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Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3774393 | Tags:

Aramco expands global venture capital programme with $4 billion funds injection
Published: 19-04-2024 | 17:13:42 | By: Bob Koigi
It will take Aramco's overall venture capital allocation to $7.5bn, which also includes the $500 million venture capital fund Wa'ed Ventures that focuses on the start-up ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.










The Batchery unveils its17th batch of innovative startups
Published: 26-10-2023 | 14:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau




Relocalize raises $2.5m seed round to decarbonize food & beverage manufacturing
Published: 10-10-2023 | 11:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Relocalize has raised $2.5m in the initial closing of $3.5m seed round.


STHL East Africa bets on demand for power tools to grow revenues
Published: 29-09-2023 | 13:30:00 | By: Bob Koigi
German power tools manufacturer, STIHL East Africa, has reported a significant increase in revenue in its first year of operation since upgrading its marketing office to a fully-fledged sales subsidiary.


UnitX raises $5m to elevate manufacturing quality with AI-powered defect detection
Published: 28-09-2023 | 15:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
UnitX has announced a $5m investment from SE Ventures.


Hexagon announces nine startups set to transform manufacturing sustainability and digital reality
Published: 25-09-2023 | 14:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Hexagon has announced the nine startups chosen for its third Sixth Sense cohort.


STIHL East Africa set to introduce battered powered products
Published: 01-09-2023 | 14:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
STIHL East Africa has announced plans to introduce battery powered products in the East African Market as the firm celebrates its one year anniversary in the region. 


SynBio startup Enzymit announces breakthrough in cell-free hyaluronic acid production
Published: 03-08-2023 | 14:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Enzymit announced its success in synthetically producing hyaluronic acid (HA).


Hexagon calls for startups to apply for its third Sixth Sense cohort
Published: 14-06-2023 | 15:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division has announced a call for startups to apply for its third Sixth Sense cohort.


46VC invests in Exum Instruments' Series A funding round
Published: 31-05-2023 | 11:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
FortySix Venture Capital (46VC), announced its strategic investment in Exum Instruments' Series A funding round.


Volition raises $11m to scale the world's largest industrial parts marketplace
Published: 25-05-2023 | 13:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Volition has announced an $11 million seed round led by Newark Venture Partners.


STIHL EA to invest Sh100 million to boost local manufacturing
Published: 16-05-2023 | 08:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Power tools manufacturer STIHL East Africa has announced it will invest Sh100 million in local accessories manufacturing every year as it seeks to localise its product development in the region.


Mitsubishi Electric’s Innovation Fund invests in Israeli cybersecurity startup SCADAfence
Published: 20-04-2023 | 14:17:58 | By: Bob Koigi
SCADAfence provides visibility to networks that support industrial systems and critical infrastructure, in an age where various types of malware, are threatening industrial systems and critical infrastructure, frequently shutting down their control systems and causing serious incidents.


Chinese electric truck startup DeepWay raises $117m Series A+ round to accelerate mass production of smart electric heavy-duty truck
Published: 28-03-2023 | 12:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
DeepWay, a smart commercial vehicle developer and manufacturer, announced it had raised $117 million Series A+ financing.


Al-Abdullah Group invests $50m in Indian EV startup Kabira Mobility to accelerate growth
Published: 21-03-2023 | 11:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kabira Mobility, a prominent electric bike manufacturer in India renowned for its KM3000 and KM4000 models, announced it has secured a $50 million investment from its strategic investor, Al-Abdulla Group (Qatar).


[Interview] Chris Okoro, CEO, Eunisell Interlinked, Nigeria
Published: 15-03-2023 | 12:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Chris Okoro is an entrepreneur and business strategist skilled in the Financial Services and Engineering sector. He's currently the Managing Director and CEO of Eunisell Interlinked, Nigeria.


[Column] Mark Wilson: The ERP and technology trends that will shape 2023
Published: 02-03-2023 | 10:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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. 


IDTechEx explores nine startups innovating polymer additive manufacturing
Published: 10-02-2023 | 09:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Essential to understanding the evolution of the polymer 3D printing industry is exploring the change from low-cost printing technologies and materials to the slow growth and adoption of innovative polymer printing technologies.


Metal 3D printing startup Fabric8Labs closes $50m Series B financing for electrochemical additive manufacturing technology
Published: 08-02-2023 | 10:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fabric8Labs, pioneer of electrochemical additive manufacturing, announced the close of a $50 million Series B investment round led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA).


Israeli startup aiOla raises $25m to interface natural language to AI solutions in traditional manufacturing
Published: 24-01-2023 | 12:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Israeli startup aiOla announced it has secured $25 million in funding led by New Era with the participation of Hamilton Lane and other investors.


Former CEO of BMW Manufacturing Knudt Flor joins South Carolina startup Delta Bravo
Published: 20-01-2023 | 08:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Retired BMW Manufacturing CEO Knudt Flor has been appointed to the newly created advisory board at predictive analytics company Delta Bravo Artificial Intelligence (Delta Bravo AI).


Nigerian agritech startup Releaf secures $3.3m pre-Series A funding, unveils new technologies to drive profitability for consumer goods manufacturers
Published: 09-01-2023 | 10:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Releaf, a Nigerian agritech startup, has raised $3.3 million in an oversubscribed pre-Series A funding round.


