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Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3787764 | 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.


Danish blockchain startup Drivn enables users earn an income while saving the planet
Published: 27-10-2022 | 11:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Drivn, the brainchild of three Danish founders, aims to change the world's travel behavior towards a more sustainable future.


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.


Health and wellness hydration startup LARQ raises $10m series A funding for further expansion
Published: 30-09-2020 | 16:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
LARQ, health and wellness hydration brand, announced a round closure of $10 million in Series A funding to continue its global expansion through 2021 and further develop as a 360-degree hydration brand.


Scrum Ventures launches Food Tech Studio - Bites!
Published: 30-09-2020 | 15:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Scrum Ventures announced the launch of Food Tech Studio - Bites!, a global community of stage-agnostic startups who share a common vision of solving key challenges plaguing food supply chain.


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


Copenhagen biotech startup Synklino raises seed round to develop breakthrough infection treatment for transplant patients
Published: 29-09-2020 | 15:02:14 | By: Pie Kamau
Synklino ApS, an emerging biotech company developing first-in-class breakthrough treatment to eliminate cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in the transplant setting announced the successful closing of a seed financing.


Cannabis cultivation software startup Trym closes $3.1m seed round to accelerate growth
Published: 29-09-2020 | 14:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Trym, a pioneering cannabis cultivation software company announced the completion of its $3.1 million seed funding round of financing to accelerate growth.


Taiwanese healthtech startup iWEECARE extends $2.4m pre-series A financing to serve global demand for remote patient monitoring
Published: 29-09-2020 | 13:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
iWEECARE, developer of world's smallest continuous temperature monitoring product, Temp Pal®, raised $2.4 million in extended pre-series A financing to serve global demand for remote patient monitoring.


Robotics solution startup Exotec raises $90m for international expansion of its warehouse automation technology
Published: 29-09-2020 | 12:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Exotec, a robotics solution for logistics and creator of the Skypod 3D warehouse robots, announced a $90 million financing round.


Cyber security startup Cerby announces $3.5m seed round to accelerate product development and hiring
Published: 28-09-2020 | 15:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cerby, a stealth cybersecurity company focused on helping enterprises harness Shadow IT, announced a $3.5 million seed round led by Bowery Capital with participation from AV8 Ventures, Global Founders Capital, and the Incubate Fund US.


Swisscom, Ericsson and Qualcomm join forces to find world's most innovative 5G startups
Published: 28-09-2020 | 15:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Switzerland's telecommunications and IT company Swisscom is joining forces with Ericsson and Qualcomm CDMA Technologies GmbH to identify the world's most innovative startups and research teams working on 5G applications.


AltoIRA enables individuals invest in startups using IRAs
Published: 28-09-2020 | 15:06:01 | By: Pie Kamau
AltoIRA, a technology platform that simplifies and streamlines the process for investors to add alternative assets to their IRAs announced a new partnership with Republic, a leading investment platform for startups.


Cannon Quality announces new compliance essentials for startups program
Published: 28-09-2020 | 14:54:52 | By: Pie Kamau
Cannon Quality Group (CQG) announced a new medtech quality management program designed to help startups set the foundation for a quality management system (QMS) compliant to FDA QSR and ISO 13485 requirements.


Mastercard announces Fintech Express to empower Middle East and Africa fintechs to launch and expand rapidly
Published: 24-09-2020 | 16:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mastercard has launched Fintech Express in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), a program designed to facilitate emerging fintechs’ launch and expansion.


EasySend raises $16m to enable insurance companies and financial institutions to build a no-code digital future
Published: 24-09-2020 | 14:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EasySend, the no-code AI-powered platform transforming manual processes into digital journeys, announced it has raised $16 million in funding following the completion of an $11 million Series A round led by Hanaco with participation from Intel Capital.


Insurtech startup cogniSure launches AI platform for commercial loss run automation with 9 pilot customers
Published: 24-09-2020 | 13:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The insurance industry spends a significant amount of manual effort, time and money analyzing PDF and Excel loss runs that are in nonstandard, carrier-specific, unstructured document formats.


Peterson Ventures announces $65m in fresh capital to invest in early stage consumer and SaaS startups
Published: 24-09-2020 | 13:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Peterson Ventures, a founder-first seed stage venture fund, announced that it has raised $65 million in fresh capital.


 [Startup Interview] Myron Leskiv, CEO, Atama.AI, Netherlands
Published: 24-09-2020 | 08:42:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Atama A.I is a Netherlands startup that develops Artificial Intelligence-based trading algorithms for financial markets informed by years of research and development. It uses over 170 technical indicators and trained and back-tested millions of times to predict where the markets will go.


