growth.
Visa opens applications for its Africa Fintech Accelerator Program
Visa has opened applications for startups to participate in the first cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program.
[Column] Patrick Evans: Boosting cybersecurity with robust digital risk assessment tools
Cybersecurity be boosted by building a strong cyber risk profile.
Startupbootcamp AfriTech opens cohort 4 of its ASIP accelerator program
Startupbootcamp AfriTech has opened applications its ASIP accelerator program.
[Column] Ronald Magondo: How cloud-native approaches are redefining business
Cloud-native approaches are rapidly redefining the business landscape.
[Column] Theo van Zyl: Connectivity on the go, why not all mobile internet services are the same
More consumers are taking a closer look at their connectivity requirements.
[Column] Rami Osman: 5G as a catalyst for economic opportunities, innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is at the forefront of innovations.
Kenyan agritech startup Kyosk acquires KwikBasket, expands into fresh produce market
Kenyan agritech startup Kyosk, is expanding into the African fresh produce market.
Ayoba, Adanian Labs launch accelerator programme in Nigeria
Ayoba has partnered with Adanian Labs to launch an SME accelerator program in Nigeria.
[Column] Paul Selibas: Embedded finance in the age of e-Commerce
The African online e-Commerce market has grown rapidly in recent years.
Seedstars launches FIWAM program to boost financial inclusion for women migrants
Seedstars has launched a program to promote financial inclusion for women.
Empowering Africa's socio-economic landscape through innovative solutions, Plug and Play
Innovation is critical in shaping the future of Africa’s growth.
[Column] Zafir Junaid: Bridging the AI skills gap in Africa
As we navigate the contours of the 4IR, powered by AI, it is becoming increasingly evident that Africa has a critical role to play.
Kenyan fashion e-Commerce startup ShopZetu raises pre-seed funding to fuel growth of its marketplace
Kenyan fashion e-Commerce startup ShopZetu has raised $1m pre-seed funding.
Seedstars, Fondation Botnar launch youth Wellbeing Ventures with $20m investment in Africa
Seedstars Capital and Fondation Botnar have invested $20m for early-stage startups.
Haul247 secures $3m seed funding to drive innovation in Africa’s logistics industry
Haul247 has raised $3 million in a seed funding round.
Orange partners with Digital Africa to strengthen the growth of African startups
Orange has partnered with Digital Africa, to promote and strengthen African startups.
[Column] Patrick Ndegwa: Journey to the centre of the cloud; why Kenya should store data locally
Kenyan businesses are migrating to the cloud en masse.
Africa among top 3 regions prone to mobile financial scam, report
Throughout 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, 14% of installs of potentially unwanted mobile financial apps on Android phones were made.
[Interview] Renate Swanepoel, COO, INC. Networking
Renate Swanepoel is an entrepreneur, global networker and inspirational speaker.
[Column] Nixon Gecheo: Agtech, a pivotal force driving climate change action in agriculture
The agricultural sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
AWS selects 25 African startups for its Fintech in Africa accelerator
25 African fintech startups have been selected for the inaugural AWS FinTech Africa Accelerator cohort.
[Column] Somesh Adukia: Paper versus digital; the future of work
Digitization is revolutionizing the way businesses operate across the globe.
[Column] Mukesh Bector: A simple place to start if you’re lagging on digital transformation
Digital transformation: we’ve all heard the phrase a thousand times.
[Column] Joanne Mwangi – Yelbert: Entice more women in tech to bridge skills gap and bolster growth
Incredible improvements in tech are rapidly reshaping our world.
[Column] Darryl Pietersen: Africa’s digital dividend: The role of technology in remittances
The growth of Africa’s digital economy has resulted in many positive changes.
Climate tech startup Amini raises $2m to solve environmental data scarcity for Africa
Amini, Corp. has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding in an oversubscribed round.
Nigerian cold-chain startup Gricd rebrands as Figorr, secures $1.5m seed funding to support data-driven insurance for perishable goods in Africa
Gricd, a technology company that develops Internet of Things-powered solutions to support the last-mile delivery of perishable goods, has secured $1.5m seed funding.
The Futurelist launches to connect Africa's tech startups to global investors
African Leadership International (ALI), has obtained the rights to the 'Global Finder' platform for tech startups from Israel-based Start-Up Nation Central (SNC).
Nigerian payments startup Nomba raises $30m pre-Series B funding round
Nigerian payment service provider Nomba has raised a $30 million pre-Series B funding round to support the delivery of bespoke payment solutions for African businesses.
[Column] Oluwatobi Amusan: Financial inclusion in Africa with embedded trade finance
There can be no talk of financial inclusion in Africa without trade finance. Trade promotes economic growth, reduces poverty, fosters economic and cultural links between regions and countries, and facilitates capital movement.
Africa’s mezzanine debt fund manager Vantage Capital exits Dynamic Bedding
Vantage Capital, Africa’s mezzanine debt fund manager, announced it has fully exited its investment in Dynamic Bedding, a South African specialist bed manufacturer and retailer.
Fintech startup Pyypl rolls out social, micro-investment platform for African entrepreneurs and micro-SMEs
Fintech startup Pyypl has announced the commercial rollout of its social, micro-investment platform for self-employed entrepreneurs and micro-SMEs in Africa.
African blockchain startups raised $474m in 2022, report
The growth of the African crypto market has been remarkable in spite of the ongoing crunch the industry is experiencing globally.
Pan-African payments startup PayDay re-launches in Rwanda, partners with Starlink to enable internet access
Pan-African payments startup PayDay has re-launched in Rwanda and announced a partnership that will enable Startlink customers to purchase their subscription services through the platform.
Artificial intelligence: Africa takes up the subject
As AI systems like ChatGPT begin to disrupt our daily lives, the global race for innovation is accelerating. The biggest advances are taking place in the United States, China and Europe.
French-African Fund 2 completes final close at over €50 million
AfricInvest announced a final close of the French African Fund II (FFA II), the successor fund to the French African Fund (FFA), having raised over €50 million of subscriptions.
[Interview] Anne-Marie Chidzero, Chief Investment Officer, FSD Africa
Anne-Marie Chidzero is the Chief Investment Officer at the Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) Investments. In this interview, she talks about the risks and opportunities in backing Africa’s early-stage startups.
[Column] Alp Tilev: Why the transition to e-mobility in Africa must be expedited
Historically, Asia has been the birthplace of motorcycles. China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam are the world's four largest motorcycle markets. The continent is home to roughly 58% of all motorcycles in the world.
[Column] Gur Geva: Biometric attacks on the rise: the trends financial institutions need to be aware of in 2023
In the past year there has been a 149% increase in threat actors using emulators to attack mobile platforms. There has also been a 295% increase in novel face swaps.
Nigerian fintech firm Zone adopts ThetaRay AI Solution to screen payments
Zone (formerly Appzone) and ThetaRay announced they will collaborate to implement ThetaRay’s cloud-based SONAR solution to monitor and screen Zone’s transactions in Nigeria for illicit activities and sanctions violations.