Season Group acquires IoT tech startup Pycom to give all connected ideas an opportunity to succeed
Published: 14-12-2022 | 08:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Season Group, an international electronics design and manufacturing services provider headquartered in Hong Kong, announced its acquisition of all assets of Pycom, a full stack Internet of Things (IoT) company.


Rosotics raises $750,000 pre-seed round for novel approach to heavy industry 3D printing
Published: 24-11-2022 | 08:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Rosotics, innovators in additive manufacturing, announced $750,000 in pre-seed funding led by Draper Associates.


Austrian deep-tech startup Sarcura closes €7m to develop next-generation cell therapy manufacturing platform
Published: 18-11-2022 | 11:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Austrian deep-tech startup Sarcura announced the closing of an oversubscribed €7 million Seed Plus funding round to develop a next-generation cell therapy manufacturing platform.


[Forum] Promoting investment flows from South Korea to Vietnam
Published: 31-10-2022 | 10:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
South Korea has been, is, and will be the leading investor in Vietnam. The two parties can cooperate to achieve "Dual Goals" of US$100 billion in bilateral trade and total investment in the near future.


Japanese startup SUN METALON raises $5.6m funding to democratize metal 3D manufacturing
Published: 25-10-2022 | 13:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SUN METALON, a Japanese startup developing a metal 3D printer, announced the procurement of $5.6 million in its pre-series A funding round.


German manufacturer The Stihl Group enters Kenyan market
Published: 11-08-2022 | 12:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The subsidiary dubbed Stihl East Africa will be its Eastern Africa hub servicing countries that include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi among others.


Kenyan mobile commerce startup Copia unveils manufacturing unit for sugar and rice production
Published: 08-08-2022 | 09:48:39 | By: Pie Kamau
Copia Global, a Kenyan-based mobile commerce platform has unveiled a new manufacturing unit to enhance its output of affordable sugar and rice to the Kenyan market.


London-based startup Geomiq raises $8.5m to digitize manufacturing and deliver industry leading service levels
Published: 28-07-2022 | 11:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
London-based startup Geomiq announced it has raised $8.5 million funding to digitize global manufacturing and deliver industry leading service levels for Engineers and Procurement teams.


Virginia-based fashion tech startup Circ raises $30m funding to expand recycle clothing, eliminate waste
Published: 19-07-2022 | 14:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The circular fashion company Circ announced over $30 million in Series B funding backed by some of the largest international apparel companies and venture capital firms.


Simplifyber secures $3.5m seed investment to reinvent how clothing is made with sustainable, advanced Manufacturing
Published: 06-07-2022 | 13:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Simplifyber, the creator of the world's first fully-molded garment and shoe uppers made directly from a cellulose-based liquid, announced the closing of a $3.5 million round of seed funding.


TDK Ventures joins forces with VueReal to accelerate microprinting for microLED
Published: 22-04-2022 | 13:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TDK Corporation announced that subsidiary TDK Ventures, has invested in microLED developer VueReal Inc. to accelerate and develop their microprinting manufacturing process.


Canadian tech startup Calico secures $2.1m to revolutionize modern supply chains
Published: 09-03-2022 | 09:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Calico, the developer of the first AI-powered smart supply chain management platform, announced it has raised $2 million in seed funding. The growth financing is led by Serena Ventures following 300% growth since January 2022.


Manufacturing technology startup OPT Industries raises $15m to address demand for novel materials design and production
Published: 02-03-2022 | 12:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
OPT Industries, the manufacturing technology startup behind the InstaSwab high-efficacy medical applicator, announced it has raised $15 million in Series A financing.


London-based Bramble Energy closes £35m to fund its hydrogen fuel cell technology
Published: 14-02-2022 | 10:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
London-based fuel cell company Bramble Energy has closed a £35 million investment round to help further expand its game changing capabilities in solving key challenges in the production and implementation of hydrogen fuel cell stacks.


Wellington-based metal casting startup Foundry Lab emerges from stealth, raises $8m Series A round
Published: 30-11-2021 | 12:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Digital metal casting startup Foundry Lab emerged from stealth, announcing a $8 million Series A raise led by Blackbird and showcasing its ability to create functional metal parts in less than a day.


P&G Ventures invites entries for its next Innovation Challenge
Published: 29-10-2021 | 16:05:09 | By: Pie Kamau
P&G Ventures, the early-stage startup studio within Procter & Gamble, announced the call for entries for its next Innovation Challenge.


JICA kicks off 2nd Cohort of its NINJA Accelerator in Kenya
Published: 28-10-2021 | 16:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The NINJA Accelerator in Kenya, powered by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in partnership with Double Feather Partners, Deloitte Tohmatsu and Kenyan implementation partner GrowthAfrica, is kicking off its 2nd cohort with five tech-enabled Kenyan startups.


Berlin-based startup Made of Air raises €5m seed round to make thermoplastics for Audi, H&M Group and other companies
Published: 08-10-2021 | 13:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Made of Air, the carbon negative materials startup that turns wood waste into thermoplastics, announced a €5 million in seed funding, led by Norwegian sustainability-focused family fund.


TDK Ventures invests in seed round for dry lithium-ion electrode manufacturing startup, AM Batteries
Published: 21-09-2021 | 09:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TDK Corporation announced that subsidiary TDK Ventures has invested in AM Batteries (AMB) to support the commercialization of its dry electrode coating technology that improves the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries.


