Tag Resultaten

Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3818509 | Tags:











5 fintech trends to prepare for in 2024, Plug and Play
Published: 19-02-2024 | 12:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau














Swedish fintech Brite Payments raises $60m to accelerate instant bank payments across Europe
Published: 04-10-2023 | 15:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Brite Payments has announced a $60m funding round.


Data from 400+ startups indicates massive SVB and FRB fallout on startup banking sector
Published: 27-09-2023 | 11:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kruze Consulting has analyzed banking data from 400+ startups.


Backbase partners with FrankieOne to provide digital onboarding solutions in Australia
Published: 27-09-2023 | 10:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Backbase announced its strategic partnership with FrankieOne.


Big name VCs back startup to solve multi-billion dollar banking problem
Published: 13-09-2023 | 13:41:08 | By: Pie Kamau
Fintech startup N5 has secured the backing of a number of high profile investors.


Brex taps Jason Mok to support the next generation of founders
Published: 29-06-2023 | 13:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Brex announced that Jason Mok has joined the team to support commitment to serving startups and their founders.


The role of crypto-friendly banks in facilitating financial inclusion, Plug and Play
Published: 26-06-2023 | 13:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Financial inclusion is a key aspect of economic growth and development.


Startups flock to too-big-fo-fail banks, Kruze Consulting
Published: 29-05-2023 | 13:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Based on data from 160+ venture fund startups and more than $2 billion in cash, startups have been flocking to the major banks


FlowX.AI raises $35m to transform application modernization at large banks
Published: 23-05-2023 | 11:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
FlowX.AI announced it has raised a $35 million Series A funding round.


ABBANK accelerates banking transformation with Backbase Platform in Vietnam
Published: 12-04-2023 | 12:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Backbase, the global player in Engagement Banking, has partnered An Binh Bank (ABBANK) to transform the banking experiences for millions of Vietnamese customers.


Nigerian fintech startup Moni unveils new community-powered digital loans for African SMEs
Published: 04-04-2023 | 13:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian fintech startup Moni has launched a new range of business loans targeting SMEs in Africa.


Why open finance is the future, Plug and Play
Published: 27-03-2023 | 13:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
In 2018, the UK made history as the world’s first Open Banking Standard was implemented, establishing the foundations for the nation’s pioneering ecosystem and setting a blueprint for other countries. 


First Citizens Bank enters into whole bank purchase of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A.
Published: 27-03-2023 | 13:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
First Citizens Bank, has entered into an agreement with FDIC to purchase out of FDIC receivership substantially all loans and certain other assets, and assume all customer deposits and certain other liabilities of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A.


[Column] Takalane Khashane: Building a digital, sustainable bank for the future
Published: 20-03-2023 | 14:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Banking, like many other sectors, has responded to rapid change and evolving customer needs by developing a digital strategy. 


VION Investments offers immediate funding to companies affected by SVB and Signature Bank collapse
Published: 15-03-2023 | 12:36:26 | By: Pie Kamau
The collapse of SVB Bank and Signature Bank, the largest such failures since 2008, have sent shockwaves through the financial markets, hitting startups and companies reliant on venture capital hardest.


How DeFi is disrupting traditional banking and financial services
Published: 08-03-2023 | 10:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Decentralized finance companies are shifting from centralization, Plug and Play
Published: 22-02-2023 | 14:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Decentralized finance, commonly referred to as DeFi, is an emerging technology aimed at building a new financial system that is open to everyone and does not depend on traditional financial intermediaries, such as banks, lenders, etc.


SC Ventures partners with Yabx to expand access to financial services in Africa
Published: 20-02-2023 | 14:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Swiss startup Taurus raises $65m to further develop its digital asset platform, fuel international expansion
Published: 14-02-2023 | 08:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Taurus, the digital asset infrastructure provider for financial institutions in Europe, announced a $65 million Series B capital raise from strategic investors.


Spanish fintech startup Snab closes €1.1m investment round to grow its B2B payments platform
Published: 06-02-2023 | 14:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Snab, the Spanish payment platform that allows payments and transfers between companies in one click, has raised €1.1 million in its first funding round.


South African digital lender Lulalend raises $35m Series B funding to accelerate growth
Published: 06-02-2023 | 14:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Lulalend, a South African digital lender offering funding options for businesses. has raised $35 million in Series B funding to accelerate the growth of its loan book and bring new solutions to the market.


Finance software startup Quartr signs API deal with Nordnet to enhance informed investment decisions
Published: 06-02-2023 | 12:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Finance software startup Quartr signed an API deal with Nordnet, the online broker in the Nordic region, reaching almost two million customers.