Nigerian fintech startup Moni unveils new community-powered digital loans for African SMEs
Nigerian fintech startup Moni has launched a new range of business loans targeting SMEs in Africa.
Forces shaping the retail landscape in 2023, ESW
Brands and merchants are constantly adapting to the ever-changing forces that shape the retail landscape
Applications for inaugural AWS FinTech Africa Accelerator now open
Amazon Web Services’ Startup Loft Accelerator announced the inaugural launch of its AWS FinTech Africa Accelerator.
African market intelligence startup Rwazi raises $4m funding to accelerate growth
African market intelligence startup Rwazi has raised a $4 million seed funding round led by Bonfire Ventures and saw participation from Newfund Capital and Alumni Ventures.
[Column] Thabiso Foto: Fintech is a path to democratised financial services
Fintech has played a significant role in democratizing access to financial services across Africa in the past decade.
[Column] Jon Tullett: Cloud economics for enterprises
When looking at cloud economics for enterprises, it is important to determine whether the cloud spend within the organisation is optimal today and will continue to be so tomorrow.
Dream VC opens applications for its 2023 talent accelerator program in Africa
Dream VC, a Remote Venture Capital Upskilling Institute, has opened applications for its 2023 Accelerator Program for VCs in Africa.
[Column] Mukesh Bector: The ingredients of tech innovation
Time only moves in one direction, and with it, we must keep evolving. Technology has become central to our development as a species and is likely to remain so.
[Column] Takalane Khashane: Building a digital, sustainable bank for the future
Banking, like many other sectors, has responded to rapid change and evolving customer needs by developing a digital strategy.
[Column] Gur Geva: How biometrics can fuel inclusive growth in Nigeria’s ICT sector
Nigeria is at an inflection point where it needs to adopt enabling technologies at scale to support high growth in the telecommunications and digital sectors.
African fintech Flutterwave secures two additional licenses in Rwanda
Flutterwave, Africa's payments technology company, has announced that it has received its Electronic Money Issuer and Remittance Licenses from the National Bank of Rwanda.
African Media Agency, Africa Fintech Summit partner to promote fintech innovation in Africa
African Media Agency (AMA) and Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS), have announced a strategic partnership aimed at increasing awareness about the fintech industry's innovation in Africa and promoting the upcoming summit throughout the continent.
[Column] Imane Charioui: Addressing the gender gap in the technology sector
Today, innovations in the financial services sector are increasingly recognized for their acceleration of access to science, technology and innovation for all.
African startups compete for £4.1 million funding to tackle pollution
Kenyan and Nigerian startups have dominated the cohort of finalists for the Afri-Plastics Challenge that is seeking solutions to plastic waste and reducing pollution that makes its way into the marine environment.
[Interview] Julie Davila, VP Global Field CTO Operations, Sophos
Cybersecurity has become one of the biggest global challenges facing businesses around the world. The industry is always shifting as new technological innovations emerge and modify firms’ security practices drawing in a more diverse group of professionals, including women.
Microsoft adds 13 new African languages on its translation service
Microsoft has added 13 new African languages to its Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services Translator, allowing text and documents to be translated to and from these languages across the entire Microsoft ecosystem of products and services.
Applications open for Google's 3rd cohort of Black Founders Fund 2023
Google has opened applications for this year’s Black Founders Fund for Startups in Africa and Europe. Startups from Africa applying for the fund must be headquartered in the continent or having a legal presence on the continent.
[Column] Luigi Marinus: Benefits of diversification during market volatility
Recently volatility has increased in markets as sensitivity to news flow, particularly with regard to global inflation, has increased.
EMURGO Africa and Kepple Africa ventures establish joint venture to further web3 strategic partnership
EMURGO Africa and Kepple Africa Ventures have announced the establishment of a business joint venture EMURGO Kepple Ventures to further accelerate its strategic partnership investing in African Web3 businesses.
[Column] Valerie Traore: Advocacy trends in Africa that are shaping the future
There is a strong reclaiming of the people’s voice in advocacy and creating change, and I am encouraged about the trends that are emerging.
How DeFi is disrupting traditional banking and financial services
The traditional banking and financial services industry has long been the cornerstone of the global economy. It has provided access to capital, enabled trade, and facilitated financial transactions for centuries.
[Column] Shabir Ahmed: Practical approach, clear business case needed for sustainability success
A growing wealth of evidence shows that sustainability has become a mainstream business and societal issue. Leading companies are embracing sustainability not only to reduce harmful practices but also to accelerate business transformation.
[Column] Darryl Pietersen: Improving innovation and technology for gender equality in Ghana
The digital revolution is fully underway, and the technology industry is reshaping our world. While it looks quite innovative and revolutionary from the outside, women remain a dramatically underrepresented group.
[Column] Marilyn Moodley: Conquering the biggest cloud adoption challenges with an effective strategy
As CIOs turn to the cloud to help streamline performance across key areas of operations, knowing exactly how to conquer the biggest cloud adoption challenges is more important than ever before.
[Column] David Meintjes: Unified communication and collaboration trends for 2023
As businesses continue evolving to meet changing customer behaviour, the uptake and investment in cloud unified communications platforms and tools will continue to soar.
[Column] Mark Wilson: The ERP and technology trends that will shape 2023
Following a year of disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, supply chain disruptions and record-breaking inflation, we look to the year ahead and what 2023 might have in store for manufacturers and distributors.
Villgro Africa invests over $2m in African healthcare startups
Villgro Africa has invested over $1.36 million in 36 Kenyan healthcare startups over the last 7 years with plans to launch a Biotech Innovation Hub as part of its regional expansion.
[Column] Pierre Havenga: The data center revolution in Africa - deploying technology for tomorrow
Africa is rapidly emerging as a major player in the global data center market, with a number of countries investing heavily in the development of data centers.
[Column] Kevin Halkerd: Why humans should lead your business cybersecurity strategy
Most successful cyber breaches have one thing in common: People. Your company can be protected from every tech angle, with the latest security updates and most advanced threat detection.
[Column] Cathy Smith: With change the only constant, leaders will need to be adaptive in 2023
The last few years have revealed the futility of making predictions about what lies ahead. In our uncertain times, the only guarantee is that the world will keep changing, with change coming at an ever-accelerating rate.
Renewable energy startup PAM Africa launches first ever net zero villages in Nigeria
PAM Africa, a Nigerian renewable energy startup has launched Net-Zero Villages (NZVs) consisting of a community that is designed with a whole system thinking approach to offset more greenhouse gases (GHG) than it produces.
[Column] Dumisani Moyo: Navigating the winds of change in a digital-first world
Business leaders are facing an increasingly disruptive business environment, driven by supply chain constraints, critical skills shortages, hyperinflation, slowing economic growth, and persistent energy challenges, to name a few.