Workwear startup BRUNT raises $8.4m Series A funding to accelerate growth
Published: 15-09-2021 | 15:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
BRUNT Workwear, a modern work boot and apparel brand designed for today's construction workers and tradespeople, closed an $8.4 million Series A round to accelerate its growth and meet demand as the company disrupts a $12 billion-dollar category in the US.


Ghanaian startup Plendify launches B2B e-Commerce marketplace
Published: 17-08-2021 | 12:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ghanaian startup Plendify has launched a B2B e-Commerce marketplace to connect customers with small and large African wholesalers, manufacturers, exporters, and importers.


Tech executive Mark Bregman launches Quidnet Ventures, a venture capital fund based in New Zealand
Published: 03-08-2021 | 12:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mark Bregman, a successful tech executive and entrepreneur, has launched Quidnet Ventures, a venture capital fund based in New Zealand and operated out of New Zealand, San Francisco and New York City.


Lithium-ion battery recycling and manufacturing startup Battery Resourcers appoints Kelly Kay to its Board of Directors
Published: 28-07-2021 | 15:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Battery Resourcers, a vertically integrated lithium-ion battery recycling and manufacturing startup announced the appointment of Kelly Kay to its Board of Directors.


TDK Ventures backs metal additive manufacturing startup, Fabric8Labs
Published: 21-07-2021 | 13:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TDK Corporation announced that subsidiary TDK Ventures Inc. will back Fabric8Labs, marking its second investment in the additive manufacturing space and first in metal printing.


Tech startup COSMO Technologies secures funding, announces new product launch
Published: 24-06-2021 | 12:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
COSMO Technologies, a first-of-its-kind family technology design and manufacturing company, announced the closing of its Pre-Seed funding round.


Cirona Labs startup raises $1.5m in oversubscribed seed round for expansion
Published: 09-06-2021 | 16:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cirona Labs, a premier innovator in cannabinoids and other functional botanical ingredient manufacturing, announced that it closed an oversubscribed $1.5 million seed round led by LiDestri Food & Drink, BevSource, and Sweetener Supply.


Manufacturing AI startup ExLattice joins NVIDIA Inception
Published: 26-05-2021 | 16:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ExLattice announced it has joined NVIDIA Inception, a program designed to nurture startups revolutionizing industries with advancements in AI and data sciences.


Chinese AI robotics startup Mech-Mind completes Series C funding
Published: 24-05-2021 | 14:31:35 | By: Pie Kamau
Chinese AI industrial robotics startup, Mech-Mind Robotics (Mech-Mind), completed Series C funding led by tech giant Meituan, bringing Mech-Mind's total funding to over $100 million, making Mech-Mind one of the world's most funded AI+ industrial robotics startups.


University of Michigan's Desai Accelerator invests in four startups to launch 2021 cohort
Published: 19-05-2021 | 10:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Desai Accelerator, a University of Michigan accelerator open to early-stage alumni startups, announced the four companies accepted into its 2021 cohort.


Kenya paint manufacturer Crown Paints announces COVID-19 safety net initiative
Published: 21-04-2021 | 09:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
A recent study on how Covid-19 had caused an economic toll in nine countries, including Kenya, shows that 45 percent of people were forced to miss or reduce meals.


Phantom Space Corporation startup raises $5m seed funding to revolutionize space transportation
Published: 15-04-2021 | 10:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Phantom Space Corporation, a space transportation technology development and manufacturing company, announced the raise of $5 million in seed investment funding to make space commerce commonplace and to lower the barriers to space access.


Lithium-ion battery recycling and manufacturing startup Battery Resourcers raises $20m Series B funding
Published: 12-04-2021 | 13:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Battery Resourcers, a vertically integrated lithium-ion battery recycling and manufacturing company, completed a $20 million Series B equity round.


Digital marketing startup Rollick secures $8.5m in funding
Published: 05-03-2021 | 11:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Rollick Inc., which operates the GoRollick Powersports, RV, and Boat Buying Program Marketplace, announced the closing of $8.5 million in funding.


Chevron invests in carbon capture and utilization startup Blue Planet
Published: 15-01-2021 | 11:01:40 | By: Pie Kamau
Chevron Corporation announced a Series C investment in San Jose-based Blue Planet Systems Corporation (Blue Planet), a startup that manufactures and develops carbonate aggregates and carbon capture technology.


[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.


Biometrics startup Levels raises $12m seed round to mainstream Biowearables, improve metabolic health
Published: 30-11-2020 | 15:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Levels, the first biowearable system to provide real-time feedback on how your diet impacts your health announced a $12 million seed round led by a16z, one of Silicon Valley's top venture capital firms.


New manufacturing startup JTEC Energy announces the close of its initial seed round
Published: 30-11-2020 | 14:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
New manufacturing startup JTEC Energy announced it closed on an initial seed fundraising round, to hire additional scientists and engineers in order to accelerate the development of the the company.


CerraCap Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners join forces for new growth
Published: 30-11-2020 | 13:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CerraCap Ventures and Exfinity Venture Partners announced their global strategic partnership integrating CerraCap's unique Sales & Scale model with Exfinity's stated vision helping develop global enterprise startups leveraging the Indo-US corridor.


