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Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3784720 | Tags:

San Francisco, London among most developed venture capital cities in the world, report
Published: 23-04-2024 | 17:25:53 | By: Bob Koigi
This dashboard leverages PitchBook data and PitchBook Institutional Research Group methodology to provide a consistently updated ranking system for the size, maturity, and growth rates of the VC ecosystem in leading cities around the world.


Global co-working spaces market to reach $48.1 billion by 2030, study
Published: 23-04-2024 | 17:23:55 | By: Bob Koigi
The global market for coworking spaces is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the evolving dynamics of today's workforce, technological advancements, and shifts toward more agile work cultures.


Engineering firm Sandvik acquires majority stake in China-based Suzhou Ahno
Published: 23-04-2024 | 16:41:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The company will be reported within the business area segment Sandvik Machining Solutions.






[Kenya] Livestock sector players review investment opportunities, challenges in unique forum
Published: 01-03-2024 | 13:15:00 | By: Bob Koigi
With the demand for livestock products projected to grow by up to 50% by 2030, there’s a clear opportunity for strategic investments to drive growth and innovation in the sector.


Rwandan female researchers selected for food systems policy fellowship
Published: 21-02-2024 | 08:30:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The AWARD Policy Fellowship is cultivating a growing pool of African women in the policy field to catalyze the design and implementation of gender-responsive agricultural policies across Africa.






Kenya startups raised the highest amount of funding in Africa in 2023, report
Published: 11-01-2024 | 16:27:44 | By: Bob Koigi
For some time now, Nigeria has always received the biggest share of startup investments, however, in 2023, Kenya overtook the West African country, gaining the highest amount of tech funds on the continent. 






SUNeVision launches first startup programme to advance innovations in Hong Kong
Published: 27-09-2023 | 11:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SUNeVision has announced the launch of its first startup programme.


Investor-founder disconnect poses major threat to African tech funding
Published: 11-09-2023 | 11:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
African tech investors will not invest follow-on funding in a startup failing to provide regular reporting updates.


ZENCE OBJECT secures $2.5m to commercialise sustainable materials from tea residuals
Published: 28-08-2023 | 11:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ZENCE OBJECT has secured $2.5m from the AEF Greater Bay Area Fund (AEF GBA).


Generative AI has become an emerging risk for enterprises, Gartner survey
Published: 14-08-2023 | 15:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The availability of generative AI became a top concern for enterprise risk executives.


Closing the capital gap on impact investment in Africa, report
Published: 08-08-2023 | 11:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
African fund managers face unique obstacles that impede their access to capital for social impact.


OKX Ventures invests $1m funding round in Hong Kong-based AI and Web3 startup Moonbox
Published: 07-08-2023 | 13:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
OKX Ventures has announced a $1m investment in Moonbox.


German healthcare investor SHS Capital acquires majority stake in CAM Bioceramics
Published: 07-07-2023 | 15:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
German healthcare specialist SHS Capital is investing in CAM Bioceramics to fuel growth


New PitchBook survey finds majority of venture capitalists have invested in AI
Published: 03-07-2023 | 11:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
PitchBook has released findings from a new survey in partnership with Collision.


Africa among top 3 regions prone to mobile financial scam, report
Published: 12-06-2023 | 14:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Throughout 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, 14% of installs of potentially unwanted mobile financial apps on Android phones were made.


7 in 10 UK tech workers consider hybrid working a key factor when considering a future employer, report
Published: 17-05-2023 | 12:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Techspace has released The Scaleup Culture Report, a national report diving into the current state of workplace culture across the UK tech industry.


Dairy Runway program launches to provide education and support for early-stage dairy innovators
Published: 10-05-2023 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) and the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center have launched the Dairy Runway program, an entrepreneurship curriculum for dairy innovators.


Proptech startup NineSmart launches contactless booking solution
Published: 28-04-2023 | 15:31:20 | By: Bob Koigi
With the rising demand for property technology (PropTech), NineSmart is committed to becoming a prominent solution provider in the market with advanced IoT technology.


GRASP fellowship invests in African women researchers
Published: 06-04-2023 | 12:15:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The Kenyan women, and others selected for the GRASP Fellowship, are set to participate in a series of interventions, including leadership and mentoring training, designed to enable them to become more effective policy practitioners


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.


Fertility treatments aren't just for the 1%, Sunfish
Published: 28-03-2023 | 11:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Sunfish, a fintech company founded last year, aims to make fertility treatments more accessible and has recently designed a new product to help reduce the cost of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).