European digital asset platform Bitpanda launches SaaS product for banks, fintechs
Published: 30-01-2023 | 09:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bitpanda, a European digital asset platform, announced the launch of Bitpanda Technology Solutions, the most scalable Investing-as a-service infrastructure available in Europe and globally.


Nigerian fintech firm TeamApt reaches annualized payments volume of $170 billion, rebrands to Moniepoint
Published: 16-01-2023 | 12:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Plesion Capital invests $500,000 funding in Ugandan fintech platform Xeno
Published: 09-01-2023 | 10:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Mendoza Ventures closes $100m early growth fintech fund anchored by Bank of America
Published: 09-01-2023 | 09:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mendoza Ventures, a Latinx-founded Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity Venture Capital firm, has achieved a first close on its third fund.


Regent Bank names Peter Mullen as Director of Venture and Tech Banking
Published: 04-01-2023 | 14:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Regent Bank has named Peter Mullen Director of Venture and Tech Banking, as the migration of talent from traditional innovation hubs like the Bay Area and NYC continues to Midwestern cities.


Fintech enabler Ukheshe secures Series A funding to accelerate international expansion
Published: 22-12-2022 | 10:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


HashKey and SEBA Bank partner to accelerate institutional adoption of digital assets in Hong Kong and Switzerland
Published: 05-12-2022 | 10:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
HashKey and SEBA Bank announced a partnership to leverage their digital asset service offerings as well as custody and asset management products to accelerate institutional adoption of digital assets.


MyMonty calls to all banks, MNOs and startups: the time for digitization is now!
Published: 28-11-2022 | 09:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
In 1998, Mountasser Hachem founded Monty Holding, which has since become a giant in the telco sector, achieving unprecedented global penetration.


Nigerian money app Kuda launches in the UK
Published: 11-11-2022 | 07:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian money app Kuda, announced it is launching in the UK as part of a global expansion drive with a view to serving the cross-border transfer needs of UK-based Nigerians.


Dutch fintech venture Yabx expands into Nigeria
Published: 10-11-2022 | 13:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Yabx, a fintech venture headquartered at Netherlands, announced its foray into Nigerian markets with a mission to democratize credit across the country with its digital lending offerings.


Nigerian lending startup Payhippo acquires Maritime Microfinance Bank
Published: 08-11-2022 | 14:15:54 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigeria’s credit-led SME fintech Payhippo has acquired Maritime Microfinance Bank (MFB), a financial institution specializing in saving products, demand deposits, and investments as well as micro and SME loans


GS1 Hong Kong unlocks the next generation of trade finance service for SMEs in China
Published: 31-10-2022 | 07:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK) announced it has welcomed the launch of Commercial Data Interchange (CDI) by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).


Kenyan fintech startup Tanda announces agency banking entry in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania
Published: 28-10-2022 | 13:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan fintech startup Tanda announced plans for agency banking entry in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania to accelerate growth within the East African markets.


Swiss settlement banking startup Arf raises $13m seed seed round to further develop its blockchain-based technology
Published: 26-10-2022 | 10:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Arf, the VQF-regulated global settlement banking platform using Web3 technologies has raised $13 million in a seed round with the participation of industry leaders.


Mobile banking fintech NorthOne raises $67m Series B funding to accelerate growth across small business communities
Published: 17-10-2022 | 13:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
NorthOne announced it has raised $67 million in Series B funding. With participation from new and existing investors, NorthOne is poised to further expand the reach of its business management platform.


[Startup Interview] Ehsan, Mohammad, Reza, Co-founders, Coco, Austria
Published: 30-09-2022 | 14:05:00 | By: Bob Koigi
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
Published: 30-09-2022 | 10:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 30-09-2022 | 10:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 30-09-2022 | 09:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 30-09-2022 | 09:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 30-09-2022 | 09:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 30-09-2022 | 09:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 28-09-2022 | 11:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 28-09-2022 | 11:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 28-09-2022 | 11:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.
Published: 28-09-2022 | 11:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 28-09-2022 | 10:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 28-09-2022 | 09:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 27-09-2022 | 16:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 27-09-2022 | 16:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 27-09-2022 | 15:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 27-09-2022 | 15:55:56 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 27-09-2022 | 15:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 26-09-2022 | 15:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 26-09-2022 | 15:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 26-09-2022 | 15:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 26-09-2022 | 14:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 26-09-2022 | 13:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 23-09-2022 | 14:13:00 | By: Bob Koigi
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
Published: 23-09-2022 | 12:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 23-09-2022 | 11:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 23-09-2022 | 11:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 23-09-2022 | 10:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 23-09-2022 | 10:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 23-09-2022 | 10:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 22-09-2022 | 13:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 22-09-2022 | 12:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 22-09-2022 | 11:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 22-09-2022 | 11:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 22-09-2022 | 10:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 22-09-2022 | 10:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 22-09-2022 | 10:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ethiopian fintech startup Chapa has launched an online payment gateway to enable businesses accept payments from people worldwide.