25 African tech startups qualify for Seedstars regional competition
Published: 30-11-2020 | 13:27:39 | By: Pie Kamau
25 African tech startups have qualified for the Seedstars World Competition 2020. The startups are among the 94 from emerging markets that were selected to advance to the regional stage of the competition.


South Korean AI startup lululab secures Series B funding led by Netmarble
Published: 30-11-2020 | 13:18:39 | By: Pie Kamau
AI startup lululab, a member company of Born2Global Centre, has successfully attracted Series B funding from Netmarble, Korea's leading game developer, as well as from other companies.


South Korean startup Autonomous a2z raises $1.9m for autonomous driving solution
Published: 26-11-2020 | 11:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Autonomous a2z, a member company of Born2Global Centre and Sejong Technopark, received a seed investment of $1.9 million from angel investments by individuals and partner corporations.


Tech startup Nestlings raises $1.5m to help international students through college application process
Published: 26-11-2020 | 10:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nestlings, an online portal that guides international students through the process of applying to colleges in the US, Canada, and the UK, has raised $1.5 million in a Seed Round of funding from Candid Ventures.


SEED SPOT wins $300k EDA grant in partnership with Canyon Angels
Published: 26-11-2020 | 10:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SEED SPOT and Canyon Angels will train 180 angels to grow the robust investing community in Arizona and create more access to early-stage funding for entrepreneurs with a focus on EdTech, MedTech, and CleanTech.


Genomic medicines startup Metagenomi closes $65m led by Leaps by Bayer and Humboldt Fund
Published: 26-11-2020 | 10:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Metagenomi, a next generation gene editing company launched by UC Berkeley scientists in 2018, successfully completed a $65 million Series A financing round and emerged from stealth mode.


ITIDA, AUC Venture Lab kick off Startup Launchpad to enrich Egyptian entrepreneurship ecosystem
Published: 25-11-2020 | 16:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ITIDA (IT Industry Development Agency) and AUC Venture Lab announced their collaboration on Startup Launchpad, a capacity-building program that empowers entrepreneurs as they launch their technology startups.


Nigerian mobility startup Plentywaka expands car-hailing service in Delta State
Published: 25-11-2020 | 15:52:20 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian mobility startup Plentywaka, announced the launch of a new car-hailing service, Wakacab in Asaba and Warri Delta State, borne out of the need to expand and improve on the limited transport links in southern Nigeria.


Life science startup Correlia Biosystems closes $7m Series A to enable product launch
Published: 25-11-2020 | 15:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Correlia Biosystems, a Berkeley, CA based life science startup, announced it has closed a $7 million Series A financing round with select global investors.


Early-stage venture firm MGV Capital announces initial closing of its new Capital Fund
Published: 25-11-2020 | 15:09:42 | By: Pie Kamau
Early-stage venture capital firm, MGV Capital Group, announced it has held an initial closing of its new fund, MGV Capital Fund, to invest in early stage software technology companies.


Equinix invests $55m to build its third data center in Osaka, Japan
Published: 25-11-2020 | 14:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Equinix, the world's digital infrastructure company, announced an initial investment of $55 million to build its third International Business Exchange (IBX) data center in Osaka, Japan.


Contour Venture Partners closes oversubscribed $82m fourth seed fund
Published: 24-11-2020 | 13:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Contour Venture Partners, a New York City based seed stage venture capital firm, announced the closing of Contour Venture Partners IV with $82 million of capital commitments, exceeding its target of $75 million.


Food & beverage e-commerce startup Feast & Fettle raises $1.2m to expand into Massachusetts and Connecticut
Published: 24-11-2020 | 13:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Feast & Fettle, a premium, fully-prepared meal delivery service based out of Rhode Island, announced the closing of a $1.2 million Seed round led by Salem Capital Management.


Singapore-based Plano wins world's most innovative healthtech startup
Published: 24-11-2020 | 12:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Up against 64 global healthtech startups, Plano has emerged as the winner of Galen Growth's World's Most Innovative Healthtech Startup 2020 Award.


Biotech startup Mekonos raises $4.6m for its gene engineering platform
Published: 24-11-2020 | 12:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mekonos, a biotech company launching the first-of-its kind system-on-a-chip (SoC) for targeted ex vivo gene engineering, announced it has completed a $4.6 million financing round.


Israeli consumer intelligence startup Konnecto closes $3.5m seed round, launches 'Reveal & Disrupt'
Published: 23-11-2020 | 16:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Konnecto, the consumer intelligence platform enabling brands to gain visibility into the earliest stages of the consumer journey, announced the completion of a $3.5 million seed round, led by TPY Capital.


Fintech startup Credit Key closes $33m Series A financing, expands footprint in B2B payments
Published: 23-11-2020 | 16:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Credit Key, the B2B e-commerce payments solution, closed $33.85 million in total series A financing to support growth with participation from Greycroft, Bonfire Ventures, Loeb.nyc and other investors.


African fintech startup Chipper Cash raises $30m backed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
Published: 23-11-2020 | 15:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
African fintech startup Chipper Cash has secured a $30 million Series B funding round led by Ribbit Capital with participation of Bezos Expeditions, the personal venture capital fund of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.


South African fintech startup Ukheshe to acquire Oltio, strengthens partnership with Mastercard
Published: 23-11-2020 | 07:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
South African fintech startup Ukheshe announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Oltio, a mobile technology company that developed Mastercard’s QR payment service Masterpass in South Africa.