Chinese Venture Capital firm CCV signs UNPRI, makes commitment to responsible, sustainable living
Published: 14-03-2023 | 09:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) has admitted CCV, an Asian-based early-stage VC firm as a signatory, making CCV one of the first Asian investment-focused signatories.


5 innovation metrics (KPIs) every CEO should care about, Plug and Play
Published: 08-03-2023 | 12:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Are your innovative strategies paying off? As a CEO, innovating is part of the job description - but do you know if it's actually making a difference in your company? It’s time to get down to data-driven business.


Mexican TV audiences back AI dubbing over subtitles, report
Published: 07-03-2023 | 11:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The world's biggest entertainment distributors could win over millions of TV viewers currently swerving non-domestic content by deploying AI dubbing, new research suggests.


Hong Kong insurtech startup Bowtie appoints James Lau as Independent Non-Executive Director
Published: 02-03-2023 | 09:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bowtie, Hong Kong’s first virtual insurer, announced the appointment of James Lau to its Board of Directors as an Independent Non-Executive Director.


Hong Kong insurtech startup Bowtie revolutionalizes traditional insurance industry with technology
Published: 28-02-2023 | 12:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
In today’s digital age, many industries have begun to introduce emerging technologies to develop innovative services. The transformation and upgrading of the insurance industry is also in full swing.


To stay competitive, startups must combat gender diversity debt, study
Published: 17-02-2023 | 10:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Entrepreneurship is booming, but women are underrepresented among its founders, investors and employees. A recent study investigates entrepreneurship's gender "diversity debt," a demographic disparity that can be difficult and costly to remedy.


[Interview] Seyi J. Matanmi, Founder, Hosteet, Nigeria
Published: 13-02-2023 | 11:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Seyi J. Matanmi is a technology product developer and entrepreneur. Educated in software development, research and analytics, he currently leads the cloud services outfit, Hosteet, operating out of Lagos, Nigeria.


[Column] Xiao Feng: The 10 principles of Web3
Published: 03-02-2023 | 12:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
What is Web3? Web3 is essentially the other side of the coin in relation to blockchain technology. When we talk about blockchain, we are also talking about Web3 to a considerable extent, and vice versa.


Startup Genome partners with Endeavor to research the Detroit region's entrepreneurial ecosystem
Published: 31-01-2023 | 09:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Startup Genome and Endeavor are working together to study and support the Detroit region's entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem development.


Michigan State University biotech startup Iaso Therapeutics closes $1.25m equity series seed preferred financing
Published: 26-01-2023 | 13:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Iaso Therapeutics closed the first tranche of the company's $1.25 million series seed preferred round of financing.


African tech ecosystem raised $6.5 billion in 2022, report
Published: 25-01-2023 | 12:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Partech Africa, the VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa, has issued its annual report on Africa Tech Venture Capital, which reveals that despite the global VC downturn, the African tech ecosystem grew faster than all other markets globally. 


5 key insurance industry trends in EMEA region according to Plug and Play
Published: 23-01-2023 | 13:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Insurance industry trends over the past year have been significant, especially across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.


Plug and Play China launches call for global startup applications
Published: 23-01-2023 | 11:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Global innovation platform Plug and Play has announced a strategic partnership with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and launched a call for entries for the Elevator Pitching Competition 2023 (EPiC 2023).


YouBiz research reveals key trends and challenges facing Southeast Asian SMEs in 2023
Published: 19-01-2023 | 11:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
YouBiz, the SME spend management platform by YouTrip, launched its first whitepaper studying emerging business spending trends and key business priorities for SME in 2023.


Innovation scale-up Wazoku launches Mindpool SME to help small businesses capture employee insights
Published: 19-01-2023 | 10:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Innovation scale-up Wazoku announced it has launched Mindpool SME, an employee insights dashboard that makes it simpler & faster for SMEs to listen to, understand, and act on employee insights.


Beijing-based Astro-E closes seed round financing to accelerate growth
Published: 16-01-2023 | 11:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Astro-Energy Technology (Astro-E), a Chinese provider of household new energy products and systems, raised an undisclosed amount in Seed funding led by CAS Venture Capital, followed by Asia Green Fund (AGF) and Ningbo Angel Capital Guiding Fund.