[Column] Chester Wisniewski: Artificial Intelligence now a match for natural ignorance
End-user security training has traditionally been an important aspect of cybersecurity efforts, as it aims to educate and empower employees to identify and prevent potential threats.
AfricaGoGreen Fund secures $47m to support tech-focused green projects in Africa
The AfricaGoGreen Fund (AGGF) has raised $47 million in combined investments from top financial organizations, including the IFC, AfDB, the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), and the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).
Bolt announces plans to expand services in Africa with €500m investment
Bolt has announced plans to invest €500 million to enhance its operations across Africa over the next two years.
CcHUB launches $15m accelerator for edtech startups in Kenya and Nigeria
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), touted as Africa’s largest innovation and incubation hub, announced it is launching a $15 million accelerator program for targeting edtech startups.
SC Ventures partners with Yabx to expand access to financial services in Africa
SC Ventures announced it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yabx , a company incubated by Comviva and part of the Mahindra Group, to address a deep need for responsible consumer finance in Africa.
Identity verification platform Smile Identity raises $20m funding for Pan-African expansion
Smile Identity, Africa's Know Your Customer (KYC) onboarding and identity verification platform, announced the successful completion of its Series B funding round, raising $20 million.
[Interview] Seyi J. Matanmi, Founder, Hosteet, Nigeria
Seyi J. Matanmi is a technology product developer and entrepreneur. Educated in software development, research and analytics, he currently leads the cloud services outfit, Hosteet, operating out of Lagos, Nigeria.
Nigerian fintech Flutterwave expands into North Africa with new Egypt payments licenses
Flutterwave, Africa's payments technology company, has announced that it has received its Payment Services Provider and Payments Facilitator licenses in Egypt.
Partech Africa II reaches first close at €245m, above target fund size
Partech, the global technology investment firm, announced the first closing of Partech Africa II at €245 million, already above the target fund size.
Seven African startups to receive $385k to develop solutions for the blue economy
Climate resilience venture launcher Triggering Exponential Climate Action (TECA), has announced the selection of seven African startups to each receive $55,000 in funding to advance their solutions for the blue economy across the continent.
12 African startups selected for Techstars Accelerator program in Lagos, Nigeria
ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, a Lagos-based program to build early-stage African fintech and proptech startups has announced its inaugural class. The cohort is made up of ten Nigerian and two Kenyan startups, with 50% female CEOs.
Google opens new accelerator program for women founders in Africa
Google has announced an accelerator program aimed at providing resources and opportunities for women founders in Africa.
Spotcovery, serving as a bridge between African Americans and Africans, launches optimization tool on site
Spotcovery, the innovative media platform that connects descendants of the African continent while promoting culture, creativity, entrepreneurship and economic growth, has launched the Slickstream optimization tool.
Adenia Partners announces $300m first close for fund V
Adenia Partners , a private markets investment firm committed to responsible investing and a sustainable Africa, has announced the first close of its fifth flagship fund, Adenia Capital (V) L.P. with $300 million commitments from investors.
Kenyan healthtech startup Zuri Health raises funding to expand across Africa
Kenyan healthtech startup Zuri Health announced it has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Moroccan VC UM6P Ventures. The funds will be used to support Zuri’s growth and expansion across Africa.
Catalyst Fund invests $2m in 10 startups to improve resilience to climate change in Africa
Pre-seed venture capital (VC) fund and accelerator Catalyst Fund, announced a $2 million investment in 10 startups developing solutions to improve the resilience of communities most vulnerable to climate change in Africa.
Sustainable mobility startup eWAKA receives 500K CHF loan to accelerate growth
eWAKA, one of Africa’s most promising sustainable mobility startups, has received strategic support from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Start-up Fund of the Swiss Confederation.
African tech ecosystem raised $6.5 billion in 2022, report
Partech Africa, the VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa, has issued its annual report on Africa Tech Venture Capital, which reveals that despite the global VC downturn, the African tech ecosystem grew faster than all other markets globally.
11 African startups selected for Cohort 3 of ASIP Accelerator Program
Eleven African startups have been selected to join the third cohort of the Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP). The accelerator program is powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech together with its founding partner and leading telecom giant, Telecel Group.
[Column] Mikhail Marchenko: Major fintech trends that will affect online businesses in 2023
Digitalization and technological achievements, which have been observed in the African region for the past decade, have sped up the inevitable processes in fintech, changing its landscape completely.
African mobile game publisher Carry1st raises $27m funding round to accelerate growth
African mobile game publisher Carry1st, has raised $27 million in a funding round led by BITKRAFT Ventures, featuring participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), TTV Capital, Alumni Ventures, Lateral Capital, Kepple Ventures, and Konvoy.
African startups land deals at European tech events
Seven African tech companies wooed investors, networked and showcased their products at two of the world’s biggest tech gatherings in Europe.
Nigerian fintech firm TeamApt reaches annualized payments volume of $170 billion, rebrands to Moniepoint
TeamApt Incorporated, the business banking platform in Nigeria, has adopted the name of its flagship product - Moniepoint, a testament to its success as the all-in-one digital banking solution for businesses.
Nigerian agritech startup Releaf secures $3.3m pre-Series A funding, unveils new technologies to drive profitability for consumer goods manufacturers
Releaf, a Nigerian agritech startup, has raised $3.3 million in an oversubscribed pre-Series A funding round.
Plesion Capital invests $500,000 funding in Ugandan fintech platform Xeno
Plesion Capital announced its formation as a social impact venture capital firm focused on partnering with mission-based entrepreneurs and companies to combat poverty around the world.
The Carbon Blockchain expands footprint in Africa with acquisition of Minerva Green
The Carbon Blockchain (TCB), a carbon finance and technology services company that produces high-integrity carbon credits has announced the acquisition of Minerva Green.
Kenya to host sixth edition of continental agriculture expo
Kenya will host the 6th edition of Africa Agri Expo in February 2023 , endorsed by Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development aimed at bringing the entire agricultural value chain under one roof.
Fintech enabler Ukheshe secures Series A funding to accelerate international expansion
Ukheshe International, the UK-headquartered division of digital-first, Banking as a Service (BaaS) enabler Ukheshe, announced the conclusion of an investment agreement that will help accelerate its international expansion.
Visa announces grant to help African women fund managers grow their businesses
Visa has announced a grant towards the African Women Impact Fund (AWIF), a collaboration between Standard Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Senegalese startup Kwely launches made in Africa online store
Kwely, a Senegalese-based startup has launched a B2B e-marketplace to provide African producers and manufacturers with a global window to sell their products at scale.
VC fund Ventures Platform closes its pan-African and early-stage fund at $46m
Ventures Platform, a pan-African early-stage Venture Capital firm, announced the final close of its intercontinental fund, at $46 million.
[Column] Thabiso Foto: Can Africa's startup sector keep up its record funding run amidst global turmoil?
