With a significant drop-out rate of girls from primary school to secondary school and college, one new initiative in Ghana aims to improve the country’s innovation, competitiveness and productivity by bringing more girls into the formal digital fold.
A report by the World Wide Web foundation found that women in poor urban areas in developing countries are 50% less likely to use the Internet than men.
FemiTI is a project initiated by the DreamOval Foundation that aims to train young girls to develop problem-solving skills through coding and robotics and empower them to facilitate technology creation to generate opportunities for Societal Transformation, thereby ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. The first edition of FemiTI has just been concluded in partnership with SAP.
According to reports, 75% of girls in Ghana attend primary school, but there’s a significant drop in girls in high school and college. The DreamOval Foundation believes this gap can be bridged through the active development of women by introducing them to STEM-related programmes.
Francis Ahene-Affoh, Senior Vice President at the DreamOval Foundation, said: “We believe in empowering women in the 21st century as they play a key role in the development process. We identified these girls from underprivileged communities who can be empowered digitally to become problem-solvers for their communities.”
Cathy Smith, Managing Director at SAP Africa, said this has implications for efforts toward building peaceful, prosperous and sustainable communities. “Our support for FemiTI is in line with our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially as they related to Gender Equality (#5) and Quality Education (#4) and aligns well with our broader activities to bring more women into the digital fold, including Africa Code Week, Women in Data Science and #SheInnovates.”
Nigeria’s digital publishing platform, Publiseer, has been selected to pitch at Startup Turkey Top 100 Demo Day set to take place on the 26th to 29th of April in Istanbul, Turkey.
The media loving started recently emerged the winner at the Startup World Cup Nigeria Regional Competition, thus securing a place at the grand finale in Silicon Valley.
“I’m happy that we’re one of those African startups, and we’ll work even harder to move higher in the ranks,” says Chidi Nwaogu, who recently was shortlisted for the Yunus&Youth Global Fellowship Program for Social Entrepreneurs 2019, and was selected to be one of the 25 Young Founders for the Spring 2019 Westerwelle Young Founders Programme. As a Westerwelle Fellow, Nwaogu will be attending the Young Founders Conference from 2nd to 6th of April 2019.
In an email from Elif Coskunkan, the company was made aware of its selection to Startup 100. Publiseer was selected as the top 100 from 120,000 startup applications from 150 countries. Only 1% of the startups that applied were selected to join the Startup Turkey.
‘Startup 100’ companies will join online webinars, mentorship, a Boat Tour in Istanbul and plus they will get high-level exposure with startup booth and quickfire pitch on stage on the 29th.
Publiseer is a digital publisher that helps African writers and musicians from low-income communities to distribute and monetize their creative works across over 400 digital stores in 100 countries, with just a single click and at no charge.
PG Impact Investments, a global impact investment firm, has become a lender to Tugende, a Kampala-based provider of lease-to-own financing to financially excluded individuals to help them own income generating assets. Tugende’s core product helps motorbike taxi (“boda-boda”) drivers to purchase their vehicles, allowing customers to save money that they would normally spend renting and instead own an income generating-asset.
Lack of transportation has been highlighted by the United Nations as one of Uganda’s greatest obstacles for economic development, while high unemployment and exclusion from financial services compounds a lack of opportunity for the majority of low-income individuals. Tugende works to provide financial stability and to increase access to wealth through their unique financial products in the transportation sector, including insurance, safety equipment and training, as part of its financing packages. Tugende’s clients are considered too risky to lend to by most banks but with 7’000 leases completed, the company has found that customers on average double their daily net income as a result of owning through Tugende. This allows customers to invest their own higher earnings to buy land, property, livestock, healthcare and education, which Michael Wilkerson, CEO of Tugende, says is key to creating economic growth
“There are millions of self-employed entrepreneurs in East Africa who will make and save more money with the right access to finance, particularly for productive assets,” Wilkerson says. “The impact created when these new owners invest those gains back into their own communities is transformative, and Tugende is dedicated to continuing to help people drive themselves up the economic ladder.”
Urs Baumann, CEO of PG Impact Investments, stated: “We are excited to partner with Tugende, a company that has a proven track record of serving clients that are often left behind by the traditional financing sector. In doing so they provide stability and increased earning potential for their customers.”
PG Impact Investments is committed to enabling creative financial solutions to addressing poverty. The investment will help Tugende to reach more clients, develop new products and responsibly expand their presence to even more underserved communities.A
SunFunder has announced a $42.5m first close of its new Solar Energy Transformation (SET) Fund from anchor investors the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Calvert Impact Capital, Ceniarth and the IKEA Foundation.
