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Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3787394 | 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.


English cyber security startup CultureAI raises $4m seed round to measure and mitigate human cyber security risk
Published: 30-11-2021 | 13:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CultureAI, the human cyber security platform founded by professional hackers, announced the closing of a $4 million Seed round to fuel its rapid growth.


[Startup Interview] Sophie Tarif, Nina van Boxtel, Founders, BOETIEK, Netherlands
Published: 30-11-2021 | 13:57:00 | By: Bob Koigi
BOETIEK, a Dutch startup, works with local boutiques and brands to increase audiences and increase online sales. The platform offers a wide range of products and services from latest fashion trends to new online boutiques and concept stores.


[Startup Interview] Dave Withers, CEO, Vertis, USA
Published: 30-11-2021 | 13:53:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Vertis is a US-based startup that leverages billions of data points and proprietary data science to help business leaders implement data-driven talent and location strategies.


Heritage enters strategic partnership with insurtech startup Slide to accelerate growth
Published: 30-11-2021 | 13:40:22 | By: Pie Kamau
Heritage Insurance, a super-regional property and casualty insurance holding company, announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Slide, a startup InsurTech P&C carrier led by Bruce Lucas, Heritage's former Chairman and CEO.


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


French high-tech startup PlanetWatch selects city of Miami to deploy air quality monitoring network
Published: 30-11-2021 | 12:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
PlanetWatch, the world's first decentralized indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring network built on the Algorand blockchain, has selected the city of Miami to deploy a network of its sensors citywide.


Canadian startup OutPoint raises $1.2m to help high-growth brands improve paid marketing effectiveness
Published: 26-11-2021 | 11:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
OutPoint, an automated media mix modeling (MMM) platform, announced it raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding to transform how high-growth consumer brands measure paid media effectiveness and diversify marketing investments.


Axelar secures investment from Crypto.com Capital to bolster its efforts to connect blockchain ecosystems
Published: 26-11-2021 | 11:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Axelar, the universal interoperability network connecting all blockchain ecosystems, applications, assets, and users, announced it has secured a strategic investment from Crypto.com Capital, the investment arm of cryptocurrency giant Crypto.com.


Lithuanian peer-to-peer crypto-asset swapping startup 123swap closes $210k seed round
Published: 26-11-2021 | 10:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Lithuanian peer-to-peer crypto assets swap platform123swap Finance announced it closed $210k seed round funding from a number of angel investors, including Becker Venture Capital and Steven Becker.


Estonian startup Gelatex raises €1.2m seed round for affordable and scalable manufactured cell-cultured meat
Published: 26-11-2021 | 10:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Estonian startup Gelatex announced it raised €1.2m seed round for affordable and scalable manufactured cell-cultured meat, making it cheaper than ever.


Croatian AI startup Mindsmiths receives $1.4m seed funding to develop and expand its ASS platform
Published: 26-11-2021 | 09:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Globally awarded Croatian AI startup Mindsmiths received $1.4 million in seed funding from Feelsgood investment fund which supports companies with proven positive social impact.


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.


KingsCrowd partners with Backstage Capital to educate new generation of startup investors
Published: 25-11-2021 | 11:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
KingsCrowd, the online private market's first and only data-driven ratings and analytics platform, has reached a strategic partnership with Backstage Capital, to educate a new generation of startup investors.


Bio-material tech startup Cruz Foam closes $2.5m seed funding to accelerate circular protective packaging solutions
Published: 25-11-2021 | 11:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cruz Foam, a mission-driven sustainable materials company, announced it has closed $2.5 million in seed funding in a raise led by At One Ventures to enable the transition toward a circular economy.


Robotics startup HaptX raises $4m investment from Crescent Cove Advisors to accelerate expansion
Published: 25-11-2021 | 11:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
HaptX, the provider of realistic haptic gloves for VR and robotics, announced it has secured a $4 million credit facility from Crescent Cove Advisors, bringing HaptX's Series A funding to $28m, and the company's total funding to $35m.


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.


Brazilian fintech startup TruePay raises $32m Series A funding for team and product development
Published: 24-11-2021 | 08:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TruePay, a Brazilian startup whose innovative payment solution helps small and medium sized retailers have free and secure access to credit, has raised $32 million in Series A funding led by Addition.