Startups have become vital engines of change that can have an outsized impact on an economy. They are crucial in fueling innovation and enhancing economic and digital competitiveness.
African tech startup SeamlessHR picks Nairobi as its East African Hub
Nigeria’s tech startup SeamlessHR has launched its offices in the Kenyan market, choosing Nairobi as its East African Hub.
First investment of Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund goes to Aruwa Capital Management
The first investment of the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund has gone to Aruwa Capital Management, a gender-lens $20 million fund dedicated to Nigeria's SMEs, managed by a first-time woman-led fund manager.
Identity verification startup Verified.Africa launches in Kenya
Verified.Africa, the pioneer of ID verification, document verification and digital KYC compliance solutions, announced it has launched in Kenya.
VENCO secures $670K pre-seed funding to deliver digital solutions for residential and commercial properties in Africa
VENCO, a technology company that provides solutions to enhance living experiences in residential and commercial communities in Africa, has secured $670K pre-seed funding round.
Canadian B2B automotive trading startup TRADE X opens new trading facilities in Kenya
TRADE X, a B2B cross-border automotive trading platform based in Ontario, Canada, announced it has opened a new Kenyan trading corridor, which includes both a shared bonded warehouse in Mombasa and an office in Nairobi.
Nigerian foodtech Orda raises $3.4m seed round to digitize African restaurants
Nigerian foodtech platform Orda announced has raised a $3.4 million seed round to further digitize food businesses across the continent.
AWARD selects 50 African women for fellowship on improving policy in the agri-food systems
Inspired by the flagship AWARD Fellowship Model, the Gender Responsive Agriculture Systems Policy (GRASP) Fellowship, aims to grow a pool of confident and capable African women to lead policy changes to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods.
[Interview] Jennifer Feaster, Speaker, YouTube Creators Festival
Jennifer Feaster is a Managing Partner at Age Africa, an agency that combines data and creativity to develop performance driven YouTube channels, with unique content optimized for success.
Canadian B2B automotive trading startup TRADE X opens a trade route in Ghana
TRADE X, a B2B cross-border automotive trading platform with its headquarters in Ontario, Canada, announced it has opened a new trade route in Ghana, strengthening the company's presence in Africa.
Kenyan agritech startup Stable Foods raises $600k funding to grow its climate smart smallholder platform
Stable Foods, a Kenyan agritech startup offering a host of solutions to small-scale farmers, has raised $600k funding round, to build out its climate smart smallholder food production platform.
Modus expands to Sub-Saharan Africa with launch of $75m Africa-focused fund
Modus, a Venture Platform operating in MENA comprising VC funds, Venture Builders, and a Corporate Innovation arm, has announced the launch of Modus Africa – a $75 million SDG-focused VC fund that will invest in Africa’s boldest startups.
IBM announces five members selected for its Sustainability Accelerator programme
IBM has announced five global non-profits as new members of the Sustainability Accelerator programme. The programme is a global pro bono social impact program which seeks to help marginalized communities.
GhanaWeb, Age Africa Agency sponsor YouTube Creators Festival in Ghana
Ghana’s leading online media platform, GhanaWeb, and Age Africa Agency, the foremost YouTube agency with a Multi-Channel Network (MCN) in Africa, are co-sponsoring the second edition of the YouTube Creators Festival.
Demand for seamless, convenient way of shopping increase growth of e-Commerce in Africa
The electronic commerce (e-Commerce) transaction of goods and services between business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), consumer-to-consumer, and consumer-to-business, has become rampant in this digital age.
Digital solutions startup Bantoo joins the Smart Africa Alliance
The Smart Africa Alliance announced it has welcomed digital solutions platform Bantoo to the alliance, to advance technological developments in the continent.
Startup Wise Guys selects the second batch of participants for Africa-dedicated fund
Startup Wise Guys (SWG), Europe’s startup accelerator and one of its most active investment funds, has selected the second batch of participants for its €7.5 million fund for African startup investment.
Climate tech VC firm Satgana announces first closing of its fund with €30m target size
Climate tech venture capital firm Satgana announced the first closing of a target €30 million VC fund to back the next generation of purpose-driven entrepreneurs building the Future of Earth.
Stellantis invests in Africar Group to create Auto24, African used vehicle startup
Africar Group and Stellantis have announced the launch of Auto24 activities in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Jobtech Alliance launches startup accelerator programs to improve livelihoods in Africa
The Jobtech Alliance, an ecosystem-building initiative around inclusive jobtech in Africa has launched two programs; the Catalyst Jobtech Accelerator and the Jobtech Innovation Lab.
Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa lead fintech growth in Africa, Mastercard
A report by payment services company Mastercard has revealed that South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are among the most vibrant fintech markets in the continent.
Africa to take a common stand at COP 27
Aware of the lack of coordination between policymakers, scientists and negotiators to provide such evidence, the heads of states under the African Union decided in 2009 following COP15 that Africa should have one voice and negotiate as a block
Fintech emerging as Africa’s most vibrant sector, study
Fintech startups in Africa grew 81% in 2021, with South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya emerging as key hubs on the continent, found a Mastercard study on the state of fintech in African markets.
Tanzanian fintech startup NALA enables Google Pay payments from the US and UK into Africa
NALA, a Tanzanian fintech startup facilitating remittances from the African diaspora in the UK and US, has integrated Google Pay into its suite of payment options for users.
South African digital identity startup iiDENTIFii raises $15m growth capital to fuel expansion across Africa
Cape Town-based digital identity startup iiDENTIFii announced it has raised $15 million in growth capital to fuel its expansion across Africa.
Nigerian social commerce startup Bumpa raises $4m seed funding to build the future of commerce for African sellers
Nigerian social commerce startup Bumpa announced it has raised $4 million seed round led by Base10 Partners, the largest black-led fund in the world, with participation from Plug & Play Ventures.
Flourish Ventures launches Africa-focused pre-seed investment platform, Madica
Flourish Ventures, a global venture capital firm investing in mission-driven fintech entrepreneurs, announced the launch of affiliate Madica, a structured investment program for pre-seed stage technology companies in Africa.
President Buhari signs Nigeria Startup Bill into law
Nigeria has become the latest country to pass a Startup Bill, giving a more formal approach to how the startup ecosystem is governed.
LHoFT announces15 fintech startups selected for CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa 2022 program
LHoFT has announced the 15 fintech startups that have been selected to participate in the fifth edition of the CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa program.
36 African tech startups selected for MEST Africa Challenge 2022
MEST Africa has announced the 36 technology startups from 5 African countries that have been selected for the regional pitch competition stage of the 2022 MEST Africa Challenge.
Nigerian data and intelligence startup Stears raises $3.3m to solve Africa’s data dearth
Nigerian data and intelligence company, Stears has raised $3.3 million to enhance its data collection and analytics capabilities, acquire talent and expand into East and Southern Africa.