Healthtech startup Remedial Health secures $4.4m to provide access to credit for pharmacies in Nigeria
Published: 21-09-2022 | 13:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 21-09-2022 | 11:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 21-09-2022 | 11:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 21-09-2022 | 11:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.
Published: 21-09-2022 | 10:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 21-09-2022 | 10:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 21-09-2022 | 10:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 20-09-2022 | 16:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 20-09-2022 | 16:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 20-09-2022 | 15:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 20-09-2022 | 15:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 20-09-2022 | 15:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 19-09-2022 | 12:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 19-09-2022 | 10:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 19-09-2022 | 09:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 19-09-2022 | 09:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 19-09-2022 | 09:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 16-09-2022 | 12:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 16-09-2022 | 11:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 16-09-2022 | 11:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 16-09-2022 | 11:06:57 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 16-09-2022 | 09:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 16-09-2022 | 09:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 15-09-2022 | 11:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 15-09-2022 | 10:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 15-09-2022 | 10:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 15-09-2022 | 09:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 15-09-2022 | 09:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 14-09-2022 | 15:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 14-09-2022 | 14:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 14-09-2022 | 14:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 14-09-2022 | 14:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 14-09-2022 | 14:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 14-09-2022 | 13:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 12-09-2022 | 16:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 12-09-2022 | 16:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 12-09-2022 | 11:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 12-09-2022 | 11:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 12-09-2022 | 10:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 12-09-2022 | 10:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 12-09-2022 | 10:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 09-09-2022 | 13:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 09-09-2022 | 12:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 09-09-2022 | 11:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 09-09-2022 | 11:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 09-09-2022 | 11:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 09-09-2022 | 11:14:08 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 07-09-2022 | 13:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 07-09-2022 | 13:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 07-09-2022 | 12:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 07-09-2022 | 12:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 07-09-2022 | 11:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 06-09-2022 | 16:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 06-09-2022 | 13:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 06-09-2022 | 13:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 06-09-2022 | 12:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 06-09-2022 | 12:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 05-09-2022 | 14:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 05-09-2022 | 14:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 05-09-2022 | 14:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 05-09-2022 | 14:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 05-09-2022 | 13:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 01-09-2022 | 15:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 01-09-2022 | 15:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 01-09-2022 | 14:42:44 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 01-09-2022 | 14:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 01-09-2022 | 14:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Pomelo fintech launches with $20m seed capital
Published: 17-08-2022 | 15:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pomelo announced a Series Seed of $20 million in venture capital and $50m in warehouse facility for a total of $70m in seed financing, and is the first company to combine credit and international money transfer.


Fintech startup Bizao raises €8m Series A funding to accelerate its footprint across Africa
Published: 26-07-2022 | 10:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bizao, a fintech that facilitates payments for both local and international businesses operating in Africa, announced a €8 million Series A funding to accelerate its geographical footprint across the continent and invest in the design of new lines of products and services.


Nigerian fintech infrastructure startup Bloc acquires payments company Orchestrate
Published: 26-07-2022 | 10:24:55 | By: Pie Kamau
Bloc, the Nigerian fintech infrastructure provider, has announced the acquisition of Orchestrate (previously Getwallets), a proprietary payments orchestration startup that gives businesses instant access to multiple payment providers with one integration.


Social impact fintech DreamStart Labs partners with BRAC Bank to reach unbanked women in Bangladesh
Published: 20-07-2022 | 09:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
DreamStart Labs, a fintech for emerging markets, and BRAC Bank, a commercial bank in Bangladesh, have entered into an agreement to provide digital financial services to unbanked women in Bangladesh.


Flagstar Bank completes third MortgageTech Accelerator program
Published: 15-07-2022 | 12:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Flagstar Bank announced it has wrapped up its third MortgageTech Accelerator program - the first and only accelerator in the United States solely dedicated to mortgage technology.


London-based fintech startup Griffin raises $15m to become the bank fintechs can build on
Published: 08-07-2022 | 13:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Griffin, a Banking as a Service (BaaS) fintech firm, announced it has raised $15.5 million funding to launch the OS for embedded finance.


African fintech Flutterwave appoints Gurbhej Dhillon as new CTO
Published: 06-07-2022 | 11:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Flutterwave, Africa’s payments technology company, announced the appointment of former Goldman Sachs’ Managing Director, Gurbhej Dhillon as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).


Nigerian fintech startup Mono launches in Kenya
Published: 06-07-2022 | 11:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mono, a Nigerian fintech startup that builds open banking infrastructure to enable access to customer financial data and bank payments for digital businesses in Africa, announced it has expanded its services to Kenya.