Neighbor attracts top tech talent to usher in new wave of growth for Silicon Slopes startup
Published: 23-09-2020 | 13:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Neighbor, the self-storage marketplace disruptor, has added three strategic hires to its executive team to fuel a new wave of growth for the Andreesesen Horowitz-funded startup, which has grown 5X in 2020.


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


London-based startup TopTip plans to give half its shares to its users
Published: 23-09-2020 | 13:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
London-based startup Useful Interruptions, owner of the TopTip recommendations app, announced the launch of its Founders Club programme that aims to give half the shares in the company to users of TopTip.


Finish startup ICEYE raises $87m to accelerate growth of its SAR satellite constellation
Published: 22-09-2020 | 14:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ICEYE, a SAR data provider, announced the closing of a larger than planned $87 million Series C funding, led by return investor True Ventures, with a significant additional investment by OTB Ventures.


Finch secures $1.8m to launch all-in-one checking and investing account for millennials
Published: 22-09-2020 | 13:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Finch, a New York based fintech startup that integrates the benefits of investing and the flexibility of checking into an all-in-one account has raised $1.8 million in seed funding to launch its platform and help transform how people manage their money.


Neurostimulation startup Salvia BioElectronics raises €26m to develop innovative therapy for chronic migraine
Published: 22-09-2020 | 13:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Salvia BioElectronics B.V., a neurostimulation platform company targeting chronic migraine, has raised €26 million in new financing from new and existing investors.


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.


[Startup Interview] Marthinus Coetzee, CEO, iPTT Africa, South Africa
Published: 22-09-2020 | 11:02:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Iptt africa (pty) Limited, a South African telecommunications startup, solves the communication problems faced by many businesses and organizations in Africa through its italkptt platform that allows businesses to communicate from anywhere in Africa to anywhere in the world. The CEO Marthinus Coetzee elaborates.


ARM launches API service for fintech startups in Nigeria
Published: 22-09-2020 | 09:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigeria's financial services provider ARM launched ARM Sandbox, a new and more efficient way for fintechs to scale their integration and customer acquisition plans.


Online sales program startup Virtanza closes $1m in private investment funding round
Published: 21-09-2020 | 14:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Sales2Job Academy, DBA Virtanza, an Orange County-based company that offers higher education a scalable sales training solution directly connected to employers, announced it has raised seed round funding totaling $1 million from private investors.


South Korean fntech startup WireBarley raises $10m Series B to strengthen global remittance service capabilities
Published: 21-09-2020 | 14:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
South Korean fintech startup in global memittance WireBarley has raised $10 million in Series B funding from Magna Investment, Shinsegae I&C and Dt & Investment.


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


Harvard-incubated startup MarqVision launches AI-powered platform to protect brands from counterfeits
Published: 21-09-2020 | 13:43:44 | By: Pie Kamau
MarqVision, an AI-based SaaS company, launched its brand protection platform that helps brands effortlessly detect and remove counterfeits on online marketplaces.


[Startup Interview] Jason Gras, Emile Fulcheri, Stima, Kenya
Published: 19-09-2020 | 10:54:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Stima is a Kenya-based startup that operates a smart service swap stations providing charging services to enable moto-taxi riders to switch to electric motorcycles.


German urban farming startup Infarm raises $170m to grow urban vertical farming network in the world
Published: 18-09-2020 | 13:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Infarm, German urban farming network announced $170 million investment raised in the first close of a Series C funding round expected to reach $200 million.


ZenSports closes additional $1.46m Seed funding for U.S. and international expansion
Published: 18-09-2020 | 12:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ZenSports, the mobile peer-to-peer sports betting marketplace announced a new $1.46 million Seed round of funding to expand into the United States, as well as to continue to grow its international presence.


Plug and Play selects 147 startups for its winter 2020 batches
Published: 18-09-2020 | 12:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Plug and Play announced the selection of 147 new startups into its winter 2020 batches. The startups were selected to join one of the following programs that will run through November 2020.


Imagine Impact closes Series A financing with Benchmark
Published: 18-09-2020 | 11:42:17 | By: Pie Kamau
Imagine Impact, the content accelerator and online marketplace startup founded by Academy Award-winning duo Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, announced the close of its Series A financing round led by Benchmark, a Silicon Valley Venture Capital firm.


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


Cellular agriculture startup Wildtype launches salmon in sushi restaurants
Published: 17-09-2020 | 12:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cellular agriculture startup Wildtype has unveiled its latest cell-based salmon. This version is "sushi-grade" and crafted with the sushi industry's favorite raw salmon applications in mind.