Miami-based VC firm Borderless Capital closes $10m PLANETS.Fund to build green data economy on Algorand
Published: 24-11-2021 | 08:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Borderless Capital, the Miami-based venture capital firm dedicated to the Algorand ecosystem, announced the closing of PLANETS.Fund, a $10 millionn fund focused on building a green data economy.


Kigali-based agriculture startup AflaSight, partners launch innovative projects to improve maize quality in Rwanda
Published: 24-11-2021 | 07:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The World Food Programme, IFC, Kigali-based agriculture startup AflaSight, and research firm Vanguard Economics launched innovative projects to help farmers and grain traders reduce the prevalence of aflatoxins in crops and grains in Rwanda.


Toronto-based mobility startup Treepz expands to East Africa, acquires Uganda's Ugabus
Published: 24-11-2021 | 07:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
In a bid to digitize the public transportation system and provide safer, reliable and comfortable commute options across Africa, Toronto-based shared mobility company Treepz, announced its acquisition of a similar Ugandan bus company Ugabus.


Africa-based cryptocurrency exchange Busha raises $4.2m seed round to deepen its market positioning
Published: 24-11-2021 | 07:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Africa-based cryptocurrency exchange Busha, raised $4.2 million seed round led by Jump Capital. Cadenza Ventures, Blockwall Capital, CMT Digital, Greenhouse Capital, Raba Capital, and other investors also participated in the financing round.


Israeli foodtech startup Imagindairy closes $13m seed round to advance animal-free dairy
Published: 23-11-2021 | 08:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Imagindairy, a foodtech company creating milk proteins identical to those from cows, announced completion of a $13 milion seed round, led by MoreVC, a leading seed stage investor in Israel managing $275 million across three funds.


Crowd Capital joins FinHealth US 2021 accelerator program for early-stage startups
Published: 23-11-2021 | 07:46:17 | By: Pie Kamau
Crowd Capital has been selected to participate in FinHealth US 2021. This will enhance Crowd Capital's mission to offer families facing financial hardship.


Fintech startup and shareholder loyalty pioneer TiiCKER launches Android app
Published: 23-11-2021 | 07:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TiiCKER hit the trifecta with the addition of an Android app to its web and iOS portals, giving America's estimated 130 million retail investors instant access to loyalty rewards.


Kenyan gaming startup Usiku Games develops Africa’s first mobile football game
Published: 23-11-2021 | 07:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan gaming startup Usiku Games unveiled an amateur football mobile game to promote outdoor physical activities and encourage sportsmanship among youths in East Africa.


South African fintech firm Ozow raises $48m Series B round to accelerate growth
Published: 23-11-2021 | 07:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
South African fintech firm Ozow raised $48 million Series B funding round led by Chinese internet giant Tencent. Other investors Endeavor Catalyst and Endeavor Harvest Fund participating also participated in the round.


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.


Seattle-area startup Lassen Peak raises $10m seed funding for weapons search technology
Published: 19-11-2021 | 12:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Seattle-area startup Lassen Peak announced the completion of Seed financing of $10 million with Alpha Intelligence Capital, Lauder Partners, Orbit Venture Partners, and other strategic seed investors participating in the investments.


Virginia medtech and sportstech startup OxiWear closes pre-seed funding round at $1.25m
Published: 19-11-2021 | 12:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
OxiWear announced it successfully closed a pre-seed funding round at $1.25 million, oversubscribed above its goal of $750,000.


World's innovation platform Plug and Play launches in Basel, Switzerland
Published: 19-11-2021 | 12:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The largest innovation enabler in the world, Plug and Play, announced the launch of a new office in Basel, Switzerland, in partnership with the first Founding Partner, uptownBasel.


Israeli Medical device startup Filterlex closes $6m Series A1 investment to accelerate CAPTIS cardiovascular clinical program
Published: 19-11-2021 | 11:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Filterlex Medical, a cardiovascular medical device startup, announced it completed a $6 million series A1 investment round from private healthcare investors.


London-based healthcare startup Gravitiq raises $55m seed round to expand portfolio of e-Commerce healthcare brands
Published: 19-11-2021 | 11:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Gravitiq, the doctor-founded and led healthcare brand aggregator, announced the close of its seed funding round, raising a total of $55 million.