Neomoon digital bank raises $850k in first seed capital investment round
Published: 05-07-2022 | 14:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Neomoon, the digital bank based on stablecoin which offers Latin Americans financial solutions to protect their money from devaluation and facilitate daily transactions, announced the closing of $850k first seed capital investment round.


Dutch-based startup Backbase raises €120m in growth equity funding
Published: 05-07-2022 | 14:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Backbase, creator of the category-leading Engagement Banking platform, raised €120 million in growth equity funding from Motive Partners.


Dutch fintech Backbase secures €120m funding to accelerate growth
Published: 09-06-2022 | 12:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dutch financial technology company Backbase, the creator of the category-leading Engagement Banking platform, raised €120 million in growth equity funding from Motive Partners.


Crypto Valley Venture Capital firm launches early-stage fund targeting African blockchain startups
Published: 23-05-2022 | 17:15:28 | By: Pie Kamau
Crypto Valley Venture Capital (CV VC), announced the launch of its African Blockchain Early-Stage Fund targeting blockchain startups from across Africa.


Banking-as-a-Service startup Unit raises $100m Series C round to accelerate product development
Published: 18-05-2022 | 13:05:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Unit, the banking-as-a-service platform that empowers companies to embed financial services in their products, announced it has raised a $100 million in a Series C round led by global software investor Insight Partners.


Lithuanian fintech startup kevin. secures $65m to disrupt payments sector, unlock open banking
Published: 04-05-2022 | 13:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
kevin., the Lithuanian fintech startup providing an advanced A2A (account-to-account) payment infrastructure to replace costly card transactions, announced it has secured $65 million in Series A funding.


SVB debuts fellowship program to foster next-gen of Black, Latinx and women venture capital leaders
Published: 07-04-2022 | 16:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SVB Financial Group (SVB), financial partner of the innovation economy and parent company of Silicon Valley Bank, announced the SVB Fellows Program, a fellowship program for Black, Latinx and women professionals.


Fintech startup Credrails partners with Access Bank to foster the future of finance in Africa
Published: 05-04-2022 | 12:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Access Bank has partnered with financial infrastructure startup Credrails to develop open finance rails that will dramatically improve the experience of banking customers across the continent.


African fintech Flutterwave goes live in Tanzania
Published: 30-03-2022 | 10:52:33 | By: Pie Kamau
African fintech Flutterwave announced it has gained approval from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) to launch its payment service in the country.


Smart addressing startup OkHi secures $1.5m seed funding to drive smart address verification in Africa
Published: 10-03-2022 | 15:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Smart addressing startup, OkHi, has secured a $1.5 million seed extension, bringing the total of its seed funding to $3 million. This raise is supported by notable firms and individuals who, beyond funding, bring a wealth of expertise to OkHi.


[Kenya] Applications for 5th cohort of Standard Chartered Bank's Women in Tech program open
Published: 10-03-2022 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Standard Chartered Bank has opened applications for the 5th cohort of its Women in Tech incubator program.


iCapital expands strategic partnership with Bank of Singapore
Published: 01-03-2022 | 14:35:16 | By: Bob Koigi
With the deal, iCapital takes over the management and operation of the bank’s private market feeder funds while Bank of Singapore retains client servicing responsibilities.


African fintech Flutterwave rebrands, introduces new products and services
Published: 21-02-2022 | 14:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
African fintech startup Flutterwave has unveiled a significant re-brand and identity during the Flutterwave 3.0, virtual event held on Friday, 18th February 2022.


[African Startup Review] Pie Kamau: Nigerian fintech Flutterwave is now Africa's highest valued Unicorn
Published: 18-02-2022 | 18:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
As the African fintech industry continues to bloom, so does the funding. Flutterwave has now become Africa's highest valued startup after closing $250 million Series D funding, bringing the company’s valuation to over $3 billion.


Brazilian fintech startup Trace Finance raises $4.3m seed investment to disrupt global banking for Latin American startups
Published: 16-02-2022 | 10:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Trace Finance, a Brazilian fintech startup that enables faster and more streamlined cross-border banking for startups, has announced a $4.3 million seed funding round.


Fintech startups hub Abaca crosses $2b in compliant cannabis commerce
Published: 07-02-2022 | 12:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cannabis banking fintech company Abaca surpassed compliantly processing more than two billion dollars in commerce for the cannabis industry.


F-Prime Capital launches F-Prime Fintech Index to track the performance of disruptive fintech startups
Published: 01-02-2022 | 13:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
F-Prime Capital announced the launch of The F-Prime Fintech Index, designed to track the performance of disruptive fintech companies enabling the delivery of core financial services across payments.