[Startup Interview] Ehsan, Mohammad, Reza, Co-founders, Coco, Austria
CoCo is a social media analysis platform. It helps to increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns on social networks.
German tech startup NeoCarbon raises €1.25 million to reverse climate change
NeoCarbon, a Berlin-based tech startup which retrofits cooling towers to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, announced it has raised €1.25 million in a Pre-Seed round co-led by PropTech1 and Speedinvest,
Fintech startup Tongo raises $7m seed funding to accelerate growth in its real estate market
Tongo, a fintech company realigning income and expenses for the commission economy, announced it has raised $7 million in seed funding.
Plug and Play Alberta announces 50 startups for the second cohort of its accelerator programs
Plug and Play Alberta has announced 50 startups for the second cohort of its industry-specific startup accelerator programs. The companies will participate in one of the following programs: Health, Sustainability, and Sector Agnostic.
South Africa's home services startup SweepSouth closes $11m investment round led by Alitheia IDF
SweepSouth, an online home services platform with a presence across Africa has completed a $11 million investment round led byAlitheia IDF (AIF), Africa’s first and largest gender-lens private equity fund.
Estonian startup KOOS raises $4m funding to accelerate the new era of ownership
KOOS, an Estonian-based startup, announced $4 million worth of seed funding led by high profile investors at Plural Platform with participation from investors including LocalGlobe, Tiny.vc and Matt Clifford.
Tech startup Coalesce secures $26m Series A funding to reinvent data transformation in the snowflake data cloud
Coalesce.io, the data transformation company, announced it has secured $26 million in Series A funding led by Emergence Capital, with participation from seed investors 11.2 Capital.
Daiichi Sankyo joins Munich-based Startup Creasphere's program powered by Plug and Play
Startup Creasphere, the Munich-based digital healthcare platform of Plug and Play, has announced its new partnership with Daiichi Sankyo.
London scaleup Wazoku raises £8.5m series B funding, acquires Danish intelligence startup Mindpool
London-based innovation scaleup Wazoku has closed a series B funding round of £8.5 million through investment from Octopus Ventures along with follow on from existing investors including Calculus Capital.
FNHIC launches to invest $2.5b in startups improving hunger and health outcomes through food
S2G Ventures, Food Systems for the Future and other partners launched the Food, Nutrition and Health Investor Coalition (FNHIC), a call to action to drive $2.5 billion in private investment.
UK scaleup White Label Loyalty launches in the U.S.
UK-based loyalty technology experts White Label Loyalty is entering the US market for the first time, with opening of its firrst overseas office in New York.
London-based Pheon Therapeutics launches with $68m financing to advance novel ADC for treatment of solid tumors
Pheon Therapeutics (Pheon), an ADC specialist developing next generation ADCs for a wide range of hard-to-treat cancers has launched, following the closing of a $68 million Series A financing.
Deep tech startup MATSUKO and European telcos partner to develop holographic presence
European telecom operators Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone, together with the deep tech startup MATSUKO, have conducted a pilot to make holographic calls easy.
Canadian Lia 27 becomes the new face of AI after closing seed funding round at $5m valuation
Canadian Artificial Intelligence (AI) company Lia 27 Inc, announced it has closed a seed funding round valuing the company at $5 million. The funding launches the one-year-old business into the next dimension.
New Utah startup Oops offers doorstep return pickups for in-store and online purchases
An early-stage startup born in the heart of Utah's Silicon Slopes, Oops is offering doorstep return pickups for in-store and online purchases across the Wasatch Range.
Ghanaian agritech startup Farmerline raises $1.5m from Dutch investor Oikocredit
Ghanaian agritech startup Farmerline announced the second close of a Pre-Series A investment raise with an additional $1.5 million investment from Dutch social impact investor Oikocredit.
Dallas-based workforce finance startup Meritize taps JP Morgan vet as Business Development VP
Meritize, developer of merit-based financing solutions and a technology platform that connects career starters and mid-career professionals with high-impact skills training, announced it has hired Jeff Parks as the firm's Vice President of Business Development.
Ghanaian fintech SecondSTAX raises $1.6m pre-seed funding to expand to other countries
Ghanaian fintech SecondSTAX (Secondary Securities Trading and Aggregation eXchange), announced it has raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding from private investors and venture capital firms, including LoftyInc Capital and STEMeIn.
French startup Prophesee closes €50m C Series round to drive commercialization of revolutionary neuromorphic vision technology
Prophesee, the inventor of advanced neuromorphic vision systems, announced the completion of its Series C round of funding with the addition of a new investment from Prosperity7 ventures.
Capacity trading startup Stere closes $5m seed to expand tech-driven solutions for the insurance sector
Stere, a capacity trading platform specializing in capacity sourcing and unique digital capabilities for embedded insurance partners and MGAs, announced it has closed a $5 million funding round.
Detroit cloud-based startup KODE Labs raises $8m to advance its smart building platform
KODE Labs, a Detroit cloud-based smart building startup, announced it has raised a Series A investment of $8 million led by I Squared Capital and other strategic investors.
Vendease secures $30m to transform procurement and business operations for restaurants across Africa
Vendease, a Y Combinator-backed digital platform that allows restaurants in Africa to buy supplies, access financial services and power their business operations, has raised $30 million funding round.
West african fintech startup Julaya raises $5m extension round to expand its operations
Julaya, a fintech stratup based in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and France, announced it has raised $5 million extension round led by European venture capital fund Speedinvest to expand its operations in West Africa.
[Startup Interview] Yashu Kapila, Founder, BugRaptors, India
The startup provides a highly diversified range of services varying from standard testing services, specialized testing services, to test advisory services.
London-based Genie AI launches Startup Starter Pack, a free open source legal template library for startups
Genie AI, a machine learning company based in London, has launched Startup Starter Pack, a free open source legal template library with contract templates for small businesses and startups.
Norwegian audio-tech startup Nomono secures €3.55m seed round to scale its podcasting and audio solutions
Nomono, the pioneering developer of audio recording and collaboration tools that help podcasters and journalists tell immersive audio stories, announced the closing of €3.55 million investment round.
NYSHEX closes $25m Series B funding to improve reliability and efficiency of global shipping
NYSHEX, the ocean contract performance technology servive provider,, announced a $25 million Series B funding round led by Collate Capital. In addition, Blumberg Capital, Goldman Sachs and NewRoad Capital participated.
CrowdStrike’s Falcon Fund invests in API security startup Salt Security
CrowdStrike, a pioneer in cloud-delivered protection of endpoints, cloud workloads, identity and data, announced that its strategic investment vehicle, Falcon Fund, has invested in Salt Security, the pioneer in Application Programming Interface (API) security.
[Column] Nick Durrant: Lead generation strategies that work
Marketers often focus most of their attention on design aesthetics, ignoring the many other factors that could turn website visitors into hot prospects.
