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Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3792330 | 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.






[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. 




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.


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.


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.


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


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).


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


[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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


[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.


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.


UK startup Quantexa raises $64.7m to drive hyper-growth in big data and analytics ecosystem
Published: 31-07-2020 | 12:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Quantexa, the contextual decision intelligence software company, announced that it has raised $64.7 million in Series C funding led by Evolution Equity Partners, with major participation from existing investors.


French startup AB Tasty raises $40m to lead in experience optimization, feature management markets
Published: 31-07-2020 | 12:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
French startup AB Tasty announced a Series C round of funding to revolutionize how companies deliver the best brand and product experiences.


Swiss cleantech stratup Insolight closes Series A financing with €4.6 million
Published: 30-07-2020 | 16:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Swiss cleantech stratup Insolight announced that a Series A Round of €4.6 million has successfully been closed led by Investiere, with co-investors Zürcher Kantonalbank, Swiss Immo Lab and a number of private business angels.


Italian startup TIM, United Ventures launch €150m capital fund to support investments in mature innovative enterprises
Published: 30-07-2020 | 16:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Italian startup TIM signed an agreement with United Ventures to launch UV T- Growth fund that will support investments in mature innovative enterprises and SMEs in order to develop technological projects in Italy and abroad.


Seattle based startup Polyarc raises $9 million for augmented reality development
Published: 29-07-2020 | 13:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Seattle based startup Polyarc announced the close of its $9 million Series B fund raise led by Hiro Capital, followed by Vulcan Capital, an existing investor, and Galaxy Interactive via its Galaxy EOS VC Fund.


EHF Marketing GmbH, Monaco startup IQONIQ partner to drive fan engagement in European club handball competitions
Published: 29-07-2020 | 12:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EHF Marketing GmbH, the marketing subsidiary of the European Handball Federation, announced its partnership with IQONIQ, an innovative new fan engagement platform made for sports and entertainment.


Monaco headquartered startup IQONIQ secures €100m for global expansion
Published: 29-07-2020 | 12:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
IQONIQ, a new fan engagement platform exclusively targeting the world of sports and entertainment, announced it has entered into a €100 million capital funding agreement with the Luxembourg based investment corporation Lux Media Investments.


Swiss startup Advertima raises €15m Series A funding to make smart retail spaces a reality
Published: 29-07-2020 | 11:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Advertima, an emerging computer vision platform provider, announced the close of a €15 million Series A investment round led by existing shareholder Swiss real estate company, Fortimo Group.


Kenyan agritech startup Lentera, MCFI ink deal to provide satellite based crop analysis for Mauritian farmers
Published: 29-07-2020 | 11:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Mauritius Chemical and Fertilizer Industry (MCFI), and Lentera Africa have signed a partnership that will see Lentera provide satellite-based crop health analysis and crop modelling services for Mauritian customers of MCFI.


SAP.iO Fund invests in San Francisco based reference checking startup Crosschq
Published: 28-07-2020 | 14:08:25 | By: Pie Kamau
SAP SE investment arm, SAP.iO Fund, has backed Crosschq, a San Francisco based company that provides a platform for creating and sharing candidate references.


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.


African AI startup Superfluid Labs receives investment from ShEquity
Published: 28-07-2020 | 13:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
GreenTec Capital announces that Superfluid Labs was selected as the first investment for the newly launched ShEquity investment vehicle which focuses on providing smart and sustainable investments for African female entrepreneurs.


Xavier Chapel joins GreenTec as Head of Venture Building
Published: 28-07-2020 | 12:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
GreenTec Capital announces that Xavier Chapel has joined the team in the role of Head of Venture Building, to leverage his extensive international and entrepreneurial experience in selecting startups that best fit GreenTec investment criteria.


French startup iObeya raises $17m to revolutionize visual management, expand its U.S. footprint
Published: 24-07-2020 | 16:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
iObeya, a leading provider of Enterprise Visual Management software, announced it has raised $17 million in a second round of funding from Red River West with participation from Atlantic Bridge Capital and Fortino Capital Partners.