Bank of America commits $20m to Invest Detroit Ventures' early-stage startup fund
Published: 31-01-2022 | 13:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Invest Detroit Ventures (IDV) announced an investment from Bank of America to support IDV Fund IV, a newly-established $20 million fund that provides capital investment to Michigan startups during early, critical stages of development.


Canadian fintech startup Periculum launches in Nigeria to build credit assessment infrastructure for Africa
Published: 17-01-2022 | 14:28:28 | By: Pie Kamau
Canadian fintech startup and credit assessment company Periculum, has launched in Nigeria to tackle the challenge of domestic credit to the underserved markets.


Seattle-based fintech startup Seashell unveils inflation-resistant investment product alongside $6m seed round
Published: 17-01-2022 | 14:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Seashell, the fintech company dedicated to building a consumer-first, modern banking and investment experience, emerged from stealth with the announcement of Seashell Save.


British Fintech Farm raises $7.4m to launch Neobanks in 8 countries
Published: 17-01-2022 | 14:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fintech Farm, a British fintech company creating neobanks in emerging markets, raised $7.4 million investment to develop its new project.


 Fintech startup Rêv enters U.S. payments market with the launch of an app-based multi-currency debit account
Published: 05-01-2022 | 10:56:22 | By: Bob Koigi
The X World Wallet account is easy to load from a user's existing bank account(s) and is linked to physical and digital Visa cards that can be easily added to Apple, Google, and Samsung Pay digital wallets for tap and go convenience.


Kenyan fintech startup Paylend raises $2m seed investment to accelerate growth
Published: 21-12-2021 | 12:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Paylend, a Kenyan fintech startup focused on providing access to finance and digitizing MSMEs in Kenya announced it has raised $2 million seed investment from Next Chymia Consulting HK Limited.


Philanthropi startup raises $4m to power charitable giving legacies of everyday donors
Published: 16-12-2021 | 12:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Philanthropi, the company revolutionizing charitable giving by democratizing philanthropy through its "giving-as-a-service" platform, announced it raised $4 million in funding from lead investor Amex Ventures.


WNS launches a suite of banking solutions to drive scalable operations for fintechs
Published: 03-12-2021 | 15:50:12 | By: Bob Koigi
WNS, a provider of global Business Process Management (BPM) solutions, has announced the launch of WNS FINSIBLE, a suite of banking solutions enabling FinTechs to efficiently streamline, manage and scale operations.


Dutch development bank FMO partners with VC4A to launch a Ventures Lifecycle Support project across Africa
Published: 26-11-2021 | 14:04:36 | By: Bob Koigi
FMO has partnered with VC4A to work with local partners across Africa to create a more efficient network of support for early-stage ventures.


Israeli startup EasySend raises $55.5m to help enterprises build, maintain digital customer journeys with its no-code platform
Published: 17-11-2021 | 11:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EasySend, a no-code digital customer journey platform announced a $50.5 million Series B funding round led by Oak HC/FT. Existing investors Vertex IL, Intel Capital, and Hanaco Venture also participated in the round.


Nigerian fintech startup Brass secures $1.7m financing round
Published: 22-10-2021 | 12:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Brass, a Nigerian digital bank delivering easy access to affordable premium banking services for SMEs, secured $1.7 million in funding to address the heavily underserved banking needs of local entrepreneurs, traders, and fast-growing businesses.


Texas-based fintech startup CollateralEdge emerges from stealth with an oversubscribed $3.5m seed round
Published: 21-10-2021 | 13:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CollateralEdge, a Texas-based fintech company providing banks with a risk-mitigation tool to efficiently increase lending capacity without compromising credit quality, emerges from stealth mode with an oversubscribed $3.5 million seed round.


Absa partners with Melanin Kapital to launch unsecured lending for startups in Kenya
Published: 23-09-2021 | 15:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Absa Bank Kenya has partnered with Pan African impact investment platform Melanin Kapital, to launch an investor readiness program that places startups driving social impact on the path to accessing up to KES3 million in unsecured lending.


Silicon Valley Bank establishes physical presence in Miami
Published: 14-09-2021 | 15:38:32 | By: Pie Kamau
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the bank of the world's innovative companies and their investors, announced a team of commercial bankers have landed permanently in Miami to focus on Florida's dynamic innovation sector.


Arab Bank launches its fintech accelerator program for startups in Egypt
Published: 24-08-2021 | 14:42:27 | By: Pie Kamau
Arab Bank launched its fintech-focused corporate accelerator program “AB Accelerator” in Egypt, following its successful launch in Jordan back in 2018.