Kwik Delivery startup partners with Total on e-commerce fulfilment and delivery service in Nigeria
Published: 23-11-2020 | 07:44:26 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian e-commerce startup Kwik Delivery has partnered with Total Nigeria, to develop an e-commerce fulfilment and delivery service in Nigeria.


Venture Noire announces second fundraising cycle to support minority owned businesses
Published: 20-11-2020 | 13:18:50 | By: Pie Kamau
Venture Noire, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Black and minority entrepreneurs, announced the completion of its initial program funded by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.


South Korea's StradVision joins NVIDIA Inception program as premier partner
Published: 20-11-2020 | 12:59:59 | By: Pie Kamau
StradVision has joined NVIDIA Inception, a virtual accelerator program designed to nurture companies that are revolutionizing industries with advancements in AI and data sciences.


GR0 launches SEO studio for direct-to-consumer startups
Published: 20-11-2020 | 12:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Digital marketing agency GR0 has officially launched a startup studio located in the Playa Vista area with a main focus in organic growth for direct-to-consumer startups.


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.


African tech startups secure funding from Orange Ventures MEA Seed Challenge
Published: 19-11-2020 | 11:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Six African tech startups and one Jordanian startup have secured funding from Orange Ventures Africa & Middle East.


Dakota Johnson joins sexual wellness startup maude as Co-creative Director & Investor
Published: 18-11-2020 | 15:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Sexual wellness startup maude announced that Dakota Johnson will be joining the category-defining sexual wellness brand as co-creative director and investor.


Porsche Ventures invests in AI startup Drivably's breakthrough inventory technology
Published: 18-11-2020 | 14:28:47 | By: Pie Kamau
Drivably, an advanced AI company that helps dealers acquire private party inventory from the right markets at the right price, has received an investment from Porsche Ventures to help Drivably further develop its technology and expand its footprint.


South Africa's MetroFibre Networx completes new capital raise from AIIM and STOA
Published: 18-11-2020 | 11:25:26 | By: Pie Kamau
African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), Africa’s infrastructure-focused private equity fund managers, has acquired a minority equity stake in MetroFibre Networx, a South African open access fibre network operator.


Ibnsina Pharma acquires 75% stake in Egyptian health and beauty products startup 3elagi
Published: 18-11-2020 | 10:25:12 | By: Pie Kamau
Ibnsina Pharma signed an agreement to acquire 75% stake in Egyptian health and beauty products startup 3elagi Tech, a platform that links pharmacies with patients to order medicines and cosmetics online.


Readout Health startup partners with Apollo Health for management of neurodegenerative disease
Published: 17-11-2020 | 14:10:20 | By: Pie Kamau
Readout Health, a digital biomarker startup, announced partnership with Apollo Health, a health technology leader in neurodegenerative medicine.


Berlin startup DigiWhat launches international B2B case studies standard
Published: 17-11-2020 | 13:37:27 | By: Pie Kamau
Berlin startup DigiWhat launched international B2B case studies standard to simplifiy marketing, matchmaking and lead generation efforts for tech companies, venture builders and events.


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.


Burges Karkaria joins AI startup Censia as CTO
Published: 17-11-2020 | 12:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Burges Karkaria, former Chief Technology Officer of Enterprise at Intel Corporation, has joined Bay Area startup Censia, a provider of talent intelligence, recruiting and workforce management technology, as CTO.


[Startup Interview] Jon Cooper, CEO, Life.io, USA
Published: 17-11-2020 | 12:14:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Life.io is a US-based startup that helps companies accelerate the development of their end-to-end digital client experience with the Life.io Solution Suite: Grow, Engage and Empower. Jon Cooper the startup’s co-founder and CEO elaborates.


Swiftarc Ventures invests in biosafety startup R-Zero to fast-track its UV-C disinfecting device
Published: 16-11-2020 | 13:43:11 | By: Pie Kamau
Swiftarc Ventures, an early and growth stage Venture Capital firm focused on the next generation of Consumer and Consumer Health disruptors, has made its first portfolio investment in biosafety startup R-Zero.


Chinese autonomous truck startup Inceptio Technology raises $120m to accelerate volume production
Published: 16-11-2020 | 13:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Inceptio Technology, an autonomous truck company, announced a $120 million funding led by Contemporary Amperex Technology, developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries.


Bridge for Billions launches Global Investors Network to connect entrepreneurs with investment opportunities
Published: 16-11-2020 | 13:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bridge for Billions has launched its Global Investors Network, which aims to help make the investment ecosystem accessible to all promising purpose-driven ventures.


Africa-focused VC fund Outlierz Ventures invests in three Nigeria startups
Published: 16-11-2020 | 12:56:28 | By: Pie Kamau
Africa-focused Morocco-based B2B VC fund Outlierz Ventures has announced new investments into three Nigerian startups - Bamboo, Youverify and Healthlane.


AI Media Group launches Africa’s first AI-focused free investment matchmaking service for African startups
Published: 16-11-2020 | 12:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The AI Media Group has launched The Deal Room, Africa’s first artificial intelligence (AI) focused, free investment matchmaking service which aims to connect African AI focused startups to interested investors and venture capitalists (VCs).