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.


Go Ignite partners seek 5G use cases in global call for startups
Published: 24-07-2020 | 12:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Following the success of its previous global calls for startups, Go Ignite, an alliance of four leading global telcos, has launched Go Ignite: 5G Open Call for Startups to engage startups or venture capital-backed companies.


Spanish medtech startup QUIBIM closes €8 million investment round
Published: 22-07-2020 | 14:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Spanish Medtech startup QUIBIM has closed €8 million new financing in a seed funding round co-led by Amadeus Capital Partners and Adara Ventures.


Moroccan learning startup KoolSkools raises $417,000 for local, international expansion
Published: 22-07-2020 | 13:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Moroccan learning platform KoolSkools has raised $417,000 from Maroc Numeric Fund II an unnamed business angel.The investment will be used to finance the development of KoolSkools both in Morocco and internationally.


Moroccan fintech startup OnePay announces $417,000 investment from Maroc Numeric Fund II
Published: 22-07-2020 | 13:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
OnePay, a Moroccan fintech startup that operates as a distributor of means of payment and aggregator of payment and value-added services in electronic transactions announced a $417,000 investment from Maroc Numeric Fund II.


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.


[Startup Interview] Vimbai Malandu, Co-Founder, YuPlan Limited, Zimbabwe
Published: 21-07-2020 | 18:20:00 | By: Bob Koigi
YuPlan Limited is a Zimbabwe digital startup that allows customers to book a venue from anywhere in the world. The platform holds a selection of venues from office spaces, residential plots, gardens, school halls and sports fields among others.


Cornish startup Codices raises $800,000 seed round
Published: 21-07-2020 | 16:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Codices Interactive, a Cornish startup from the Falmouth Launchpad Incubator has closed its $800,000 seed round of funding led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) and Haatch Ventures.


Futuregrowth invests in South African online services disruptor startup SweepSouth
Published: 21-07-2020 | 15:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Futuregrowth has invested in SweepSouth, a disruptive online platform for booking, managing and paying for home cleaning, and now a variety of other services.


Kenyan startup PayGo Energy announces strategic investment from Saisan
Published: 21-07-2020 | 15:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
PayGo Energy, an Energy Access Ventures portfolio company, has secured a strategic investment from Saisan, a leading Japanese energy company.


Dutch fintech startup BUX launches zero-commission investing app to French users
Published: 20-07-2020 | 16:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dutch fintech startup BUX has launched its zero-commission investing app to French users, making it the first neobroker of its kind in the market.


Belfast health tech firm Neurovalens picked for UK startup scheme
Published: 20-07-2020 | 16:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Neurovalens, the Belfast tech company behind a headset developed to treat neurological health issues has been chosen for a major UK-wide programme.


Dutch startup Cevinio raises €4.5m to accelerate international growth
Published: 20-07-2020 | 16:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cevinio, a fast-growing Accounts Payable software company from Rotterdam has raised €4.5 million from Endeit Capital and CNBB Venture Partners.


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.


South African animation and gaming startup Sea Monster secures $1m funding
Published: 17-07-2020 | 15:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Animation, gaming and AR/VR company Sea Monster announced the conclusion of a $1m investment from FirstRand’s Vumela Fund.


Pan-European micro-mobility startup Voi achieves profitability in June, secures $30m funding
Published: 16-07-2020 | 13:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Voi Technology, the pan-European micro-mobility leader announced it has reached its first-ever monthly profit at group level for the month of June, less than two years since it launched the e-scooter service which now operates across 40 cities.


French startup Ponicode raises €3m to develop Artificial Intelligence for improved code quality
Published: 16-07-2020 | 12:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ponicode, a French start-up specialising in Artificial Intelligence and data sciences has announced a €3 million fundraising led by founder-friendly European VC, Breega, alongside Kima and Plug & Play Ventures.


London based startup TOffeeAM raises £1m in Seed funding to expand its innovative team
Published: 16-07-2020 | 12:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TOffeeAM, an Imperial College spin-out that optimizes product designs for Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has raised £1 million in seed funding.