Healthcare venture capital fundraising and investment remained strong in 2022, SVB reports
Published: 11-01-2023 | 11:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SVB released its 12th annual Healthcare Investments and Exits Report which shows venture capital fundraising and investment persisted in 2022.


For women entrepreneurs, the West is the new promised land, report
Published: 04-01-2023 | 16:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
America's original Westward Expansion was led by entrepreneurs of the day noticing great economic opportunities out of the West. A study by MerchantMaverick.com shows that a new slew of opportunities are appearing in Western states for women entrepreneurs.


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.


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.


AWARD selects 50 African women for fellowship on improving policy in the agri-food systems
Published: 30-11-2022 | 14:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Inspired by the flagship AWARD Fellowship Model, the Gender Responsive Agriculture Systems Policy (GRASP) Fellowship, aims to grow a pool of confident and capable African women to lead policy changes to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods.


Chinese web3 startup Viide shows ambition to leverage advertising through Decentralized Screen Network
Published: 30-11-2022 | 12:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Viide, a web3 startup has shown its ambition to leverage the value of web3 advertising in China through its Decentralized Screen Network.


New Adevinta Ventures report reveals that B2B Marketplaces outperform other tech segments in VC funding
Published: 25-11-2022 | 09:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Adevinta Ventures, the early-stage investment arm of Adevinta, an online classifieds specialist, is launching a new B2B marketplaces report.


[Column] Natalia Ahmadian: Four ways to accelerate tech transfer in Europe
Published: 23-11-2022 | 10:27:41 | By: Pie Kamau
The importance of university spin-offs has been recognized for decades. Several studies showed that Tech Transfer is beneficial for social welfare and entrepreneurial activity


Hong Kong and Singapore lead green fintech development among the five economies in the APEC region, study
Published: 31-10-2022 | 10:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
GoImpact, together with The CUHK Business School, released the findings from their working paper, Exploring the Green Fintech Ecosystem in Asia: Insights from Five Economies in APEC.


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).


Fintech emerging as Africa’s most vibrant sector, study
Published: 28-10-2022 | 13:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fintech startups in Africa grew 81% in 2021, with South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya emerging as key hubs on the continent, found a Mastercard study on the state of fintech in African markets.


Meet female scientists who develop cellular and gene therapies in China, Jiang and Zhang
Published: 27-10-2022 | 12:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Inside Namtai Inno Park in Guangming District hides a low-profile biomedical development firm; Shenzhen Wingor Biotechnology company.


Novo Seeds portfolio company NMD Pharma reports positive top-line Phase I/IIa data in myasthenia gravis
Published: 11-10-2022 | 12:46:12 | By: Pie Kamau
Novo Holdings announced that its portfolio company NMD Pharma, reported positive top-line results from a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for its lead asset, NMD670.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


Early-stage startups don't stand to benefit from Inflation Reduction Act, Kruze Consulting
Published: 22-08-2022 | 13:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 doubles the R&D Tax Credit from $250,000 to $500,000, a popular tax credit used by unprofitable startups. However, an analysis by Kruze Consulting shows that the earliest-stage startups will likely not benefit from this increased credit.


Chinese Grand Pharma backs Dutch medtech Xeltis with €15m
Published: 10-08-2022 | 12:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Xeltis, a medtech company developing the most advanced polymer-based restorative cardiovascular devices, announced that a Chinese company, Grand Pharmaceutical Group, has committed to invest €15 million in equity and license fees.


Immigrants have started more than half of America's billion-dollar startup companies, study
Published: 27-07-2022 | 16:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Immigrants have started more than half (319 of 582, or 55%) of America's startup companies valued at $1 billion or more, according to a new study from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), a nonpartisan research organization.


Qiming Venture Partners closes $3.2b funds to back early and growth stage tech startups in China
Published: 11-07-2022 | 10:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
China based venture capital firm Qiming Venture Partners announced the closing of $3.2 billion, including USD Fund VIII at $2.5 billion and the first closing of RMB Fund VII at $700 million.


Lummus announces successful startup of CATOFIN PDH unit in China
Published: 01-07-2022 | 14:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Lummus Technology announced the commissioning and startup of a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit at Shandong Ruize Chemical Technology's complex in China.


Alien Invasive Fruit Flies project comes to the rescue of Southern Africa mango farmers
Published: 20-06-2022 | 10:45:00 | By: Bob Koigi
In a bid to tame the voracious flies, the Alien Invasive Fruit Flies project in Southern Africa has come up with five technologies as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) package.


