Author: Weddy Thuranira

Zuri Health, a Kenyan telemedicine startup, has launched a WhatsApp chatbot for its Kenyan users. Zuri says the new chatbot, dubbed Vera, will assist connect people to healthcare providers in Kenya,  where 97% of all internet users are using WhatsApp as of 2021, according to the GlobalWebIndex.  Zuri Health is a virtual hospital that allows users in Africa to access primary healthcare services such as talking to doctors, scheduling appointments, ordering lab testing, and ordering medications from pharmacies.In Kenya and Senegal, it has platforms on its website, its mobile app ‘Zuri Health,’ and SMS platforms. “We understand that to democratize…

GoMetro, a South African logistics startup, has raised a seed extension round of ZAR16.3 million (US$1 million) to accelerate its growth, strengthen its commercial team, and aggressively expand into the South African, UK, and American markets. The US$1 million seed extension round, led by Kalon Venture Partners, Hlayisani Capital, Tritech Global, 4Decades Capital, and E Squared Investments, will be utilized to expand the company’s revolutionary tech platform, product engineering, and development. “By using our mobility management platform and digitising their entire fleet, operators can save up to 30 per cent in operating costs by increasing overall vehicle utilisation, controlling excess…

The Baobab Network, a Nairobi-based accelerator that invests in early-stage tech companies across Africa, has announced its next cohort of five investees, each of which will receive US$25,000. After making five more investments as part of a new model, the Baobab Network has been accelerating companies with capacity building and fundraising since 2019. The newest cohort joined a three-month intensive growth programme at the beginning of March. “We felt now was the right time to launch our cohort investment model, as the quality of companies that we see in our pipeline has improved dramatically since we first started investing in 2019,”…

Power Financial Wellness, a fintech startup, has partnered with Turaco, an insurtech firm, to provide customers with affordable health insurance products. These insurance plans with flexible premium payments, which fall under Power’s “Protect” product pillar, are aimed towards gig and salaried employees across the region. Power intends to simplify the process and empower workers across Africa by delivering a holistic financial wellness solution for firms and their workforces as technology continues to revolutionize the way people transact, borrow, save, and insure. The platform connects banks, asset managers, and insurance providers to end-users via API integrations, allowing for seamless access to…

South Africa-based VC firm HAVAÍC has announced the third and final close of the HAVAÍC Universum Core African Fund, a US$20 million fund that will invest in early-stage technology companies in South, East, and West Africa. HAVAC, based in Cape Town, is an investment and advisory firm that invests in and supports early-stage, high-growth African technology businesses with proven concepts and global prospects, providing sophisticated private and institutional investors with high-return and impactful investment opportunities. The HAVAC Universum Core African Fund is the company’s second pan-African investment fund, with a third and final closing of US$20 million in partnership with…

Startups with innovative solutions that help overcome the ocean’s overexploitation, pollution, or climate change challenges are encouraged to apply for the OceanHub Africa accelerator program’s third cohort. OceanHub Africa, based in Cape Town, has supported 16 African ocean-minded startups in various sectors of the Blue Economy, including aquaculture, fisheries, shipbuilding, marine renewables and biotechnologies, coastal tourism and ocean sports, awareness and education, data.exploration, and ocean plastic circular economy, since its inception in 2020. The third edition of the acceleration program, which will run from mid-July until the end of February 2023, aims to support ocean-impact ventures by increasing their exposure, innovation, and…

Hello Tractor, a Nigerian tractor-booking platform, has secured $1 million in funding from Heifer International to provide loans for tractor purchases that can be repaid with revenue earned by leasing the tractors to local farmers. The program, “Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) Tractor Financing for Increased Agricultural Productivity in Nigeria,” already has enabled tractor purchases in the states of Nasarrawa, Abuja and Enugu. These purchases could make tractors accessible to thousands of smallholder farmers via the increasingly popular Hello Tractor leasing platform. Sometimes referred to as Uber for tractors, Hello Tractor offers software and tracking devices that allow farmers to book tractor services from local tractor owners…