[Startup Interview] Sanyogita Patil, CEO, Ahlan Emirate, United Arab Emirates
Published: 16-07-2020 | 09:46:25 | By: Bob Koigi
As small businesses struggle with visibility and constrained marketing budgets, Ahlan Emirate, a startup based in United Arab Emirates has introduced a unique marketing offering that includes free SEO, increased web presence and connecting these businesses to prospective customers through its digital directory.


CDC backs Helios Investment with $100m commitment
Published: 15-07-2020 | 14:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CDC Group, UK’s development finance institution and leading impact investor, has committed $100 million to Helios Investors IV, the fourth private equity fund raised by Helios Investment Partners, a leading Africa-focused private equity firm.


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


[Startup Interview] Anton Herbst, CEO, Vincula Holdings, South Africa
Published: 14-07-2020 | 17:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Vincula Holdings, domiciled in Johannesburg South Africa, is a startup connecting employers, project sponsors, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers through a platform that also seeks to provide participants with worldwide and focused exposure to grow their market share.


Dutch startup Open Social raises €1.25m for service expansion
Published: 14-07-2020 | 13:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Amsterdam-based B2B SaaS platform for building online communities Open Social has raised €1.25 million investment from Peak Capital and Nimbus Ventures.


AWIEF launches Enterprise Development for Women-Owned Ventures in Green Energy Startup Incubator
Published: 14-07-2020 | 08:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has launched “Enterprise Development for Women-Owned Ventures in Green Energy” and announces the call for applications for Startup Incubator in Malawi and Nigeria.


UK property startups Goodlord and Vouch come together to create new market leader
Published: 13-07-2020 | 14:53:09 | By: Pie Kamau
Property technology company Goodlord will be joining forces with referencing platform Vouch, bringing the fast-growing Vouch business into the Goodlord group.


British Business Investments announces €120m commitment to LGT Capital Partners funds
Published: 13-07-2020 | 14:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
British Business Investments, a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, announced the third commitment through its £500m Managed Funds Programme.


Eir Ventures announces first close of €76m fund to leverage untapped potential of health care innovation
Published: 13-07-2020 | 14:05:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Eir Ventures, a Nordic Life Science Venture Fund, announced a first close of its new fund of €76 million to leverage untapped potential of health care innovation.


Wazoku acquires US open innovation leader InnoCentive, raises additional £1.25m to support global growth
Published: 10-07-2020 | 15:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Wazoku, idea management software and services firm has announced a new funding round of £1.25M, led by Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) specialist.


The Digital Africa seed fund off to a promising start, offers customized support for African startups
Published: 10-07-2020 | 12:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Digital Africa seed fund for innovative entrepreneurship in Africa is off to a promising start. Just six months on from its launch, already, one third of the €15 million for technical and financial assistance has already begun to flow.


Mali renewable energy startup SolarX closes Series A round led by Energy Access Ventures
Published: 10-07-2020 | 11:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mali-based solar company SolarX announced the close of its Series A round led by Energy Access Ventures, an early-stage fund investing in and supporting decentralized energy companies across sub-Saharan Africa.


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.


Enygma Ventures invests $1m in Zambian fintech startup Lupiya
Published: 09-07-2020 | 14:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Enygma Ventures has made a $1 million investment in Zambian based micro finance startup, Lupiya. This investment, will enable Lupiya to continue to scale and roll out its services.


UK startup NumberEight raises $2.3m seed round from Nauta Capital to predict consumer behaviour
Published: 08-07-2020 | 15:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
NumberEight, a contextual intelligence platform for mobile devices that predicts consumer context to deliver the right content at the right time, has closed a $2.3 million seed round led by Nauta Capital.


German startup NavVis receives €20m funding from the European Investment Bank
Published: 08-07-2020 | 15:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and NavVis signed a contract financing of €20 million to NavVis, a global market leader in digital twin technology.


[Startup Interview] Ian Sendagala, CEO, eFoods Trade, Uganda
Published: 08-07-2020 | 14:23:00 | By: Bob Koigi
eFoods Trade is an African online B2B marketplace connecting African foods to the global markets. The platform targets food importers, exporters, distributors, and manufacturers. Ian Sendagala the CEO explains.