Chinese biotech startup Meta Pharmaceuticals raises $15m to accelerate its pipeline development
Published: 15-06-2022 | 13:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
META Pharmaceuticals, China's first immunometabolism-based small-molecule drug discovery company, announced two consecutive Seed and Pre-A funding rounds totaling $15 million.


Chinese ARHUD solution provider Raythink completes Series A+ financing to accelerate mass production of in-vehicle AR displays
Published: 15-06-2022 | 11:35:13 | By: Pie Kamau
Raythink, the ARHUD solution provider for the automotive and transportation industry, announced it has raised around $15 million in a Series A+ funding round led by Chengwei Capital.


[Interview] Michelle Matthews, Director, Viridian, South Africa
Published: 14-06-2022 | 17:14:50 | By: Bob Koigi
Following the rising levels of unemployment among young South Africans, the UK-South Africa Tech Hub Launch League initiative undertook a research project.


African tech startup funding will double by 2025, research
Published: 14-06-2022 | 15:18:00 | By: Bob Koigi
African business leaders are forecasting a surge in spending on tech start-ups as foreign direct investment and improved internet connectivity helps establish the continent as a tech superpower, new research for blockchain-based mobile network operator World Mobile shows.


BRV China-backed eVTOL startup Zerog closes $1.48m seed round to accelerate growth
Published: 07-06-2022 | 10:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Zerog, a Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer, completed a $1.48 million seed round with BlueRun Ventures China (BRV China) as the sole investor.


Birmingham-based startup Astound raises $1m seed round to improve university access to corporate-sponsored research funding
Published: 01-06-2022 | 09:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Astound, a Birmingham-based startup, secured $1 million in seed funding to develop the first marketplace to allow research institutions and universities to easily find corporate sponsors.


Biotech startup Transine Therapeutics closes £13.7m seed round to accelerate its platform and portfolio development
Published: 31-05-2022 | 12:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Transine Therapeutics (Transine), a biotechnology company, announced it has successfully raised £4.6 million in additional seed funding.


Foodtech startup Haofood partners Lawson to accelerate presence in China
Published: 11-05-2022 | 12:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Haofood, a food science and technology startup announced a new partnership with Chinese convenience store Lawson where customers will gain greater access to its products.


Biotech startup AskGene completes of $20m Series A financing to accelerate growth
Published: 10-05-2022 | 10:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
AskGene, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovery and development of innovative biological drugs, announced the completion of $20 million in Series A financing.


Breakthrough Properties raises $3b to develop next-gen life science ecosystems
Published: 03-05-2022 | 16:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Breakthrough Properties, a joint venture of Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital, announced the final closings for the Breakthrough Life Science Property Fund.


French AI startup Kryptview raises $650k in pre-seed to develop community-driven crypto research platform
Published: 25-04-2022 | 13:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kryptview, a collective intelligence platform that provides peer-reviewed research for digital assets, announced the closure of its pre-seed round, raising $650,000 from crypto technology companies.


Startups increasingly use memorable, key-word rich descriptive domain names to stand out from competitors, study
Published: 20-04-2022 | 13:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TrueName, a global leader in descriptive domains, announced that more startups are choosing descriptive domains than in previous years per recent data by Marc Köhlbrugge.


What Africa requires to attain sustainable and effective food systems
Published: 07-04-2022 | 11:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
A variety of factors constrain those who are reliant on farming for their livelihoods – particularly smallholders, including women and youth – from stepping up or stepping in to agriculture.


Swiss edtech startup Alphacruncher raises €1.45m for global rollout of research cloud workspace product
Published: 16-03-2022 | 13:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Swiss edtech startup Alphacruncher has raised €1.45 million funding from Austrian venture capital firm Alpine Equity, NGM, private investors and existing users, to enable the global rollout of its education and research cloud workspace product, Nuvolos.


Cross-border fintech startup Dowsure raises $20m to fuel growth of e-Commerce sellers in China
Published: 22-02-2022 | 12:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Shenzhen-based fintech startup Dowsure Technologies, has attracted the attention of global strategic investors, fueling the growth of millions of e-Commerce sellers from China on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Shopee and more.


Achieving inclusive cocoa and palm oil commercialization in West Africa
Published: 11-02-2022 | 11:30:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Abugre also noted that questions remain with regards to the future of cocoa production given global price trends, climate change, farmers stepping into the sector, and income distribution effects at the local level.