Ventures Platform, a pan-African early-stage venture capital firm, has added four new African firms to its portfolio through its new fund. This fund aims to locate, fund, and promote ground-breaking market-creating innovation prospects in order to boost Africa’s economy and position it as a worldwide market power. The new portfolio businesses have developed innovative solutions to address critical societal issues such as unbanked people’s access to financial services, creating borderless trade opportunities for African merchants, allowing Africans to make digital payments without having access to the internet, and providing credit to middle-market African businesses. The newest portfolio companies include: Topup…

Khazna, an Egyptian financial super app that provides underserved consumers and microbusinesses with simple, technology-driven financial services, has announced that it has received final approval from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to launch its Khazna Card in partnership with ADIB Egypt. Khazna was launched in 2020 as an earned wage access product, but it has since evolved into a multi-product that caters to the 50% of Egyptians who use smartphones but do not have access to formal financial services. It now provides general credit, buy now pay later (BNPL), and bill payment services. The startup gained CBE clearance to…

Eden Life, Nigeria’s home concierge services scheduling platform, has acquired Lynk, a Kenyan gigs marketplace in a move that will see Eden Life expand into Kenya, Eden Life will utilise Lynk’s successful platform, which connects informal laborers with end customers through automated job matching and standardized processes. In a statement, Akinyi Ooko-Ombaka, Country Lead at Eden Life Kenya, said: “It’s truly exciting to continue the phenomenal legacy of the Lynk platform and be part of the evolution in recreating smart-service delivery solutions for busy Nairobians to manage their work-play lifestyle. The combination of the technology that powered Lynk to empower informal…

OnePort 365, a digital freight forwarding startup that makes it easier to transport cargo to, from, and within Africa, has raised $5 million in seed funding to enable its expansion into new markets across the continent and push end-to-end digitisation of freight management in Africa. Mobility 54 (the Venture Capital arm of Toyota Tsusho and CFAO Group) led the seed funding round, which included SBI Investment, Flexport, ODX, a Singaporean syndicate fund, and other strategic angel investors. After participating in the previous round, Samurai Incubate re-invested. Commenting on the new funding Hio Sola-Usidame, CEO and founder of OnePort 365 said “we…

Techstars, a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, and customized programming for early-stage entrepreneurs, in partnership with ARM Labs, a Lagos-based innovation program focused on helping fintech startups, announces the launch of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator Program. The new accelerator program will focus on investing in early-stage fintech and proptech companies based in Africa. “Lagos has built a successful startup ecosystem that merits more global exposure, investments and resources, and we see extraordinary potential in the market,” said Nancy Wolff, general manager at Techstars. “Techstars has been investing in Nigerian and African startups for years, and…

Sayna, a Madagascar-based EdTech and crowdsourcing platform, has raised 600,000 euros (US$638K) from international venture capital firms including Launch Africa Ventures, Orange Ventures, and the MAIC Investors Club in its first seed round of funding. The latest funding will allow the startup to expand into other geographies, allowing it to become a global business. Sayna also intends to offer its services in France’s rural and suburban areas. Sayna, an internet platform for employment and education founded in 2018 by Matina Razafimahefa, employs approximately forty people in France, Madagascar, and, most recently, the Ivory Coast. By bridging the gap between companies’…

A wave of transformation is sweeping through the telecommunication sector in Ethiopia. It all started with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s reforms, which began in 2018 and allowed international companies to enter the sector. The entry in Ethiopia of Safaricom, one of Africa’s most profitable telecommunications companies, signaled the dawn of a new era. After securing a highly contested license, Safaricom began up operations in the area earlier this year. While the license permitted the company to compete against the state-owned monopoly Ethio Telecom, regulatory restrictions prevented it from offering its groundbreaking money-transfer services. This is set to change, thanks to a…

Nigeria’s technology innovation centre Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) in collaboration with Google, Ministry of ICT and Innovation Rwanda, and Mojaloop Foundation has announced the nine startups selected for the Fintech Incubation Programme. The Fintech Innovation Project, which includes the Fintech Incubation Program and other developmental programmes, is part of Rwanda’s continuous ambitions to become Africa’s Fintech hub, with Mojaloop serving as the national payments switch. The program is in line with Rwanda’s ambition of harnessing technology to foster inclusive economic growth. The selected startups are: KudiBooks; a payment and accounting software for non-finance and non-accounting professionals targeting SMEs across Africa. They…