ABB partners with Dutch AI predictive maintenance scaleup Samotics to expand condition monitoring services
ABB and Samotics, the provider of ESA technology that is a high-growth scaleup company, have entered a strategic long-term partnership to provide enhanced condition monitoring services.
Crypto tax reporting app Binocs nets $4m funding round as it adds institutional investors to retail base
Crypto tax reporting app Binocs has announced a $4 million fundraise to cater to institutional crypto investors and enter geographies like the US, UK, Australia etc.
Sustainable and AI concrete startup AICrete raises $4m seed funding to accelerate growth
AICrete, the recipe-as-a-service platform optimizing local materials for cleaner and more cost-efficient concrete, announced it has raised $4 million in a seed funding led by CLEAR Ventures.
Starburst Ventures launches pre-seed and seed fund to focus on aerospace and defense innovation
Starburst Ventures, the first venture capital fund dedicated to investing across aviation, space, and defense, announced the launch of its new early-stage fund.
Stockholm-based R-evolution launches venture capital arm to boost greentech startups
Hexagon AB, a global pioneer in digital reality solutions combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies, announced a new venture capital arm of R-evolution, the sustainable innovation and green-tech investment subsidiary of Hexagon.
Nigerian fintech startup Kippa launches business registration platform to support SMEs
Nigerian fintech startup Kippa has launched Kippa Start, a business registration platform to enable Nigerian MSMEs scale through their businesses.
Kenyan agricultural insurtech startup Pula appoints Michael Joseph as Board Chair
Former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph has been appointed as Board Chair of a Kenyan agricultural insurtech startup Pula.
Ethiopian fintech startup Chapa launches online payment gateway service for businesses
Ethiopian fintech startup Chapa has launched an online payment gateway to enable businesses accept payments from people worldwide.
Decentralized renewables are pointing entrepreneurs to sustainable jobs, report
The industry’s most comprehensive emerging markets employment census shows increased demand for DRE solutions is creating hundreds of thousands of formal and informal jobs.
Healthtech startup Remedial Health secures $4.4m to provide access to credit for pharmacies in Nigeria
Remedial Health, a healthtech startup that develops solutions to make Africa’s pharmaceutical value chain more efficient, has raised $4.4 million in seed funding to accelerate its expansion across Nigeria.
Swiss biotech startup Hedera Dx raises €14m seed funding to accelerate global adoption of liquid biopsies
Hedera Dx, a Swiss biotech startup, has raised €14 million in funding to launch a blood-based testing solution to profile cancer DNA circulating in the blood, helping patients access better treatments.
Idealist Capital announces first close of its Climate Impact Fund to accelerate energy transition
Idealist Capital, a North American fund with a primary focus on the Canadian market, announced the first closing of the Idealist Climate Impact Fund LP (the Fund) with capital commitments totalling C$250 million.
Human Ventures announces anchor partnership with Bank of America to invest in early-stage founders
Human Ventures, one of New York City's premier emerging venture funds, announced an anchor partnership with Bank of America for Human Ventures Fund II.
Israeli data security startup Sentra launches in the U.S.
Sentra, an Israeli cloud data security company, announced its arrival in the U.S. market with the opening of its new North American headquarters in New York City.
Google-backed startup Massage Robotics launches equity crowdfunding via StartEngine
Google-backed startup, Massage Robotics announced the launch of equity crowdfunding via StartEngine, to show how robots can help people heal with free massage therapy.
Canadian Raven Indigenous Capital Partners launches Fund II at $46m, eyes U.S. markets
Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, North America’s only Indigenous-led and owned venture capital intermediary, launched its second fund (Raven Fund II) with an initial close of $46 million, and a target size of $75 million.
Gradient Ventures leads $6m investment in LatAm's tax-technology startup Heru
Heru, an AI-based tax platform that simplifies the tax-filing process and provides intelligent insights for future filings, announced a $6 million seed round led by Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused venture fund.
MedGeo secures $4m equity investment and joint venture agreement with Jackson Healthcare company
MedGeo Ventures announced it has secured a $4 million equity investment and joint venture agreement with Jackson Healthcare company.
Dutch sustainable blockchain startup GRNGrid secures $50m to drive connectivity with crypto exchanges
The GRN Association announced it has secured an investment totaling $50 million for the GRNGrid project from GEM Digital, a venture capital focused on digital currencies.
Nigerian blockchain payments startup Bitmama closes $2m pre-seed round to scale growth
Nigerian blockchain payments startup Bitmama announced a pre-seed extension of $1.65 million, adding to the $350,000 it received last October, thus closing the round at $2 million led by Unicorn Growth Capital and Launch Africa.
Unicorn Growth Capital, EchoVC join Celo Foundation to support Web3 projects across Africa
Unicorn Growth Capital and EchoVC have joined the Celo Foundation to support growth of Web3 projects across Africa through newly dedicated Celo ecosystem investment funds.
French AI and cloud media startup Newsbridge closes €7m funding round to develop U.S. presence
Newsbridge, the French AI & Cloud Media company has raised €7 million Series A funding round to continue its expansion to the U.S.A, and hire top AI and Media Engineering talent.
Dutch-based Builders studio raises €1.5m for development of HR and proptech startups
Rotterdam-based startup studio Builders has raised €1.5 million in funding in its second closing, to develop HR and proptech startups and start international expansion.
Ghanaian health tech startup mPharma acquires majority stake in Nigeria’s HealthPlus
Ghanaian health tech startup mPharma has acquired a majority stake in HealthPlus, a pioneer pharmacy chain in Nigeria.
Security and management supplier Verkada raises $205m to build an operating system for the physical world
Verkada, a pioneer in cloud-managed enterprise building security and management, announced a $205 million Series D funding round with new and existing venture partners.
India's fruits and vegetables platform Sahyadri Farms raises €40m growth capital to support smallholder farmers
India's integrated platform for fruits and vegetables Sahyadri Farms has raised €40 million growth capital from a group of impact-focused investors; Incofin, Korys, FMO and Proparco.
French biotech startup Tridek-One closes €16m to develop first-in-class immune checkpoint agonists
Tridek-One, a Paris-based biotech startup specialized in the research and development of CD31 agonists to restore the immune balance, announced it has closed a €16 million financing round led by the Swiss VC Pureos Bioventures.
Industrial automation and agritech startup Agtonomy closes seed III funding round
Agtonomy, a cutting-edge software and service agritech startup, announced the successful closing of another round of funding for a total investment of $13.5 million.
Tallinn-based climate tech startup Arbonics raises €1.8m pre-seed funding to fight climate change in Europe
Arbonics, a new climate tech startup, is launching its unique data- and science-driven tool to make calculating the potential carbon income of land and forests quicker and easier for landowners in Europe.
African fintech startup Flutterwave launches eNaira payments for businesses in Nigeria
Flutterwave, Africa's payments technology company announced its merchants can now process payments in eNaira, the Nigerian digital currency issued and distributed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Kenyan insurtech startup Turaco secures $10m funding to drive insurance adoption
Turaco, the insurtech driving mass market insurance adoption, has announced the close of a $10 million Series A equity round led by AfricInvest, via the Cathay Africinvest Innovation Fund.