The Sandbox and Brinc announce $50m open metaverse accelerator program funding for 100 startups
Published: 27-01-2022 | 11:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Sandbox, a decentralized gaming metaverse, has committed $50 million to Brinc, a global venture accelerator, for The Sandbox Metaverse Accelerator Program, which will target 100 startups to enhance the open metaverse.


SOMA.finance closes $6.5m seed funding round to accelerate growth
Published: 24-01-2022 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SOMA.finance, a Hong Kong and New York-based decentralized marketplace for digital assets, announced the completion of a $6.5 million seed funding round.


Chinese autonomous driving startup Haomo.AI raises nearly RMB 1 Billion, reaches Unicorn status
Published: 04-01-2022 | 10:09:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Beijing-based autonomous driving startup Haomo.AI has raised nearly 1 billion yuan (close to $150 million) in its Series A financing round, giving itself strong financial momentum to expand this new year.


Israel tech startups raised $25.4 billion in 2021, report
Published: 03-01-2022 | 09:54:13 | By: Bob Koigi
The unprecedented figure represents a 136% increase over last year, which concluded with a full-year total of $10.8 billion raised.


African scientists make a case for home grown research on continent’s food systems
Published: 24-12-2021 | 12:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
A storytelling event organized by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), saw four accomplished African researchers working on agriculture and food security share their personal journeys in agricultural research, and discuss how they are working to transform farming on the continent.


Nigeria tech startups raised $1.7billion in 2021, report
Published: 20-12-2021 | 14:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Since the beginning of 2021, Africa-based tech startups have raised more than $2.9 billion with Nigerian startups which are creating new products, services, and platforms raising $1.7 billion of this total or about 60% of it, a new report has found.


The University of Nairobi and Elgon Kenya to develop agriculture technology and innovation centre
Published: 17-12-2021 | 17:40:11 | By: Bob Koigi
The agriculture sector in Kenya has received a major boost following a partnership between two leading institutions to set up a technology and innovation centre, the first of its kind in East Africa.


Netherlands emerging as 'Hottest Tech Hub' in Europe, not reaching its full potential yet, report
Published: 07-12-2021 | 15:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Atomico, an international investment firm that focuses on helping disruptive technology companies scale globally, announced that the Netherlands is emerging as Europe's hottest tech hub.


Chinese gaming and entertainment startup Talon closes $5m Series A funding to accelerate growth
Published: 25-11-2021 | 12:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Talon, the Hong Kong headquartered competitive gaming, entertainment and culture brand announced it has secured $5 million in equity capital in its Series A financing round.


Agritech startup FarmSense receives $2.2m SBIR funding for development of biosecurity measures against native and invasive pests
Published: 24-11-2021 | 08:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
FarmSense, the agritech startup and creator of Smart Flight Sensors, announced it has been awarded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds in the amount of more than $2.2 million.


Retail media research startup Future Commerce announces launch of weekly podcast
Published: 20-11-2021 | 12:00:56 | By: Bob Koigi
Infinite Shelf recognizes that digital media and eCommerce tactics and strategies are no longer confined to traditional eCommerce channels and direct-to-consumer.


Illumina and Sequoia Capital select first startups to join Genomics Incubator in China
Published: 18-11-2021 | 08:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Illumina and Sequoia Capital China, an investment firm, jointly announced the selection of the first two startup companies joining the Sequoia Capital China Intelligent Healthcare Genomics Incubator, Powered by Illumina.


Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH joins Variantyx's $26m Series C funding round
Published: 17-11-2021 | 12:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, has completed an investment in Variantyx, to improve personalized oncology treatment.


Chinese SEI Robotics partners with Silicon Valley's Medtrics to bring telemedicine service to Android TV
Published: 29-10-2021 | 15:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SEI Robotics, a global innovator of smart IOT devices & provider of Android TV platforms for Pay-TV operators (MVPD), announced its strategic partnership with Medtrics, the Silicon Valley startup, player of digital health service.


Chinese autonomous driving startup WeRide releases next-gen small, lightweight Sensor Suite 4.0
Published: 28-10-2021 | 09:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
WeRide, a Chinese L4 autonomous driving company released WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 (Suite 4.0), marking another key step towards the mass production of self-driving vehicles.