Farmerline Group, Africa’s Amazon, has raised $6.4 million in pre-Series A funding and $6.5 million debt. Farmerline plans to use the funds to improve its agribusiness supply chain, reduce farming costs, and increase yield for farmers on the continent by deploying AI technology and local infrastructure. The US$6.4 million Pre-Series A investment, led by Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF) and FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, is Farmerline’s first equity raise since launching with a US$600 grant almost a decade ago. Greater Impact Foundation also participated in the equity round. To date, the company has digitized over 1 million farmers…

The first edition of the Equity Hackathon came to a close today and saw winners from The University of Nairobi and Meru University of Science and Technology deliver solutions to address business and social challenges in the Payments, Financial Inclusion and Digital Identity thematic areas. The Hackathon, which opened for registration on 4th February, saw a total of 663 students register and compete to be among the top 120 shortlisted participants to take part as innovators. Equity Group, in partnership with Microsoft, brought together hundreds of students for the virtual Hackathon which ran from the 17th of February to the 17th of…

Kemitt launches a B2B marketplace for furniture, home accessories, and materials ranging from living room sets to bedroom sets, and from dining room tables to office desks, and even raw materials for furniture manufacturing. The new platform will give access to thousands of pieces of furniture from hundreds of suppliers. Customers can access over 30,000 SKUs through Kemitt’s B2C platform, which offers on-demand manufacturing and 7-12 day delivery to their door. Kemitt eliminates the need for clients to visit showrooms and furniture stores by fully digitizing the buying experience and utilizing the most cutting-edge technology available, as well as providing…

Huawei Mobile Kenya has launched a set of B2B products for the East African market. The company has had a fairly successful penetration into the mobile device consumer market, and it now wants to use this goodwill to serve the business community with products that meet modern digital needs. Products in this series include MateBook B3, B5, and B7 series for laptops, MateStation B520 series for desktops, Display B3 series for monitors, MatePad C3, and C5e for tablets, and a set of business printers. The company partnered with Mitsumi Kenya, an end-to-end supply chain solutions provider, for distribution across East…

Google, in partnership with the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), has laid a 12,000km subsea cable running from Portugal to the West Coast of Africa. By 2025, the cable, which is set to arrive in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday, April 29, 2022, will have boosted internet speeds by nearly six times, reduced internet costs by 21%, and created 1.6 million jobs. The cable, named after Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, will play a key role in satisfying Nigeria’s current and future international connectivity demands, as well as supporting the country’s digital transformation. In the last five years, Nigeria has produced…

Stitch, a payments and data API fintech, has announced the launch of LinkPay, a linked-account payments product. Businesses in South Africa and Nigeria can use LinkPay to accept secure, one-click payments directly from an user’s bank account. Payments are as simple as they are with a tokenised card, but without the high fees or chargebacks. LinkPay can be used in conjunction with Stitch Payouts and Financial Data to provide a full linked-account experience, including verified payments, refunds, and withdrawals. Commenting on the product launch, Junaid Dadan, Chief Product Officer at Stitch, said: “With LinkPay, Stitch can enable businesses to offer…

Jumia Food has inked an exclusive partnership with Domino’s Pizza to help them reach more consumers and grow its business.Consumers will have more menu options when purchasing online as a result of this new partnership. “We are delighted to provide our online platform where consumers can order their favorite Pizza at the click of a button on Jumia Food, across the various Domino’s outlets in Nairobi and Mombasa”, said Jumia Kenya CEO, Betty Mwangi adding that, “consumers will get a 25% discount when they order from Jumia Food.” ‘We at EatnGo, the Master Franchisee for Domino’s Pizza in Kenya, are…