Ecobank launches 2021 edition of its fintech challenge for African startups
Published: 11-08-2021 | 12:59:14 | By: Pie Kamau
The pan-African banking group, Ecobank group, is inviting African fintech entrepreneurs to join the 4th edition of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge.


Paxos adds Bank of America, Coinbase Ventures, Founders Fund & FTX to Series D funding round
Published: 29-07-2021 | 14:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Paxos, the first regulated blockchain infrastructure platform, announced it has added strategic investors including Bank of America, Coinbase Ventures, Founders Fund and FTX to its Series D round of funding.


Banque Misr partners with Microsoft to support fintech startups in Egypt
Published: 14-07-2021 | 12:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Banque Misr signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with Microsoft Egypt to launch the first open innovation program in the Egyptian market, enabling a spurt in fintech startup growth.


Catalyst Fund announces Circle of Corporate Innovators to accelerate startup-corporate partnerships
Published: 29-06-2021 | 13:23:16 | By: Pie Kamau
Global inclusive tech accelerator Catalyst Fund, managed by BFA Global, today formally announced its Circle of Corporate Innovators, with its first members, Fidelity Bank, Ecobank, Sterling Bank, Access Bank and the VFD Group.


Banking as a service startup Unit raises $51m Series B funding to expand the team, accelerate growth
Published: 18-06-2021 | 12:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Unit, the banking-as-a-service startup that empowers companies to embed financial services into their products, announced it has raised a $51 million Series B led by Accel.


B9 raises $1.7m in pre-seed round to launch fintech platform to deliver full suite of personal financial services
Published: 17-06-2021 | 14:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fintech startup B9 Inc., announced it is launching a full suite of app-based financial services. The company raised $1.7 million in an ongoing pre-seed funding round and is building out a platform to address the needs of a huge market of potential customers.


Conquer Accelerator selects six startups for 2021 cohort
Published: 03-06-2021 | 13:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Conquer Accelerator announced its sixth season and summer 2021 cohort. The 10-week accelerator welcomes six selected teams to its East Lansing program: CrossBraining, Frizzmo, Nickels, Rebound AI, SafetySit, and Tandem.


South Korean AI startup Riiid raises $175m from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 to accelerate growth
Published: 25-05-2021 | 14:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Riiid Inc (Riiid), an AI education company and a member of Born2Global Centre, has raised $175 million investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2.


Railsbank partners with UK fintech startup Finadvant to offer digital banking to SMEs
Published: 19-05-2021 | 10:54:43 | By: Bob Koigi
Finadvant takes advantage of Railsbank's innovative BaaS platform to secure GBP and EUR ledger technology, offering the ability for their customers to receive, send and convert payments via SWIFT and UKFP.


Treasury Prime raises $20m in insider round
Published: 13-05-2021 | 11:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Treasury Prime, the Banking as a Service (BaaS) company, announced it has completed a $20 million Series B insider round co-led by Deciens Capital and QED Investors and with participation from SaaStr Fund, and Susa Ventures.


AI-powered fintech startup Expend announces impressive start to crowdfunding campaign
Published: 11-05-2021 | 11:25:36 | By: Pie Kamau
Expend, the AI-powered fintech startup changing the way businesses manage expenses and spending, announced a great start to its crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs.


Kenyan fintech startup Kwara selected for Japan-led Ninja Accelerator programme
Published: 06-05-2021 | 10:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Digital banking platform and fintech company Kwara has been selected for the first cohort of the Ninja Accelerator programme in Kenya.


DBSA launches second edition of the Youth Challenge in South Africa
Published: 05-05-2021 | 16:02:56 | By: Pie Kamau
The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), launched the second edition of the DBSA Youth Challenge, a competition aimed at harnessing innovative solutions from young people in South Africa to help address infrastructure challenges.


Fortú launches Latino digital bank, raises $5m led by Valar Ventures
Published: 04-05-2021 | 12:05:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fortú announced the launch of its digital bank account focused on Latino and Hispanic U.S. residents who remain underserved by the "one size fits all" approach of traditional financial institutions.


CBK partners with E4Impact Foundation to support Kenyan fintech startups
Published: 27-04-2021 | 09:29:11 | By: Bob Koigi
The MoU will leverage on programs run by the two organizations. These include the E4Impact Accelerator Program, the Afro-Asia Fintech Festival and the Annual Hackathon hosted by CBK and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).


Pan-African fintech platform Appzone secures $10m Series A funding
Published: 12-04-2021 | 13:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Appzone, the Pan-African fintech software provider building proprietary solutions for the continent’s banking and payments industries, announced the close of its $10 million Series A round.


EBRD invests in Turkish fintech startup DgPays
Published: 31-03-2021 | 12:52:17 | By: Pie Kamau
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a fresh boost to Turkey's technology sector by investing in DgPays, a digital payment system provider, alongside Goldman Sachs.