Nigerian fintech startup Kippa raises $8.4m seed round to accelerate growth
Nigerian fintech startup Kippa has raised $8.4 million in an oversubscribed seed round led by Goodwater Capital, TEN13 VC, Rocketship VC, Saison Capital, Crestone VC, VentureSouq, Horizon Partners, and Vibe Capital.
BRV China-backed HPC-AI Tech startup completes $6m seed and angel round financing
HPC-AI Tech, an artificial intelligence high-performance optimization startup announced the closing of $6 million seed and angel rounds, with BlueRun Ventures China (BRV China) acting as the lead investor for the angel round.
Irish e-Commerce growth unicorn Wayflyer secures $253m debt financing from Credit Suisse
Wayflyer, the revenue-based financing and growth platform for e-Commerce businesses, has secured $253 milion debt financing facility from Credit Suisse.
Hyperspec AI startup releases software platform for autonomous driving development
Hyperspec AI, an artificial intelligence startup, released a new tool for developers working on ADAS enabled and autonomous vehicles (AV).
Fintech startup Power emerges from stealth with $16.1m seed funding and $300m credit facility
Power, a fintech startup with plans to reshape global commerce, has finally teased early progress as it emerges from stealth with $16.1m in seed funding, a $300m credit facility, and a fast-growing list of customers.
Carrier Ventures invests in next-gen sustainable technology startups Archilogic, Butlr and Transaera
Carrier Global Corporation, the global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions, has completed three new investments through its Carrier Ventures group.
Copenhagen-based Monta lands €30m additional financing to accelerate the buildout of EV charging infrastructure
Monta, the Copenhagen-based all-in-one EV charging management platform, announced it has secured an additional €30 million as part of a Series A+ round led by Energize Ventures.
Tech startup Alcatraz AI receives $25m Series A funding to accelerate international growth
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the product development, sales and marketing of Bulgaria and US-based tech startup Alcatraz AI with an equity investment, as part of a $25 million.
ff Venture Capital launches first US VC Fund to back Ukrainian founders and startups
ff Venture Capital (ffVC), an early-stage venture firm, has launched the ff Blue & Yellow Heritage Fund, the first US venture capital fund exclusively for Ukrainian founders and startups.
Copenhagen-founded open podcast startup Podimo secures €58.6m funding to accelerate market expansion
Copenhagen-founded startup Podimo, the subscription service for podcasts and audiobooks, announced it has secured another €58.6 million in an up round of funding, led by 83North.
Multimedia startup Tract raises $7m to empower kids develop 21st century skills through content creation
Tract, the online community where kids teach kids through multimedia, announced its $7 million seed funding round led by NEA.
Amcor increases investment in digital flexible packaging startup ePac
Amcor, a global player in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, announced a further strategic investment of up to $45 million in ePac Flexible Packaging (ePac), a player in high quality, short run length digitally-based flexible packaging.
[Startup Interview] Tesh Mbaabu, CEO, MarketForce, Kenya
Tesh Mbaabu is a serial entrepreneur who lives to blend commerce and technology. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Kenyan-based B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods and digital financial services in Africa today, MarketForce.
Africa's gender equal tech VC fund Janngo Capital reaches first close of its €60m fund
Janngo Capital Startup Fund (JCSF) has announced its first close at €34 million in capital commitments, to invest 50% of its proceeds in companies founded, co-founded, or benefiting women.
Finnish biotech startup Onego Bio secures €4.5m additional funding to accelerate Research & Development
Business Finland, a public organization under the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy, has awarded a grant of additional €4.5 million for Onego Bio's research and development work.
Dutch game-tech startup Enliven raises €1m for groundbreaking empathy training in virtual reality
Together with Oost NL, LUMO Labs is investing €1 million in game-tech company Enliven. This Dutch startup from Arnhem offers groundbreaking empathy training for the prevention of physical and emotional violence in home and workplace.
Austrian SaaS startup Shopstory raises €2.2m in second round funding to back e-Commerce brands
Austrian startup Shopstory is raising a million-dollar investment from tecnet equity, Startup300 and business angels Patrick Pöschl (Co-Founder Scalable Capital) and Hansi Hansmann in its second round of financing.
Cyber security starup SaaS Alerts secures $22m to scale its security monitoring and response platform
SaaS Alerts, the cybersecurity company purpose-built for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to protect and monetize their customers' core business SaaS applications, announced it has secured a $22 million growth investment.
Fireblocks surpasses $100m ARR milestone, cements its status as SaaS centaur
Fireblocks, an easy-to-use platform to create innovative products on the blockchain and manage day-to-day crypto operations, announced that its 2022 Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) has surpassed $100 million.
Newly launched Accelerator Geekz Ventures joins Techstars Foundation
Atlanta-based entrepreneur Kunbi Tinuoye's new initiative to support minority founders has been selected to participate in the highly competitive Techstars Foundation's Accelerate Equity cohort.
Smart energy startup Flair raises $7.6m Series A funding to expand climate tech for home and grid
Flair, creators of smart vents, thermostats and easy-to-use software for room-level temperature control, announced the closing of a $7.6 million Series A funding round.
Google announces 60 African startups selected for its second Black Founders Fund
Google has announced 60 qualifiers for its Google for Startups Black Founders Fund (BFF) for African startups.
Nigerian fintech startup NowNow raises $13m seed round to expand across Africa
Nigerian fintech startup NowNow Digital Systems has raised $13 million in its seed round for expansion across Africa.
Waya digital banking startup for African immigrants goes official
Waya, a Kenyan and US-based fintech startup has announced the official launch of its full-service digital bank and money transfer app targeting the African Diaspora.
Fintech startup Duplo raises $4.3m seed funding to transform business-to-business payments in Nigeria
Duplo, a business-to-business payment platform that makes it easier for African businesses of all sizes to pay each other, has raised $4.3 million in seed funding to launch new products and expand into new business verticals in Nigeria.
San Francisco-based startup HumanQ raises $2m seed round to expand its technology products
San Francisco-based HumanQ (formerly known as Experiential Insight), announced a $2 million seed round of funding, led by Kindred Ventures, to further expand on its technology products.
Constitutional Reserve Fund of Monaco allocates €10m to London-based Ocean 14 Capital impact fund
The Ocean 14 Capital fund, which focuses exclusively on the multi-trillion-dollar ‘blue economy’, has received a commitment of €10 million from the Constitutional Reserve Fund of Monaco to support its mission of funding sustainable solutions.
BioInnovation Institute announces new cohort of companies entering the Venture Lab program
BioInnovation Institute (BII), an international commercial non-profit foundation incubating and accelerating world-class life science research, announced the latest cohort of participants in its Venture Lab acceleration program for early-stage startups.