Founder Institute Ghana has announced the graduation of the startups for the Class of Fall ’21. Mentors, investors, business leaders, and previous graduates from across the world were in attendance at the virtual graduation ceremony to celebrate the latest cohort of exciting startups to complete the FI program. As well as hearing the experience from each graduate and being treated to the pitches of a selection of the cohort, our audience was also treated to the wise words of the illustrious Ghanaian business icon, Kofi Dadzie, who spoke to the importance of using their talent, training, cunning, foresight, leadership and…

BFA Global and FSD Africa announce the launch of TECA, a first-of-its-kind venture launcher (Triggering Exponential Climate Action). With an initial focus on Africa, the launcher will create fintech startups with solutions that promote climate resilience in the world’s most vulnerable communities. TECA will support pioneering entrepreneurs from idea to launch with FSD Africa’s $3.3 million investment over four years, boosting the pipeline of investable opportunities in the fintech for climate resilience space. FSD Africa’s support will also help accelerate the ecosystem around the ventures by engaging with a variety of stakeholders to help unlock capital, attract talent, and provide proof points for…

The Unicorn Group has launched its fourth incubation program for African entrepreneurs.Unicorn Group, Africa’s leading incubator, is known for fostering investments in start-up and early-stage companies, as well as individual entrepreneurs, by offering a comprehensive set of services, including business advisory services, access to industry experts and mentors, management and leadership training, interactive workspaces, networking, and venture capital financing to companies in the technology and technology-enabled sectors across the continent. This incubator program, termed the first “truly” Pan African program, will take place concurrently in six African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Egypt.Finalists from the catchment countries…

Infinix, a mobile device manufacturer, has launched a digital wallet that will be integrated into its devices. The Infinix Wallet app was developed in partnership with PalmPay, a mobile financial service provider, to allow Infinix smartphone users to access financial services on the move. The Infinix Wallet aims to tap into the growing digital credit and payment ecosystem, which has seen significant growth in a variety of markets over the previous few years. Users may simply conduct credit and balance account applications, mobile phone top-ups, daily shopping, and money transfers using the mobile app. “We have benefited from the incredible…

Jumia has partnered with 4PX, a Chinese global logistics company, to enable it expand its reach in Africa by utilizing Jumia’s last-mile capabilities. Deliveries will first start in Nigeria before gradually being expanded to Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco over the coming months. The announcement comes just two weeks after the e-commerce leader entered into a similar partnership with Global logistics and package delivery company UPS.. “We are proud to open up our technology and services to 4PX and provide Chinese businesses with new opportunities to grow and access the African market. Our tailored logistics infrastructure, combined with physical assets, technology, and…

Bolt, a popular ride-hailing service, may be forced to stop its operations in Tanzania as a result of a contentious 15 percent charge service order that took effect on Friday, April 13th. The Estonian company is contesting a levy imposed by the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra), an entity established in 2020 to regulate the taxi industry. “Bolt has requested a meeting with the relevant stakeholders to further discuss this particular matter with the hope of reaching favorable tariff and commission regulations, even as we continue to seek and explore alternative lobbying options provided within the legal framework including Latra…

Injini, a Cape Town-based ed-tech non-profit, is launching a think tank to provide market research and advocate for educational reform to entrepreneurs in the space. The Injini Think Tank (ITT) is the organization’s research, advisory, and advocacy division, according to Injini, which was co-founded by the Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative (CiTi) and has sponsored a number of accelerator programs for ed-tech firms in Africa. The ITT’s aim is to provide relevant market research to ed-tech entrepreneurs, to assist corporate efforts in meeting their commitments to educational outcomes, and to advocate for educational reform by providing and disseminating evidence-based research.…

Oolu Burkina Faso has signed an agreement with the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) to support the scale up of high-quality solar home systems for people living in rural areas of Burkina Faso. For residential, commercial, and institutional customers in Burkina Faso, Oolu will provide energy solutions and services, including various solar home systems and large standalone systems. These solutions help customers in remote places cut greenhouse gas emissions, decrease indoor air pollution, and improve power supply reliability. The contract is for EUR 2.5 million in total, with a project budget of at least EUR 5 million. Oolu has been developing…