[Startup Interview] Sam Bediako-Asante, Founder, Sambed Consult, Ghana
Published: 08-07-2020 | 14:20:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Sambed Consult in Ghana offers management consultancy services targeting MSMES with a view to helping them improve their management and organizational performance. Sam Bediako-Asante, the startup’s founder elaborates.


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


GreenTec Capital invests in Nigerian wholesale e-commerce startup Pricepally
Published: 07-07-2020 | 15:34:25 | By: Pie Kamau
GreenTec Capital Partners announced its investment in Pricepally, an innovative digital Nigerian wholesale platform allowing users to purchase food and other products either individually or as a part of a group.


French startup Koala closes €1.6m seed round led by Insurtech Gateway
Published: 07-07-2020 | 15:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Paris based insurtech Koala announced an investment of €1.6 million led by London based incubator and fund Insurtech Gateway alongside Playfair Capital, Techstars Ventures and private investors.


ETF leads €7 million investment in Finnish startup Basemark
Published: 07-07-2020 | 14:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Basemark, a leading software company specialising in graphics and autonomous driving vehicle software, has successfully concluded a €7 million equity funding round by ETF Partners.


[Startup Interview] Rajat Dayal, CEO, Yabx, India
Published: 07-07-2020 | 11:57:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Yabx targets the unbanked population in the emerging markets of Africa, Asia, and Latin America by leveraging the digital footprints of an individual and providing tailor-made financial services. The startup’s founder and CEO Rajat Dayal explains.


British biotech startup Freeline closes $120m Series C financing round
Published: 06-07-2020 | 15:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Freeline, a biotechnology company focused on developing curative gene therapies for chronic systemic diseases announced the closing of a $120 million extended Series C financing.


Ingressive Capital grows African tech fund to $10 million
Published: 04-07-2020 | 13:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ingressive Capital has doubled its investment vehicle to back high-growth, tech-enabled startups across Africa, and now operates a $10 million fund.


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


U.S. based startup Andela to double engineering talent pool with Pan-African expansion
Published: 04-07-2020 | 12:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Andela, the global talent network that helps companies build remote engineering teams, will now accept engineers from all African countries, expanding its presence from six countries to the entire continent.


Privacy software company OneTrust acquires Seattle based startup Integris
Published: 03-07-2020 | 16:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Atlanta-based privacy, security, data governance, and compliance technology company OneTrust announced its Integris Software acquisition.


French startup Unlatch raises $5.8m funding round by AXA Venture Partners
Published: 03-07-2020 | 11:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Unlatch, a French pioneer in digital real estate sales, announced a $5.8 million financing round, including $4.5 million in equity from AXA Venture Partners and $1.3 million in debt.


Belgium startup e-peas raises further €8 million in VC for long term growth
Published: 03-07-2020 | 11:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Award-winning Belgium start-up e-peas has raised an additional €8 million worth of investment led by Partech and Airbus Ventures, with KBC Focus Fund, W.IN.G, Noshaq Ventures, LeanSquare, Nivelinvest and Vives also contributing.


Estonian startup Veriff closes $15.5 million financing round for global expansion
Published: 03-07-2020 | 10:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Estonian identity verification startup Veriff closed a financing round of $15.5 million to ramp up global growth and sales to enterprise customers prior to a larger B-series financing round planned in the future.


MFS Africa acquires East Africa fintech startup Beyonic
Published: 03-07-2020 | 09:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
East Africa fintech startup Beyonic announced that the company has been acquired by MFS Africa. MFS Africa operates Africa’s largest digital payments hub, connecting more than 200 million mobile wallets on the continent.


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


E-mobility startup Bolt launches electric bikes in Paris
Published: 01-07-2020 | 15:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
E-mobility startup Bolt has announced the introduction of four and two-wheeled vehicles for Parisian urban commuters, who will now have the opportunity to get from A to B on a Bolt electric bike.