SEMrush acquires Poland's SaaS PR tech startup Prowly
Published: 17-09-2020 | 11:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SEMrush, an online visibility management and content marketing SaaS platform, has further expanded its ecosystem with the acquisition of a 100% stake in Poland's public relations SaaS startup Prowly.com.


Trust Payments partners with messaging and e-commerce startup Wakanda Messenger to empower Africans around the world
Published: 17-09-2020 | 11:05:41 | By: Pie Kamau
Trust Payments, the global unified payments group for global pay-in, pay-out and customer journey technologies, has partnered with social network, messaging and e-commerce startup Wakanda Messenger.


Hetz Ventures closes on $77m for oversubscribed second fund to invest in B2B enterprise tech
Published: 16-09-2020 | 14:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Hetz Ventures, a leading venture capital fund for early-stage investments, announced the close of its second flagship fund, oversubscribed at $77 million.


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


Wix announces Wix Capital, internal venture arm to invest in global startups
Published: 16-09-2020 | 14:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Wix.com, the global leader in website creation, announced its own venture capital initiative, Wix Capital, to invest in technology innovators that are focused on the future of the web.


Nigerian e-commerce startup Kwik Delivery releases WooCommerce plugin, enabling 2-hour deliveries for online merchants
Published: 15-09-2020 | 12:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian e-commerce startup Kwik Delivery released a WooCommerce plugin, enabling thousands of Nigerian online merchants to integrate seamlessly its delivery service to their WordPress online stores.


Medical device startup Spine Align raises $1.75m Series Seed Round to reach FDA clearance
Published: 15-09-2020 | 08:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Spine Align, a medical device company developing a portfolio of products that enable spine surgeons to measure, visualize, and adjust patients' spinal alignment during surgery, closed a $1.75M Series Seed round.


Virtual reality startup Nanome partners with Fujitsu to bring drug design software to Japanese market
Published: 15-09-2020 | 08:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
San Diego-based virtual reality (VR) startup Nanome, has entered into an agreement with Fujitsu to bring their signature product, an immersive scientific design and collaboration platform to the Japanese market.


Kenyan tech startup Xetova shortlisted for MIT 2020 health security & pandemics track
Published: 15-09-2020 | 08:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan technology startup, xetova, has been named 2020 Global Solve finalist by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the health security and pandemics track.


AI-based startup SafeRide expands into Germany to support, accelerate growing business in Europe
Published: 14-09-2020 | 12:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SafeRide Technologies, a leading provider of AI-based vehicle health management, data analytics, and cybersecurity solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles, announced the opening of a new office in Germany.


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


Danish drone startup QuadSAT raises €2m to accelerate product testing
Published: 11-09-2020 | 13:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
QuadSAT, a Danish company that is revolutionising test and measurement of satellite antennas, announced it has closed a €2 million Pre-Series A Investment, the largest venture investment in a Danish drone tech company in history.


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


Zurich-based turicode closes €2m seed investments round for growth plans
Published: 11-09-2020 | 12:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
turicode, a successful Software-as-a-Service provider in the field of document processing solutions based on machine learning and deep learning raised €2 million seed investments to fund the company’s growth plans.


UK's curated audio platform for journalism Curio closes $9m Series A funding for international expansion
Published: 11-09-2020 | 11:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Curio, the premium audio platform with a curated library of expert journalism, closed a $9 million Series A round led by Earlybird. Draper Esprit, Cherry Ventures, and Horizons Ventures also took part in the investment.


Belgian startup InviteDesk raises €500K to expand its event marketing software
Published: 10-09-2020 | 14:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
InviteDesk, developer of event marketing software, has increased its capital by more than €500 thousand. With InviteDesk, companies increase their return on investment (ROI) from event marketing.


Belgian scale-up Oncomfort raises €10m in Series A funding
Published: 09-09-2020 | 15:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Oncomfort, the Belgian inventor of and leader in Digital SedationTM a method for relieving patients' pain and anxiety without medication announced the completion of a €10 million Series A funding round.


PopSQL raises $3.4m to help teams collaborate using data
Published: 09-09-2020 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
PopSQL, the collaborative SQL editor for teams announced $3.4 million in seed funding, led by Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused venture fund.


Pcysys announces $25m Series B funding round led by Insight Partners
Published: 09-09-2020 | 14:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cybersecurity Validation company, Pcysys, announced it has completed a $25 million Series B funding round led by US-based venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners.


SaaS Ventures announces launch of second fund, raises $20m in first close
Published: 08-09-2020 | 16:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SaaS Ventures, a Maryland-based venture capital firm focused on investing in early stage enterprise technology companies in secondary markets throughout the U.S. and Canada, has announced the launch of a second fund (Fund II).