Crypto Valley Venture Capital initiates investment strategy to build blockchain accelerator for African startups
Published: 18-11-2021 | 10:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
African blockchain disruptors and early-stage startups have joined CV Labs Global Incubation Program Batch 03. The African contingent of incubatees is reflective of Crypto Valley Venture Capital’s (CV VC) global investment strategy.


GROWMARK and CHS launch Cooperative Ventures to drive technology advancements for agritech startups
Published: 18-11-2021 | 10:20:41 | By: Pie Kamau
GROWMARK and CHS announced the formation of Cooperative Ventures, a new capital fund that will focus on creating advancements in breakthrough technologies for the agriculture industry.


Nigerian healthtech startup Helium acquires doctor booking platform Meddy
Published: 18-11-2021 | 09:38:43 | By: Pie Kamau
Helium Health (Helium), the healthcare technology provider in Africa, announced it has completed the acquisition of Meddy, the GCC-based doctor booking platform, which has operations in Qatar and the U.A.E.


Fort Ross Ventures announces first closing of $200m late-stage fund
Published: 18-11-2021 | 09:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fort Ross Ventures, an international venture-capital firm focused on startups in the U.S. and Israel, announced the $100 million first closing of its late-stage fund.


Israeli logistics AI startup Amphorica partners with Swiss investor Falco Capital to accelerate growth
Published: 18-11-2021 | 09:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Falco Capital and Amphorica jointly announced the closing of a capital investment and cooperation agreement. As part of the agreement, Amphorica appoints Falco Capital partner Peter Salzer, as Director of the company's board.


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.


Israeli femtech startup illumigyn partners with Peramare Pharmaceuticals to bring innovative gynecological imaging platform to Nigeria
Published: 17-11-2021 | 15:22:31 | By: Pie Kamau
illumigyn, world's first remote gynecological imaging platform, announced its new distribution agreement with Peramare Pharmaceuticals Nigeria, to deploy 5,000 Gynescopes in Nigeria by 2026.


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.


Indonesia's Hypefast emerges from stealth mode as the largest house of e-Commerce native brands in Southeast Asia
Published: 17-11-2021 | 12:01:14 | By: Pie Kamau
Hypefast, Southeast Asia's (SEA) largest house of e-Commerce native brands, announced it has grown its portfolio to more than 25 brands and has been achieving full profitability.


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


Firmware security startup NetRise emerges from stealth with $6.8m seed round
Published: 17-11-2021 | 11:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
NetRise, the company solving the world's firmware security problem, has emerged from stealth by closing their $6.8 million Seed Round led by Miramar Digital Ventures, with Sorenson Ventures, DNX Ventures and multiple strategic angels.


AI-informed physical security startup Hakimo raises $4m seed round
Published: 17-11-2021 | 11:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Hakimo, an AI platform designed to bring cybersecurity-like tools to the physical security industry, announced $4 million seed funding.


Finnish heathcare startup Valo Tx raises €11m to advance PeptiCRAd immunotherapy platform into the clinic
Published: 16-11-2021 | 13:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Valo Therapeutics Oy (Valo Tx), the developer of novel, adaptable immunotherapy platforms for cancer and infectious diseases, raised €11 million in an oversubscribed Pre-IPO funding round.


Japanese VR startup HIKKY raises $57m Series A funding to expand its services domestically and abroad
Published: 16-11-2021 | 12:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Virtual reality (VR) startup and organizers of VR events in the world HIKKY raised 6.5 billion yen ($57 million) in an initial stage of its Series A funding round.


BrokerTech Ventures accelerator opens for 2022 cohort applications
Published: 16-11-2021 | 12:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
BrokerTech Ventures (BTV), the industry's first broker-led convening platform and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance broker industry, has opened the application window for its 2022 BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator program.


Kenyan fintech startup Kwara launches regional offices to reach SACCOs across the country
Published: 16-11-2021 | 11:24:54 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan fintech startup Kwara opened regional offices in the Western, Central, Rift Valley and Coastal regions of Kenya as part of its expansion in the country.


South Africa's emergency marketplace startup AURA secures R62m Series A funding for global expansion
Published: 16-11-2021 | 11:18:18 | By: Pie Kamau
AURA, the African-based security and medical response marketplace secured R62 million in a Series A funding round, led by MultiChoice Group (MCG), KLT Holdings and Buffet Investments, positioning AURA favourably for its global expansion plans.