Bentley Systems commits $100m venture funding to accelerate infrastructure digital twins
Published: 13-11-2020 | 14:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, announced the establishment of Bentley iTwin Ventures to invest in promising technology companies addressing the emerging opportunity for infrastructure digital twin solutions.


Dairy snack startups compete for $200,000 in Real California Milk Snackcelerator
Published: 13-11-2020 | 12:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ice cream infused with vegetables, to-go premium cheese snacks, decadent chocolate mousse and flavored paneer make up the finalists announced in the Real California Milk Snackcelerator product innovation competition.


Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program supports emerging companies to drive innovation
Published: 13-11-2020 | 11:39:07 | By: Pie Kamau
Blackbaud, cloud software company powering social good, is accepting applications for the Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program, a unique, yearlong program designed to drive innovation.


Digital investment platform Clim8 smashes target for latest funding campaign by 600%
Published: 13-11-2020 | 11:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
As interest in sustainable investing continues to grow apace, Clim8 Invest (Clim8), a digital investment platform that help consumers invest exclusively in companies focused on tackling the climate crisis, has raised a further £2.4 million in funding.


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.


Tech startup Roots Automation secures $3.2m to expand AI capabilities, accelerate customer acquisition
Published: 12-11-2020 | 13:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Roots Automation, the NYC-based Digital Coworkers as a Service company, has raised a $3.2 million seed round led by Vestigo Ventures.


October Startup Sentiment Index shows three-month trend in advancing startup timelines
Published: 12-11-2020 | 12:57:50 | By: Pie Kamau
The number of respondents agreeing that now is a good time to start a business reached a three-month high at 60.6% in October.


Medtech startup Immertec partners with Orthopaedic Foundation to demonstrate effectiveness of VR surgical training
Published: 12-11-2020 | 12:42:56 | By: Pie Kamau
Orthopaedic Foundation has partnered with medtech startup Immertec, to conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of VR for remote surgical training.


Peer-to-peer solar leasing startup Sun Exchange announces African expansion in Zimbabwe
Published: 11-11-2020 | 15:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
South African peer-to-peer solar leasing startup Sun Exchange marked its official expansion into sub-Saharan Africa with the first of three crowdsales for a multiphase, 1.9 megawatt (MW) solar-plus-storage project for Nhimbe Fresh.


Remote selling startup Demoflow secures $1.6 m seed round to build additional key product features
Published: 11-11-2020 | 14:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Collaborative remote selling platform Demoflow announced its Seed Capital raise of $1.6 million led by FirstMile Ventures with other major participants including Slack Fund, RTP Seed, Next Frontier Capital and Heroic Ventures.


Nearly 60% of startup founders say operating costs are their top spending priority in the first quarter
Published: 11-11-2020 | 14:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
While the long-term economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unknown, the remote work period has forced startups to adjust their spending priorities, according to a new survey from Clutch, a B2B ratings and reviews platform.


Social podcasting startup Bitcast partners with Podcast Notes for joint launch of new iOS clipping app
Published: 11-11-2020 | 13:52:49 | By: Pie Kamau
Los Angeles based social podcasting platform Bitcast has partnered with Podcast Notes, a publisher in the podcast space, for the launch of a new iOS app that lets listeners 'Magically Clip, Collect and Share the best moments in Podcasts'.


Chicago startup qReveal launches affordable QR code menu and price list solution
Published: 10-11-2020 | 12:31:56 | By: Pie Kamau
Responding to the challenging scene of a myriad of health and safety protocols facing restaurants and other businesses, Chicago startup qReveal has launched a platform that builds easy to use QR code menus and price lists.


Former Bitcoin.com CEO launches Sonic Capital, Asia's first tokenized venture investment fund
Published: 10-11-2020 | 12:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Former Bitcoin.com CEO Stefan Rust announced the launch of Sonic Capital, Asia's first venture capital and impact investment fund to be tokenized on the blockchain.


[Startup Interview] Almasi Ndangili, Founder, Imarisha East Africa Productions, Kenya
Published: 10-11-2020 | 11:57:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Almasi Ndangili is the founder of Imarisha East Africa Productions Ltd, a Kenya-based talent academy promoting education through edutainment. The startup has invested in TV Shows, event organization, book launches, talent development, TV Script writing, Africanized animations, digital publishing and branding.


Tech startup Cellwize secures $32m Series B financing to expand its global footprint
Published: 10-11-2020 | 11:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cellwize, a global leader in mobile network automation and orchestration, announced a $32 million Series B funding round in its parent company, Cellwize Wireless Technologies, led by Intel Capital and Qualcomm Ventures.


Israeli cybersecurity startup ReSec Technologies raises $4m Series A funding for expansion
Published: 10-11-2020 | 09:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ReSec Technologies, a cyber security company that protects organizations from file-based malware threats, announced the completion of its $4 million Series A round of financing.


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.


Kenyan fintech startup Kwara launches Customer Success Traineeship Program for university graduates
Published: 09-11-2020 | 15:24:05 | By: Pie Kamau
Kwara, a digital banking platform in Kenya announced the launch of a Customer Success Traineeship Program. The program is part of the company’s broader agenda to build capacity for rising young Kenyan professionals.


Swedish fintech startup Payer launches beta test program to revolutionize customer registration in B2B e-commerce
Published: 09-11-2020 | 14:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Financial Services startup Payer has developed a new registration product that revolutionizes how customer relationships are made between companies online.