Chinese startup MioTech raises additional financing to develop sustainability innovations that support net-zero global economy
Published: 26-10-2021 | 11:22:07 | By: Pie Kamau
MioTech announced it has secured investments to further its commitment to develop sustainability innovations that support a net-zero global economy.


North Carolina's SAS and Pappas Capital partner to propel agritech startups with analytics
Published: 21-10-2021 | 13:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Two North Carolina companies, analytics leader SAS and venture investment firm Pappas Capital, are joining forces to help advance the state as a global leader in agricultural technology.


Chinese autonomous driving startup WeRide named "AutoTech Startup of the Year" in 2021 AutoTech Breakthrough Awards Program
Published: 21-10-2021 | 12:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
WeRide, a world autonomous driving company, has been named "AutoTech Startup of the Year" in the annual AutoTech Breakthrough Awards conducted by market intelligence organization AutoTech Breakthrough.


Chinese warehouse robotics startup HAI ROBOTICS secures $200m funding to accelerate growth
Published: 22-09-2021 | 14:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
HAI ROBOTICS, a Chinese warehouse robotics startup pioneering in autonomous case-handling robotics (ACR) system, announced it has secured two new continuous rounds of financing, garnering $200-odd million in total.


Chinese intelligent robotics startup Agile Robots completes Series C financing to accelerate growth
Published: 21-09-2021 | 10:41:12 | By: Pie Kamau
Agile Robots, an intelligent robotics company, announced the completion of a Series C financing with a total investment of $220 million. The financing was led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, followed by financial investors.


Biotech startup Elevian raises $40m Series A to advance treatments for stroke recovery and age-related diseases
Published: 17-09-2021 | 12:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Elevian, an emerging biotech company developing medicines that restore youthful regenerative capacity with the potential to treat and prevent multiple age-related diseases, announced it raised $40 million in an oversubscribed Series A round led by Prime Movers Lab.


ITRI partners with Arm to provide resources for innovative IC design startups in Taiwan
Published: 15-09-2021 | 16:49:37 | By: Pie Kamau
To promote Taiwanese local IC design startups, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is supporting the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Arm, in providing critical resources.


Israeli startup Quantum Machines raises $50m to make quantum computers ubiquitous and disruptive across all industries
Published: 07-09-2021 | 15:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Tel Aviv based startup Quantum Machines, creator of the Quantum Orchestration Platform, announced it has secured $50 million in Series B funding to expand its growth into quantum cloud computing and drive its worldwide distribution.


CB Insights launches algorithm to score the quality of startup's founding and management team
Published: 02-09-2021 | 13:05:15 | By: Pie Kamau
CB Insights, which enables world's leading companies to make smarter technology decisions, announced Management Mosaic, the first-ever algorithm to demystify the quality of a startup's founding and management team.


Next-gen research platform Litmaps closes $125K seed-stage investment from Quidnet Ventures
Published: 02-09-2021 | 12:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Litmaps, a Science software company based in Wellington, New Zealand has received NZ$125,000 in funding from Quidnet Ventures, a New Zealand-based venture capital fund with operations in Auckland, NZ, San Francisco and New York.


Oddup raises $12.8m Series C funding to increase access to pre-eminent global startup ecosystem insights
Published: 01-09-2021 | 13:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Oddup, an international provider of data-driven insights for the startup and cryptocurrency ecosystems, announced the close of a $12.8 million Series C funding round.


HUAWEI partners with Singapore-based healthtech startup Plano to tackle global problem of myopia
Published: 05-08-2021 | 12:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Huawei Technologies and Plano announced a partnership to address the global problem of myopia. Through this partnership, Huawei and Plano will provide Huawei users with easy-to-use, innovative, and science-based technological solutions.


Hong Kong-based insurtech startup YAS MicroInsurance features in TOP 10 of Plug and Play Insurtech Batch 5 startups
Published: 22-07-2021 | 11:55:14 | By: Pie Kamau
Hong Kong-based next-generation Insurtech startup YAS MicroInsurance, has been featured as one of the TOP 10 of the Insurtech Batch 5 in Plug and Play APAC, a well-known global startups accelerator and innovation platform.


Financials, ICT remain the most attractive sectors for VC investment in Africa, report
Published: 07-07-2021 | 08:34:56 | By: Bob Koigi
Mapping Africa’s startup landscape between 2014 and 2020, the report provides data and analysis on venture capital (VC) deal activity in Africa in 2020 along with information about the types of investors that have participated in those deals.