Kenyan agency banking startup Tanda secures funding for regional expansion
Published: 30-03-2021 | 11:00:16 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan agency banking startup Tanda announced its expanding its regional operations after closing a funding round from HAVAÍC, Zedcrest Capital, DFS Lab, Victor Asemota and 3 more investors.


Fintech startup Greenwood raises $40m in funding to provide Black and Latino banking services
Published: 26-03-2021 | 10:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Greenwood, the digital banking platform for Black and Latino individuals and business owners, announced it has closed $40 million of Series A funding from six of the seven largest U.S. banks and the top two payment technology companies.


Plug and Play, Finastra partner to expand FusionFabric.cloud platform for open innovation
Published: 22-03-2021 | 15:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Plug and Play announced a collaboration with Finastra, global financial technology provider, to help expand its FusionFabric.cloud platform for open innovation.


Fintech startup Cube raises $10m Series A to expand next-geneneration CFO intelligence platform
Published: 10-03-2021 | 16:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cube, the next-generation Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) platform for modern Finance teams, announced a Series A round of funding led by Mayfield, with participation from Bonfire Ventures and Operator Collective.


Digital payments startup AeroPay raises over $5 m venture round
Published: 08-03-2021 | 15:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
AeroPay, a Chicago-based digital payments platform powering bank transfer payments for businesses, announced the closing of a $5+ million Venture Round led by Chicago Ventures, a firm that leads investments in early-stage startups.


Union Bank of Nigeria to support startups through UnionX Innovation Challenge
Published: 26-02-2021 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Union Bank, one of Nigeria’s foremost financial institutions, has unveiled the 2021 UnionX Innovation Challenge, as part of efforts to support young startups and boost innovation in the startup ecosystem.


Early-stage investor DFS Lab announces fintech and digital economy design sprint for startups in Egypt
Published: 25-02-2021 | 09:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Early-stage investor DFS Lab announced it will facilitate a virtual design sprint in March 2021 for fintech startups in Egypt. The sprint is hosted by the Central Bank of Egypt, in collaboration with the Financial Regulatory Authority.


Kids and family finance startup Goalsetter raises $3.9m seed round to accelerate subscriber growth
Published: 26-01-2021 | 10:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Goalsetter, a Black-owned kids and family finance app that provides a next-generation, education-first banking experience for U.S. kids and teens, announced its seed capital raise of $3.9 million.


TransUnion partners with South Africa's fintech startup Fincheck to improve access to finance for consumers
Published: 20-01-2021 | 08:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Global information and insights company, TransUnion, has partnered with South Africa’s financial marketplace, Fincheck, to make credit application process easier and less frustrating for consumers.


[Column] Patrick Ndegwa: Celebrating startups and digital businesses that are uplifting African communities
Published: 30-11-2020 | 15:39:17 | By: Pie Kamau
The digital economy has opened up many opportunities for global businesses. Large enterprises and small businesses have seen increased profits and enhanced productivity due to digital innovation.


Bamboo Capital, Government of Madagascar, World Bank launch $40m energy access fund for Madagascar
Published: 20-11-2020 | 12:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bamboo Capital Partners has been appointed by the Government of Madagascar and the World Bank as the international fund manager for the Off-Grid Market Development Fund, a $40 million renewable energy access fund.


UAE fintech startup Sarwa unveils next gen Sarwa X, announces partnership with Saxo Bank
Published: 17-11-2020 | 13:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Sarwa, online investment advisory platform for young professionals has unveiled its next-generation Sarwa X, a new product powered by a strategic partnership with Saxo Bank, a Fintech and Regtech specialist focused on multi-asset trading and investment.


British fintech startup ilumoni raises $450,000 to transform borrowing behaviours, help people repay debt
Published: 12-11-2020 | 13:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ilumoni, the fintech startup helping people to borrow better, save on unnecessary interest and time in paying off debts has raised $450,000 pre-seed investment backed by Move Ventures.


Mastercard co-innovates with 10 new fintechs to reshape the future of commerce
Published: 10-11-2020 | 07:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mastercard has welcomed 10 fintechs from around the world to participate in its startup engagement program, Start Path, to scale the future of commerce.


[Startup Interview] Jeremy Mah, CEO, NeuXP, Malaysia
Published: 22-10-2020 | 07:36:00 | By: Bob Koigi
NeuXP is an integrated digital banking startup based in Malaysia that is positioning itself as the amazon of banking by providing a complete ecosystem with innovative services and leading-edge financial management tools.


Greenwood closes $3m seed round to build online banking solution for Blacks and Latinx
Published: 09-10-2020 | 17:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Greenwood has secured $3 million in seed funding from private investors as the first digital banking platform for Black and Latinx people and business owners.