Nigerian HR startup SeamlessHR raises seven-figure funding to expand across Africa
Published: 09-11-2020 | 09:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigeria’s HR startup SeamlessHR has closed a seven-figure deal as it seeks to expand across other African markets.


African startups more investible now than ever
Published: 09-11-2020 | 09:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Africa’s startups have never been more investible than now. There is a growing number of professional ‘super angels’ involved in record-breaking deals, and private equity investments have doubled since last year.


Mohammed VI Polytechnic University partners with Plug and Play to launch accelerator programme in Morocco
Published: 09-11-2020 | 09:13:33 | By: Pie Kamau
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), an academic and research institution, has partnered with global innovation platform, Plug and Play, to launch an Open Innovation Hub in Morocco, with the support of OCP Group.


Swiss biotech startup Memo Therapeutics raises €13.9m to support clinical development of potent antibodies
Published: 06-11-2020 | 14:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Swiss biotech startup Memo Therapeutics AG, an innovator in the field of antibody discovery and immune repertoire analysis, announced it has raised €13.9 million in Series B financing.


Kenyan agritech startup Farmers Pride raises $220k funding from Gray Matters Capital’s coLABS
Published: 06-11-2020 | 13:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
US-based impact investor Gray Matters Capital announced its funding in Kenya's agritech startup Farmers Pride, a one stop e-commerce platform that connects village level farmers to quality inputs, services and information.


Dublin-based travel tech startup TripAdmit secures €500,000 funding for international expansion
Published: 05-11-2020 | 15:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TripAdmit, Dublin based travel tech startup that provides sales and distribution solutions for tours and activities, has secured €500,000 funding from investors, including the backing of Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start Up unit.


Dutch biotech startup Salvia BioElectronics receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for innovative neurostimulation solution
Published: 05-11-2020 | 15:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Salvia BioElectronics, a neurostimulation platform targeting chronic migraine, announced that the U.S. FDA has granted Breakthrough Device Designation for its implantable neurostimulation system to address chronic migraine.


Armenian AI startup Podcastle raises $1.75m seed round to create next-gen podcast platform
Published: 05-11-2020 | 14:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Podcastle, a company developing podcast creation tools for amateur and professional podcasters and a streaming platform for listeners, announced a $1.75 million seed funding led by Sierra Ventures.


Paxful partners with African fintech startup Uhuru Wallet to ease money transfers
Published: 04-11-2020 | 11:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Crypto marketplace Paxful announced it is adding Uhuru Wallet as a payment method to its platform, to help provide easy access to the crypto economy for users in Southern Africa.


Human API startup raises over $20m funding to scale consumer-controlled health data ecosystem
Published: 04-11-2020 | 11:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Human API, company empowering consumers to connect and share electronic health data with companies they trust, announced it has raised over $20 million in Series C funding, to scale consumer-controlled health data ecosystem.


Travel booking startup Tripbnb.com uses AI to link travelers and accommodation quickly
Published: 04-11-2020 | 10:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Taiwanese travel booking startup Tripbnb.com is helping domestic accommodation providers draw up new business strategies and the country's travel industry had to enhance their technical standards with AI-based systems.


AI startup ATLAN Space raises $1m Series A funding from Maroc Numeric Fund II for expansion
Published: 04-11-2020 | 09:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Aerial vehicle Artificial Intelligence startup ATLAN Space has raised $1m Series A funding from Maroc Numeric Fund II with participation from Hilmi Law Firm and Cadex Group, for business expansion.


Nigerian CcHUB acquires Kenyan edTech startup eLimu
Published: 04-11-2020 | 08:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenya’s technology Incubation and Accelerator space iHub owned by Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) has announced the acquisition of edtech startup and digital educational content provider eLimu.


Imperial partners with Kenyan logistic startup Lori Systems to expand e-logistics technology solutions across Africa
Published: 04-11-2020 | 08:37:29 | By: Pie Kamau
Imperial, an African and European-focused provider of integrated market access and logistics solutions, announced an investment in and partnership with Lori Systems to expand its cutting-edge e-logistics technology solutions across Africa.


Nigerian rental financing startup Kwaba secures funding from Ingressive Capital for expansion
Published: 03-11-2020 | 15:42:27 | By: Pie Kamau
Ingressive Capital, a $10 million VC fund targeting early-stage startups across Sub-Saharan Africa, announced its investment in Nigerian rental financing startup Kwaba.


German startup 4tiitoo launches NUIA Full Focus, smart software for natural eye contact in video calls
Published: 03-11-2020 | 12:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Munich-based startup 4tiitoo (forty two), which specializes in gaze control of computers, launched NUIA Full Focus, a software that creates natural eye contact with conversation partners in video calls intelligently and without artificial image adjustments.


Procter & Gamble Ventures brings Innovation Challenge online for CES 2021
Published: 03-11-2020 | 12:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Following the success of its first-ever Virtual Innovation Challenge in June, P&G Ventures, the early-stage startup studio within P&G, is now accepting submissions for its next virtual pitch competition.


Cleantech startup Skeleton Technologies joins European Clean Hydrogen Alliance
Published: 03-11-2020 | 11:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Estonian cleantech startup Skeleton Technologies has joined the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, an initiative of European stakeholders who want to engage and contribute to the deployment of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen.