AI startup LLENA (AI) partners with Southern University to support (USDA/NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
Published: 29-06-2021 | 14:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
LLENA (AI) Health Solutions, announced a partnership with Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to support their "Center of Excellence for Nutrition, Health, Wellness, and Quality of Life" initiative to address diet-related health disparities.


QIMA acquires stake in London-based supply chain resiliency startup Kavida.ai
Published: 08-06-2021 | 13:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
QIMA, the provider of quality control and supply chain compliance solutions, announced it has invested in Kavida.ai, a London-based startup that builds supply chain digital replicas and uses artificial intelligence.


Speedaf express completes Round A+ financing to build China-Africa express brand
Published: 08-06-2021 | 12:32:54 | By: Pie Kamau
Speedaf express, a China-Africa integrated logistics service provider, officially announced the completion of its Round A+ financing, led by TRUSTBRIDGE, followed by Northern Light VENTURE CAPITAL, and VISION+CAPITAL on the basis of Round A.


The nexus between gender-responsive research and agricultural productivity in Africa
Published: 27-05-2021 | 11:15:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Smallholder farmers across Africa are looking to science to boost farm productivity and to tackle emerging threats, partiuclarly with regards to climate change and pandemics as demonstrated by COVID-19, the report further noted.


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.


Chinese biopharma startup Alebund Pharmaceuticals raises $60m in Series B financing round
Published: 11-05-2021 | 12:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Alebund Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for the treatment of renal diseases and related chronic conditions, announced the raise of $60 million in its Series B financing round.


Revere VC raises $1.35 m seed round to give venture capital its vanguard moment
Published: 07-05-2021 | 12:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Revere VC, a San Francisco and Hong Kong based asset management firm, announced the launch of its flagship products and services; "The Portal,' a curated VC platform, and its inaugural fund strategy, 'The Prime Access Fund.'


Fact.MR redefines the way startups access market research
Published: 21-04-2021 | 12:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The number one reason for startup failure isn't lack of funding or stiff competition. The main reason is 'misreading market demand'. Therefore, it becomes important for startups to thoroughly research the market.


Chinese biotech startup Bioheng raises $80m in Series B financing to advance allogeneic immuno-cell therapies
Published: 24-03-2021 | 15:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bioheng Biotech, a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated on developing novel cellular immunotherapy for cancer, announced that it had secured $80 million in Series B Financing.


Chinese logistics startup Duckbill closes $50m funding
Published: 22-03-2021 | 14:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Duckbill, the world container trucking/drayage service platform featuring intelligent dispatching and transportation management, announced the closing of fund raising of $50 million which marks the biggest funding in the industry.


CRIO secures Series A financing to accelerate growth, platform development
Published: 16-03-2021 | 15:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Clinical Research IO (CRIO), a Boston-based technology firm offering clinical research sponsors and sites a platform to streamline clinical trials, announced the completion of a $3.5 million Series A round led by Rally Ventures.


From grass to cash: Harnessing the power of climate smart forage grasses in Western Kenya
Published: 25-02-2021 | 08:45:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Kenyan researchers have been working with farmers in Western Kenya to test new varieties of fodder grasses known to have higher protein, low fiber and are fast maturing.


Adjuvant Capital announces $300m venture fund to improve global public health
Published: 19-02-2021 | 12:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Adjuvant Capital announced an oversubscribed $300 million fund focused on accelerating the development of medical innovations for historically overlooked public health challenges.


Investment in Forward BIOLABS paying off for bioscience startups
Published: 19-02-2021 | 12:02:04 | By: Pie Kamau
Forward BIOLABS, a co-working life science lab that helps bioscience startups grow, is celebrating early successes and honoring the companies that support the organization.


Boast.AI secures $100m to fuel R&D tax credit-based financing for startups
Published: 18-02-2021 | 09:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Boast.ai, a software innovator whose flagship product automates the complex process of applying for R&D tax credits, secured a $100 million credit facility from Brevet Capital, a leading alternative credit investment and specialty finance firm.


Proxima Ventures, Co-win Ventures invest in Bioelectronica to accelerate pharmaceutical discovery and development
Published: 09-02-2021 | 08:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bioelectronica announced the closing of an investment by Proxima Ventures and Co-win Ventures to advance the company's innovations in digital biochemistry, from novel assay development to scalable electrofluidics.