Early investors in 4IR startups set to reap rewards
Published: 08-09-2020 | 15:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Early investors in startups with exposure to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) are benefiting from significant revenue growth despite the physical constraints introduced by governments’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.


Fintech startup Thunes raises $60m in Series B funding to accelerate global growth
Published: 08-09-2020 | 14:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fintech startup Thunes, which operates a global B2B cross-border payments network, continues to attract investment as emerging markets take off.


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


Paul Lamontagne steps down as CEO of FinDev Canada
Published: 07-09-2020 | 11:27:26 | By: Pie Kamau
Following close to three years as the first CEO of Findev Canada, Paul Lamontagne has announced that he is stepping down effective September 11, 2020.


Software development startup Zymr expands footprint in India, opens new development center in Bengaluru
Published: 04-09-2020 | 15:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Zymr, a full-stack cloud-native software development company headquartered in California announced the establishment of a third development center in Bengaluru, India, to respond to an increasing customer demand despite COVID slowdown.


SafeButler, Liberty Mutual partner to offer instant renters insurance
Published: 04-09-2020 | 15:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
YCombinator funded startup SafeButler has partnered with Liberty Mutual, an insurance industry leader for over 100 years, to provide instant access to a comprehensive renters insurance plan at a very low rate.


StartUp Namibia launches Round 2 of COVID 19 Startup Grant
Published: 04-09-2020 | 08:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
In order to support more startups and young enterprises, StartUp Namibia and its partners announced Round 2 of the COVID-19 Startup Grant, called “Startup Survival Grant”.


Demodesk raises $8m to scale world’s first intelligent online sales meeting software
Published: 03-09-2020 | 16:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Demodesk has raised $8 million in the latest Series A funding round, led by Balderton Capital with participation from Target Global, to scale the platform that has revolutionized screen-sharing for great customer conversation.


BorgWarner expands collaboration with startup ecosystem Plug and Play
Published: 03-09-2020 | 16:02:58 | By: Pie Kamau
BorgWarner announced its next venture with Plug and Play, a global innovation platform and accelerator ecosystem for startup companies, by becoming a partner of its newly planned incubator location in Detroit.


South Korean Doit5 launches advertising content service using web AR technology
Published: 03-09-2020 | 15:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Social marketing platform Doit5 announced the launch of an advertising service that uses content with web based AR technology.


e-commerce startup Pharmapacks closes $40m bridge round financing
Published: 03-09-2020 | 15:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pharmapacks, a leading e-commerce enablement platform and retail seller for brands across major ecommerce marketplaces announced the closing of a $40 million bridge round financing.


West Africa's Miro Forestry raises $48 funding close led by CDC to combat climate crisis
Published: 02-09-2020 | 15:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CDC Group, the UK’s publicly owned impact investor announced a further $12 million commitment to Miro Forestry, a sustainable forestry and timber business with plantations in Ghana and Sierra Leone.


Fielding Norton joins advisory board of InsureTech startup Pricing Platform
Published: 02-09-2020 | 10:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pricing Platform, an InsureTech startup that integrates Property & Casualty underwriting, pricing, and portfolio analytics in a cloud-based platform announced Fielding "Fid" Norton has joined as founding advisor and Chair of the advisory board.


Digital Horizon invests in Nigerian health startup Healthlane
Published: 02-09-2020 | 09:55:45 | By: Pie Kamau
Digital Horizon venture fund has invested in Y Combinator alumnus Healthlane, the startup focusing on modern, online consultations for local and remote patients, alongside traditional face-to-face public health services across Africa.


Chromologics raises €1.9m seed round to accelerate development of fermentation-derived next generation food colorants
Published: 01-09-2020 | 17:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Chromologics, which is developing innovative natural food colorants, announced it has raised €1.9 million in seed financing led by Novo Seeds and supported by Nordic FoodTech VC and Vækstfonden.


Paris-based startup Klassroom raises $3m to expand from France to other countries including the U.S.
Published: 01-09-2020 | 17:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Klassroom, the Paris-based company that reinvents parent-teacher communication in pre-kindergarten and all elementary school grades, raised a $3 million seed round led by Bpifrance.


LimaCharlie receives $500K seed funding to accelerate growth of security infrastructure as a Service
Published: 01-09-2020 | 15:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
LimaCharlie, the market leader for delivering Information Security Infrastructure as a Service (SIaaS), has secured seed $500K funding from Lytical Ventures to accelerate growth and support its continued success.


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.