It’s largest and best business funding so far brings to $104.5m raised in total by SunFunder in its debt funds from 65 investors towards its SET Fund, a nine-year fund that enables it to expand its debt financing options for high impact solar energy projects and companies in emerging markets.
According to Ray W. Washburne, OPIC President and CEO, “This project will advance OPIC’s mission of empowering people in some of the world’s poorest countries by bringing affordable electricity to remote areas that are not connected to an electricity grid. As we’ve seen from the additional financing raised, it is also a testament to OPIC’s ability to mobilize additional investment.”
The first close includes OPIC’s $25m commitment of senior and junior debt announced last September. Since then, Calvert Impact Capital contributed $7.5m and Ceniarth contributed $5m, both to the senior tranche. The IKEA Foundation provided a grant of $5m as catalytic capital for the fund.
SunFunder has now deployed $65m of debt financing to 46 solar borrowers in Africa and Asia, directly improving access to clean energy for over 5m people while mitigating more than 450k tons of CO2 emissions annually.
“SunFunder has now closed over $100 million in diversified solar debt funds and the SET Fund opens up new opportunities. As our largest fund and with a 9-year tenor, the SET Fund increases both the range and size of debt capital offerings that we can provide, especially for productive use solutions and commercial projects,” said Ryan Levinson, SunFunder founder and CEO. “We’re grateful for the support from this investor group and pleased to be growing these long-standing relationships.”
SunFunder was founded in 2012 by Ryan Levinson and Audrey Desiderato, with a commitment to provide financing for working capital, construction, inventory and structured finance loans to emerging market beyond the grid solar projects and companies.
By bringing electricity to some of the hardest to reach communities in Africa, these projects also advance the U.S. Power Africa initiative to bring electricity to more of the hundreds of millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who live without power.
OPIC previously committed financing to another SunFunder-managed fund, the Beyond the Grid Solar Fund, which has provided financing for off-grid companies in Africa, India, the Pacific Islands and Jordan. Calvert Impact Capital and Ceniarth also both invested in previous SunFunder debt funds.
“The IKEA Foundation is supporting SunFunder with a $5 million grant for its important work in serving the off-grid communities in East and West Africa and India because we believe that helping families access renewable energy will enable them to afford a better everyday life while also protecting the planet,” Jolanda van Ginkel, Renewable Energy Program Manager at IKEA Foundation.
Targeted at local fintechs, the competition aims to encourage the development of innovative, relevant and value-adding financial services and payment solutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The DRC – Innovation & Financial Services 2019 competition is divided into two categories. The first, ‘Financial innovation for economic and social development’, is aimed at candidates that wish to propose innovation payment solutions or financial services, responding to real issues encountered in DRC. The second, ‘Financial innovation for solidarity’, is aimed at candidates focusing on financial solutions which benefit displaced people, families and the communities that host them.
In June, three finalists will be chosen from each category by a panel of independent judges. Each finalist will have access to seed capital of US$13,000 in addition to technical support from local and international experts, including FSD Africa and the Banque Centrale du Congo.
In November, finalists will present proposals to a panel of judges who will select a winner from each category. The two winners will then have access to FSD Africa’s investment process with the possibility of raising up to US$130,000 in grants and technical assistance to roll out and scale up their initial product or solution’s piloting or testing. Proposals will be judged based on feasibility, likely demand and the potential impact of the proposed solution.
This initiative – which is funded by UK aid – aims to foster the brightest and best financial sector ideas in the DRC that are not only commercially viable, but which can provide tangible benefit to the most under-supported people and businesses in the country.
According to Joe Huxley, Director Strategy & Advocacy, FSD Africa,“Financial inclusion rates in the DRC remain low. With only seven per cent of Congolese working in the formal sector, many people have limited to no access to basic financial services like bank accounts, savings and loans. We have launched this competition to help change this narrative. We hope to energise local businesses and entrepreneurs in the country to come up with the solutions they need. We’ve seen technology drive financial inclusion in other parts of the continent, now is the time to invest in local solutions which can be game changers in DRC.”
To be eligible to apply, applicants need to be registered in the DRC and have local ownership of at least 50 per cent.