Texas-based startup Viva First launching new mobile bank for Latinos in the U.S.
Published: 08-10-2020 | 15:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Texas-based startup, Viva First, is launching a new mobile bank with the Latino community in mind, all 52 million in the United States.


U.S. fintech startup DoubleChec appoints Bill Amelio as Co-CEO and Executive Chairman
Published: 07-10-2020 | 13:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
DoubleCheck, financial technology startup, announced the appointment of Bill Amelio as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman.


Alfa Bank, Plug and Play collaborate on innovation in Fintech
Published: 30-09-2020 | 14:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Along with 80 other financial institutions across the United States, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo, Alfa Bank will join Plug and Play's global ecosystem.


Fintech startup KodyPay raises £1.8m to transform payments industry
Published: 17-09-2020 | 12:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
London based fintech startup KodyPay, raised £1.8 million to transform the payments industry, allowing users to pay for goods in-store without queueing thereby making shopping a prompt and effortless process.


Flagstar Bank now accepting applications for MortgageTech Accelerator Program
Published: 16-09-2020 | 14:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Flagstar Bank and the Fintech Consortium are accepting applications for the Flagstar MortgageTech Accelerator Program now through Sept. 30.


Spain's Banco Santander spins out fintech venture capital arm, doubles allocated funds to $400m
Published: 11-09-2020 | 13:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Banco Santander announced the launch of Mouro Capital, a new, autonomously managed venture capital fund focused on fintechs and adjacent businesses linked with the financial services industry.


CaixaBank launches open innovation program to support startups in Spain and Portugal
Published: 18-08-2020 | 12:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CaixaBank has launched a new open innovation program to support startups in Spain and Portugal called the DayOne Open Innovation Program.


IFC helps boost clean tech startups in Egypt, enables farmers switch to solar
Published: 15-07-2020 | 12:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
IFC is joining forces with the National Bank of Egypt and MSMEDA to strengthen the clean technology entrepreneurship sector and boost Egyptian farmers’ access to finance for solar irrigation.


Nigeria's FCMB, Passion Incubator partner to launch FCMB Agritech Epic Pitch 2020
Published: 07-07-2020 | 16:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigeria's First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has partnered with Passion Incubator, a Lagos-based early-stage incubator and accelerator that has invested in some Agritech startups, to launch the virtual edition of the FCMB Agritech Epic Pitch 2020.


New York fintech startup CMG raises $25m to digitally connect equity capital markets participants
Published: 04-07-2020 | 13:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Capital Markets Gateway (CMG), a New York based financial technology firm modernizing the equity capital markets (ECM) announced it received a strategic investment of $25 million from several financial firms.


Nigerian fintech startup Wallets Africa raises undisclosed amount for African expansion
Published: 01-07-2020 | 15:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian fintech startup Wallets Africa has raised an undisclosed amount of funding to expand its operations and continue its quest to become Africa’s foremost borderless digital payments platform.


Egypt fintech startup MoneyFellows nabs $4 million to drive financial inclusion
Published: 26-06-2020 | 13:18:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Egyptian fintech startup MoneyFellows has secured $4 million in Series A investment from venture capital firms Partech and Sawari Ventures.


French based startup ubble raises €10 million, partners with Bpifrance
Published: 25-06-2020 | 16:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ID verification startup ubble successfully raised funds from Partech and Breega to complete its seed round, bringing its total financing to more than €10 million.


Memo Bank becomes first independent bank launched in France, closes $23 million funding round
Published: 24-06-2020 | 14:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
French startup Memo Bank has become the first independent bank to emerge in France in half a century and it aims to support the growth and digital transformation of French and European small and medium-sized enterprises.


Paypal invests in Sweden fintech startup Tink to grow European footprint
Published: 05-06-2020 | 16:13:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Paypal has invested €90 million in Stockholm-based fintech Tink and entered into a strategic agreement with the startup.


EBRD, Wise Guys startup enter Fintech accelerator partnership
Published: 04-06-2020 | 08:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Start-ups across the regions where the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invests will benefit from a new partnership between the Bank and Startup Wise Guys, a leading start-up accelerator with a presence across the Baltic states.


Iceland startup Meninga raises €8.5 million to grow digital banking offering
Published: 28-05-2020 | 14:38:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Iceland-based Meniga has closed a €8.5 million strategic investment that will be used for continued investment in its research and development activities.


Nigeria fintech startup Carbon launches new social banking service
Published: 21-05-2020 | 11:04:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Carbon in an effort to improve the experience of its customers, has launched Carbon Express - A keyboard extension that allows customers to access Carbon services from within whatever app they are using.