Chinese venture capital firm Qiming closes RMB Fund VI at RMB 2.852 billion
Published: 26-01-2021 | 09:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Chinese venture capital firm Qiming Venture Partners announced the final closing of its RMB Fund VI at RMB 2.852 billion.


Kinyungu Ventures calls for changes to cut-and-paste VC strategy in Africa
Published: 18-01-2021 | 16:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
A new White Paper published by East African venture advisory firm Kinyungu Ventures shows there continues to be a wide misalignment between traditional venture capital models and the African market.


US venture exit value achieved $290 billion in 2020 alongside record years for investment and fundraising activity, report
Published: 14-01-2021 | 11:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Though the past year had a lot of uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the US VC industry demonstrated its resilience and long-term mindset, achieving new records in total exit value, deal value and capital raised by VC funds.


Egypt’s life science startup Nawah Scientific raises $1m round for market expansion
Published: 13-01-2021 | 08:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Egyptian life science startup Nawah Scientific announced the the closing a second pre-series A round of $1 million in mixed equity and debt capital, raising its total funding to $2 million.


Genomics startup NuProbe closes $42m fundraising for expansion
Published: 12-01-2021 | 11:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
NuProbe, a genomics and molecular diagnostics company specialized in ultrasensitive sequencing panels, announced the closing of its oversubscribed $42 million fundraising.


Chinese iQIYI's VR startup completes Series B funding to drive innovation, expand content ecosystem
Published: 06-01-2021 | 13:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
iQIYI Inc., an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China, announced it has recently completed a multi-hundred million RMB Series B funding round for its virtual reality (VR) division iQIYI Intelligent.


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.


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.


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.


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.


Luxury e-commerce startup ShopWorn enters Asia with Hong Kong satellite
Published: 28-10-2020 | 13:23:53 | By: Pie Kamau
ShopWorn, e-commerce destination for well-priced, guaranteed authentic luxury brands opened a Hong Kong satellite location to directly service APAC countries, with an initial focus on the Greater China area.


[Algeria] Sonatrach invests in university incubator for startups
Published: 22-10-2020 | 08:17:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Algeria state owned oil company Sonatrach has partnered with the National Agency for the Promotion of Research and Technological Development Results (ANVREDET), to establish a university incubator for start-ups.


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.


Amsterdam based startup Zeta Alpha launches AI platform to help experts navigate new research
Published: 22-09-2020 | 13:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Amsterdam based startup Zeta Alpha is launching AI Research Navigator, a new deep learning-based search platform, to help AI experts navigate new research.


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.


Evonik invests in Chinese tech startup to support intelligent, healthier pig farming
Published: 28-07-2020 | 13:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Evonik’s venture capital arm has invested in SmartAHC, a Chinese technology startup that enables more intelligent and healthier pig farming.


London based health tech startup Closed Loop Medicine secures £250,000 Innovate UK continuity funding
Published: 24-07-2020 | 15:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Closed Loop Medicine (CLM), London based therapeutics and health tech company has secured a £250,000 COVID-19 Innovate UK Continuity Funding award to support its ongoing clinical research programme.


Quantum technology startup Q-CTRL enters global partnership with Advanced Navigation
Published: 22-07-2020 | 10:40:33 | By: Bob Koigi
Q-CTRL, a startup that applies the principles of control engineering to accelerate the development of quantum technology, has partnered with Advanced Navigation, a leader in AI-based navigational hardware.


AI startup Deep Longevity launches with Series A financing
Published: 22-07-2020 | 10:31:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Deep Longevity, a biotechnology company transforming longevity R&D through AI-discovered biomarkers of aging, has come out of stealth from Insilico Medicine with financing from prominent investors worldwide.


Dutch online startup, scale-up community funds international research into COVID-19
Published: 20-07-2020 | 15:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Eighteen entrepreneurs from the Dutch online startup and scale-up community are joining forces to finance an international study by Erasmus MC into the clinical picture of COVID-19.


Mitsui Chemicals, UNEP support Asian startups helping reduce plastic waste
Published: 22-05-2020 | 08:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mitsui Chemicals announced that it has selected three innovative Asian startups to receive support under the Asia–Pacific Low-Carbon Lifestyles Challenge (APLCLC), a program run by the United Nations Environment Programme.


Intel Capital invests $132 million in 11 disruptive technology startups
Published: 19-05-2020 | 12:52:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Intel Capital, the global investment arm of tech giant Intel has invested $132 million in 11 technology startups.