Polish startup DoxyChain raises €2.2m early seed funding to expedite security in document management
DoxyChain, a Polish startup building a solution for traditional document management transition to web 3.0 world, announced it has raised €2.2 million from international investors to power its growth.
Swiss crypto startup 21.co raises $25m, becomes Switzerland's largest crypto Unicorn
21.co, the world's player in providing access to crypto through simple and easy to use products, announced a $25 million round led by Marshall Wace.
Edge computing startup EDJX appoints Benjamin Thomas as new CEO, raises seed funding round
EDJX, the pioneer in decentralized global serverless edge computing, announced it has hired a new CEO while simultaneously raising a seed round of funding.
Singapore-based web3 cybersecurity startup Silence Laboratories raises $1.7m seed funding to acccelerate growth
Silence Laboratories, a web3 focused cybersecurity startup working on libraries for MPC and Proofs-based Decentralised Security-as-Service (DSaaS), has closed a $1.7 million round in a seed funding.
Dutch solar-powered car startup Lightyear secures €81m additional capital investment
Lightyear, a Dutch high-tech startup developing the world’s first solar car, announced a total investment of €81 million, which includes capital from the public consortium consisting of Invest-NL.
Infrastructure and private equity investment manager Foresight launches in Dublin, Ireland
Foresight Group (Foresight), a private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has announced the opening of its new office in Dublin, Ireland.
Missouri-based insurtech startup iCover raises $5m pre-Series A funding to accelerate growth
iCover, a Missouri-based insurtech startup that provides an algorithmic underwriting and QUI based eApp Service for life insurance companies, raised $5 million in pre-Series A funding.
Puna Bio startup raises $3.7m seed funding to restore soil health with desert microbes
Puna Bio announced $3.7 million in seed funding that will be used to commercially launch its first soybean seed treatment in Argentina that is cost competitive to existing biological solutions, expand field trials for wheat and corn.
Customer engagement startup OneSignal raises $50m Series C funding to accelerate global expansion
OneSignal, the the customer engagement platform, secured $50 million in Series C funding to advance its unified messaging and orchestration capabilities, enhance its mobile data-driven email product.
African fintech startup Flutterwave secures switching and processing license from Central Bank of Nigeria
Flutterwave, Africa's payments technology company has been granted a Switching and Processing License by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), widely regarded as CBN's most valuable payments processing license.
Japanese foodtech startup Yo-Kai Express partners with IPPUDO and TableMark to bring ramen and udon dishes to its autonomous restaurant platform
Yo-Kai Express announced new partnerships with TableMark and Chikaranomoto, to jointly develop and market varieties of new udon and ramen menu options.
Chinese biotech startup CellOrigin partners with Qilu Pharmaceutical to develop "off-the-shelf" CAR-iMAC cell therapy
CellOrigin Biotech has made an agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical on strategic global collaborations to develop, manufacture and commercialize a proprietary "off-the-shelf" CAR-iMAC cell therapy.
London-based mental health startup Thalamos raises $1m to digitise the Mental Health Act
London-based mental health startup Thalamos announced it has raised €1 million seed round to digitise the Mental Health Act.
Swiss foodtech startup Planted raises €70m Series B funding to accelerate international growth
Swiss foodtech startup Planted, known for its natural biostructured meat made from alternative proteins, announced it has successfully closed its Series B financing round of €70 million.
Nigerian mobility fintech Moove joins forces with Uber UK to bring electric vehicles to London
Nigerian fintech moblity startup Moove has announced its launch in London as part of its global expansion through a new partnership with Uber.
Kenyan fintech startup Pezesha raises $11m to expand across Africa
Pezesha, a Kenyan fintech that has built a platform where small and medium enterprises can access funding, has raised $11 million in a pre-series A equity and debt funding.
Kenyan B2B e-Commerce startup Wasoko opens innovation hub in Zanzibar
Wasoko (formerly Sokowatch), an African B2B e-Commerce startup that leverages technology to transform the informal retail supply chain, announced the official launch of the “Wasoko Innovation Hub” in partnership with the Zanzibar government.
FMO partners with SBC AfriTech to support next generation of early-stage African tech startups
FMO has partnered with a pan-African tech accelerator, Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech, for the third installment of the Africa Startup Initiative Accelerator Program which is designed to scout skill and scale early-stage tech startups in Africa.
Nigerian fintech startup Grey raises $2m to simplify cross-border payments across Africa
Nigerian fintech startup Grey has raised $2 million in seed funding to simplify cross-border payments across Africa. The seed funding round included participation from Y Combinator, Soma Capital, Heirloom Fund and other high-profile investors.
UK-based Medi-science International partners with Kenyan healthtech startup Afya Rekod to enhance healthcare delivery
UK-based Medi-science International and Kenyan healthtech startup Afya Rekod have announced a strategic collaboration to transform healthcare delivery through improved access to personal health data.
Koolboks closes $2.5m seed round to scale solar refrigeration across Africa
Koolboks, the sustainable cooling company providing accessible cold storage solutions to businesses across Africa, has closed $2.5 million Seed funding round, led by Aruwa Capital Management.
AfCFTA Secretariat unveils digital hub to ease trade on the continent
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has launched a digital platform aimed at easing trade on the African continent.
Kenyan insurtech startup Lami Technologies raises $3.7m to expand across Africa
Kenya-based insurtech startup Lami Technologies has raised a $ 3.7 million seed extension to expand its insurtech product across Africa.
Kenyan wealth-tech startup Ndovu partners with Tulix to empower Africa’s diaspora to invest back home
Africa’s wealth management platform Ndovu has announced a strategic partnership withTulix, an Antler & Catalyst Fund portfolio company.
Interviews.
[Interview] Caroline Mutuku, General Manager, Glovo, Kenya
Caroline Mutuku is Kenya's General Manager of multi-category app Glovo. Caroline joined Glovo in December 2022 from Swvl Kenya where she also served as the General Manager from December 2021. In this interview...read more here
[Interview] Renate Swanepoel, COO, INC. Networking
Renate Swanepoel is an entrepreneur, global networker and inspirational speaker that has helped thousands of people around the world to find their purpose. She has gained significant networking and communication...read more here
[Interview] Anne-Marie Chidzero, Chief Investment Officer, FSD Africa
Anne-Marie Chidzero is the Chief Investment Officer at the Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) Investments. In this interview, she talks about the risks and opportunities in backing Africa’s early-stage startups...read more here
[Interview] James Kilpatrick, Chair, Gravitilab, UK
Gravitilab is a "Space as a Service" business providing research, testing and qualification facilities to space agencies, government, academia and commercial enterprises. The company’s Chair and Chief Finance Officer...read more here
[Interview] Ramanjeet Singh, CEO, Woosper, USA
Woosper is a US-based digital advertising and marketing agency focused on creating experiences that help clients discover their place in the digital world. The CEO Ramanjeet Singh...read more here