Home fashion startup Modern Matter raises $1.2m seed round to accelerate growth of its e-Commerce platform
Published: 11-11-2021 | 11:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Modern Matter, a design company and manufacturer of decorative and architectural hardware, raised $1.2 million in seed capital. Modern Matter collaborates with leading designers to develop exclusive hardware designs for luxury homeowners.


Healthtech startup Sigrid Therapeutics raises $8.4m from US, Irish and Swedish investors for diabetes breakthrough
Published: 11-11-2021 | 11:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Swedish healthtech startup Sigrid Therapeutics is set to prevent two of the world's biggest health challenges, type 2 diabetes and obesity with its SiPore15® powder.


Investor Advisor Seed Ventures closes first round
Published: 11-11-2021 | 11:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Investor Advisor Seed Ventures (IA Seed Ventures) announced the first closing of its new venture fund with investments in five companies. These deals mark the beginning of active investment for this new network of accomplished investors.


South African fleet-tech startup KeyTec and LocoNav enter Africa's video telematics market
Published: 11-11-2021 | 10:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
South Africa fleet-tech startup KeyTec has partnered with LocoNav to capture the emerging and high-growth video telematics market throughout Africa.


Kenyan Mental health startup Shamiri Institute raises $1m, expands to the rest of Africa
Published: 11-11-2021 | 10:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Shamiri Institute, a Kenyan mental health startup has raised $1 million in funding from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to tackle the scourge of mental health in Kenya and the rest of the African continent.


Community knowledge sharing startup 7th Ave raises $2.5m seed round
Published: 03-11-2021 | 13:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
7th Ave, a knowledge sharing platform for Black professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs, and students announced a $2.5 million seed round to create a space where mindful discovery, discussion, and community take place.


Compliance startup Laika raises $35m Series B to help companies ace security audits
Published: 03-11-2021 | 12:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Laika, the industry's first unified compliance-as-a-service platform, announced it has closed $35 million in Series B funding led by J.P. Morgan Growth Equity Partners with participation from PayPal Ventures.


London-based insurtech startup Collective Benefits announces $10m investment from Prosus
Published: 03-11-2021 | 12:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Collective Benefits, an insurance and benefits marketplace for independent workers, announced a $10 million investment from Prosus Ventures, the venture investing arm of Prosus, one of technology investors in the world.


Indian full-stack agritech startup DeHaat raises $115m Series D round
Published: 03-11-2021 | 12:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
DeHaat, the technology-based platform offering end-to-end agricultural services to farmers in India, announced it has raised $115 million in Series D funding, led by Belgium based investment firm Sofina and Lightrock India.


Romanian startup Flip lands €1.5m from Prosus-owned eMAG, plans CEE leadership in refurbished products
Published: 03-11-2021 | 12:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Flip, a Romanian startup in the Recommerce market, landed the first eMAG Ventures accelerated investment worth 1.5 million euros and targets the leading position in Central and Eastern Europe.


Israeli medical device startup Innoventric wins Horizon Europe Grant, secures $14m Series A investment
Published: 02-11-2021 | 13:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Israeli medical device startup Innoventric, secured $14 million through its Series A financing, including the prestigious Horizon Europe Grant for the sum of €2.5 million.


Berlin-based investment platform Moonfare raises $125m Series C to accelerate global growth
Published: 02-11-2021 | 13:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Moonfare, the digital private equity investment platform for individual investors, raised $125 million in Series C funding, led by New York-based Insight Partners, to continue to develop innovative investment solutions and accelerate its international expansion.


Kenyan fintech startup Kwara partners with Lami Technologies to give SACCO members access to insurance products
Published: 02-11-2021 | 12:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan digital banking fintech startup Kwara has partnered with insurance technology company, Lami Technologies, to provide SACCO members with affordable and transformational insurance products.


Four Ghanaian startups join the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce accelerator
Published: 02-11-2021 | 12:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Four startups from Ghana have joined The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator, a programme that supports innovators building digital commerce solutions.


Kenyan-based payroll startup Workpay expands to Nigeria
Published: 02-11-2021 | 11:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Workpay, a Nairobi-based YC graduate, is expanding its operations to Nigeria. The cloud-based workforce management startup will now offer Core HR, Payroll, and employee record services to organizations in the country.


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.


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.