Berlin-based ecoligo, a solar crowdfunding platform founded in 2016, has received EUR 2.5 million of funding from Saxovent, an investor specializing in ecological investments to open up the solar market for commercial and industrial businesses in emerging markets. The firm says it will use the funds to scale up operations and enter new markets. ecoligo has implemented more than 20 solar projects in East and West Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia. According to Saxovent COO, Matthias Kittler, “because everyone involved benefits financially from the solution: the local companies who reduce their electricity costs, the local service providers through the…
Author: Rawlings Otini
With the help of a smartphone, one can get entertained by watching different types of videos. These videos are uploaded on different platforms by their creators or recorders. The platform has millions of categories where these videos are present, and one can easily watch them as per his schedule. However, to watch videos on these platforms, one needs to be online with good connectivity. In case of the absence of internet connectivity, one cannot go for it. Due to these reasons, only people love to get the videos on their devices, but platforms, where these videos are uploaded, do not…
In July 2018, Kenya’s SokoWatch, Hover, a USSD firm founded by KopoKopo’s Ben Lyon and Rwanda’s Leaf raised funding each from BFA’s Catalyst Fund to help bring their fintech products and services to millions of users in emerging markets. SokoWatch had the same week announced it had raised $2 million from 4DX Ventures with participation from Village Global, Lynett Capital, Golden Palm Investments, and Outlierz Ventures. 4DX Ventures has also invested into Africa’s Andela, Flutterwave, and mPharma. The Catalyst Fund’s 5 “inclusive fintech” early-stage funding is targeted at startups in its early 2018 cohort and its main purpose is to de-risk them.…
Widenergy Africa, a women – led Zambian clean energy solutions distributor has received undisclosed investment from GreenTec Capital Partners to accelerate its efforts at women empowerment and the expansion affordable energy access. The PAYGO non-profit provides solar powered homes and appliances in Zambia and is the official distributor of Little sun solar products-Solar lamps, Solar phone chargers and soon clean cook stoves, in a move to reduce deforestation in Zambia, known as one of the highest in Africa. WidEnergy, coined from “Women in Development,” works with 80 women sales agents to distribute renewable energy solutions and expand energy and connectivity…
M-SCAN, a company that develops portable mobile ultrasound devices (Ultrasonic probes), was crowned as Sub-Saharan Africa’s Most Promising Startup at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018, held in Lagos, Nigeria on 11 December. Bettr, a virtual banking experience powered by the smartphone and data was the runner up. TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018, sponsored by Facebook, sought to find Sub-Saharan Africa’s best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs. Africa’s second TechCrunch Startup Battlefield built on and exceeded the breakthrough success of last year’s event in Nairobi, Kenya. Fifteen African companies were shortlisted from hundreds of entries and competed to be chosen as Sub-Saharan…
Uber has launched a 24/7 phone support for users across Kenya 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To call, users simply need to tap ‘Help’ in the main menu of the Uber app and select the ‘Call’ option to be connected to Uber’s support team. Riders can also contact the Uber support team through in-app messaging or visit help.uber.com for frequently asked questions. In an emergency, users should still call the local emergency line (999 112 911) or use the Uber in-app emergency button which connects to Uber’s third-party security providers. The new 24/7 phone line for riders and drivers follows…
A local financial technology firm Meta Capital has launched a three in one financial solution that that makes decisions and trades international currencies on behalf of clients while giving them direct access to competitive fixed deposit and transactional FX rates from local banks. The Nairobi based Fintech has deployed MetaQuant, SharpFX and MetaFDR in one platform to help clients trade currencies globally, get the best foreign exchange quotes from local banks and fixed deposit rates respectively. MetaQuant employs artificial intelligence to make decisions and trade for clients with limited time and skills to participate in online foreign exchange trading markets…