Estonian cleantech startup Skeleton Technologies raises €41.3m from European entrepreneurs
Published: 03-11-2020 | 11:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Skeleton Technologies, global cleantech 100 company and largest European manufacturer of ultracapacitor-based energy storage, has completed a €41.3 million financing round.


[Startup Interview] Joris van Lierop, founder, The Content Exchange, Netherlands
Published: 03-11-2020 | 06:37:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The Content Exchange is a Dutch startup that targets editors, publishers and freelancers by offering them a content market place where they can do business with each other directly. The startup’s founder Joris van Lierop explains.


Next-generation consumer products startup The Naked Market closes $6m seed funding round
Published: 02-11-2020 | 15:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Naked Market, San Francisco-based CPG brand, has closed $6 million seed funding round, with participation from several investors.


Fintech startup ORSNN launches whole-loan trading platform to beta
Published: 02-11-2020 | 15:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ORSNN, a fintech startup that builds end-to-end solutions for managing and trading loan portfolios, launched a private beta platform that provides financial institutions with a low-cost, transparent, and automated loan-trading system.


Nestlé USA acquires food delivery startup Freshly
Published: 02-11-2020 | 15:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nestlé announced it has acquired food delivery startup Freshly, fresh-prepared meal delivery services in the U.S. The deal values Freshly at $950 million, with potential earnouts up to $550 million contingent to the successful growth of the business.


MENA healthtech startup Vezeeta expands into Kenya
Published: 02-11-2020 | 14:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) healthtech startup Vezeeta has expanded its footprint into Kenya by launching a platform that will enable Kenyans access doctors from their smart phones.


Dutch tech startup Avy completes successful test flight with first solar fixed-wing drone
Published: 23-10-2020 | 11:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dutch solar drone manufacturer Avy announced a successful test flight of its first solar fixed-wing drone, equipped with custom solar foil developed by Wattlab to reflect and absorb more sunlight.


IRI acquires supply chain analytics provider, RSi
Published: 13-10-2020 | 13:20:23 | By: Bob Koigi
IRI, a global company in innovative solutions and services for consumer, CPG, retail and media companies, has acquired Retail Solutions, Inc. (RSi), a provider of supply chain solutions for CPG manufacturers and retailers.


Seegrid acquires Box Robotics to boost deep learning in manufacturing space
Published: 08-10-2020 | 14:44:44 | By: Bob Koigi
Seegrid Corporation has acquired Box Robotics, a mobile robotics startup bringing high-definition maps, three-dimensional LiDAR, and deep learning to the warehouse and manufacturing space.


Legendary Ventures invests in Elon Musk's SpaceX
Published: 23-09-2020 | 13:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Legendary Ventures announced an investment in Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) through its Series N funding round.


South Korean healthcare startup WellsCare signs in-store contract with b8ta for IASO
Published: 21-09-2020 | 14:00:35 | By: Pie Kamau
WellsCare, a member company of the Born2Global Centre, signed a store contract with b8ta, a famous American flagship store that is dedicated to innovative products.


IME Medical Electrospinning secures €3m financing from Dutch VCs to expand its Medispin XL production platform
Published: 14-09-2020 | 12:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
IME Medical Electrospinning, a global leader in electrospun medical devices and regenerative medicine, announced it has successfully raised €3 million in equity financing and debt.


Smart consumer technology startup Dreame raises $14.6m in Series B+ funding
Published: 07-09-2020 | 16:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dreame Technology (Dreame), a smart consumer technology company specializing in cordless vacuum cleaners, robot vacuum cleaners and mops, announced it raised $14.6 million in its Series B+ funding led by IDG Capital.


Tech startup MITO Material Solutions announces oversubscribed $1m Series Seed funding round
Published: 31-08-2020 | 15:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
MITO Material Solutions, a cutting edge developer of additives that enable polymer manufacturers to enhance product performance, announced an oversubscribed $1 million Series Seed funding round.


[Startup Interview] Mangaldas Gupta, CEO, Magma Ash Tech, India
Published: 13-08-2020 | 12:13:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Magma Ash Tech is an Indian startup involved in the procurement, processing and export of Flyas, one of the residues produced during combustion of coal. Fly ash is used mainly as a bonding agent mainly in cement plants, ready mix concrete units, manufacture of blocks, bricks and boards.


[Startup Interview] Kaxton Kabogoza, Founder, Kenda Interlocking Bricks, Kenya
Published: 08-08-2020 | 09:43:09 | By: Bob Koigi
Kenda Interlocking Bricks is a Kenya start up in the manufacturing sector that is championing the use of eco-friendly and affordable construction materials as it seeks to bridge the housing deficit in Kenya and the East African region. Engineer Kaxton Kabogoza the founder explains.


U.S. electric-vehicle startup Fisker completes $50m private financing to launch its Ocean all-electric luxury SUV in 2022
Published: 09-07-2020 | 15:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fisker, designer and manufacturer of the world’s most emotionstirring, eco-friendly electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions announced the successful completion of a $50 million Series C financing round.


Luxembourg startup Wizata secures €2.7 million financing to digitize manufacturing with AI
Published: 04-06-2020 | 15:27:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Wizata, the Industry 4.0 Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup from Luxembourg, has raised €2.7 million from the original founders.