US senators in November 2018 raised the alarm over a Chinese company’s involvement in the management of the port of Djibouti, a move that would bring Chinese and US interests in the East African nation in extremely close proximity to one another. A month later, Kenyan media reported that leaked internal government documents suggested that the Chinese government could be entitled to revenues from Mombasa port should the Kenyan government fail to service debt obligations on the loan for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
“Debt trap” narrative
This came as part of growing concerns among international media over Beijing’s so-called “debt-trap diplomacy”. The term is loosely defined as burdening developing countries with “predatory” loans with clauses that also reportedly involve the mortgaging of key sovereign assets such as ports and power stations. In this context, US diplomats have stated that not only are loans from China likely to saddle African countries with unsustainable debt burdens, but will also threaten US interests on the continent.
Washington has grown wary that China has made inroads in Africa over the last decade, using massive funding for mega infrastructure projects, particularly under the multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In Kenya, projects such as the SGR, the expansion of the port of Lamu, and several critical road projects have largely fallen under the BRI.
US response
In a bid to counter the influence of China on the continent, US National Security Adviser John Bolton in December 2018 announced a new Africa policy. In his speech, Bolton referred to China at least 17 times, in a strong indication that countering Chinese influence on the continent was driving the new policy. African governments responded to the policy announcement with some scepticism. However, governments across the continent looking to attract wider investment will have welcomed its shift in focus away from security, development assistance and human rights, and towards commercial ties.
US-China rivalry in Kenya?
Kenya is in a good position to benefit from the expected increase in US commercial interest. Building on their extensive security relationship, Kenya and the US are likely to step up trade-related talks in the coming years, In addition, US companies also likely to be incentivised and supported to invest further in the Kenya.
Meanwhile, China has been an important infrastructure development partner for Kenya in recent years. In the year ahead we are likely to see attempts by China to diversify away from infrastructure projects. Amid a growing requirement for Chinese firms to demonstrate a return on investment, and given the plethora of existing and planned infrastructure projects with unclear financial returns, companies will look for other sectors to invest in. In this regard, manufacturing and information technology are likely to be a priority. This will tie in well with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s “Big Four” agenda, which places a new focus on manufacturing as key to job creation.
Given these existing relationships, Kenya is in a prime position to leverage ties with both countries to attract investment. The main challenge for Kenya’s government will be to avail well-thought out projects for investors from both the US and China, while balancing an investor-friendly regulatory environment with local concerns over employment opportunities.
The Kenyan government has suspended its over Ksh 17 billion plus school laptop project which was announced by president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy in 2013 as a campaign promise.
The Jubilee Laptop Programme or Digital Literacy Programme as it was commonly known promised to distribute laptops to Class One kids in Kenya’s 25,000 public primary schools in the first three years of existence. However, by mid last year only about 19,000 public primary schools had received the tablets causing the Ministry of Education to suspend the project and instead build a computer laboratory per school.
“There has been a policy change in programme from one child-one laptop to the construction of computer laboratories for ICT integration,” Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang told the National Assembly’s Education Committee.
The failure of the project has been due to cost implications, poor implementation due to lack of ICT skills capacity in many primary schools, and shift to provision of basic learning materials to all.
“The decision to implement the Digital Literacy Programme (DLP) was borne of the realisation that technology defines our world,” Education CS Amina Mohammed told the Nation. “It is the basis for competitiveness for individuals and nations. Equipping our young people with technological skills is an imperative we cannot ignore. It will prepare them to cope with the demands of the knowledge-based society and compete effectively in the 21st Century workplace.”
According to her the laptops project was neither misplaced nor a choice but a duty to build and maintain infrastructure and improve the quality of teaching and learning, which the government is still focused on.
Reports indicate that about 70,000 teachers had been trained by 2016 and several billions had been allocated each year for the programme. Last year, Ksh 11.9 billion was allocated for the programme. TechMoran is awaiting for audit reports from the Office of Auditor-General to clearly state how much has been invested into the Ksh 17 billion project launched in 2013.
Apart from country losing taxpayers billions, other big losers in the project include the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology and the Moi University which were manufacturing 600 devices and 1,250 devices daily.
Nokia has introduced four new devices as it grows its mobile portfolio and market share in the global smartphone market.
The Nokia 9 PureView has the world’s first five camera array with ZEISS Optics to put next generation computational imaging technology into the hands of photography and technology enthusiasts while the Nokia 4.2 – brings cutting-edge design and technology, with a dedicated Google Assistant button and great imaging performance to a more accessible tier.
The firm’s Nokia 3.2 comes with a huge, segment leading display with 2-day battery life and the Nokia 1 Plus is a premium entry level smartphone with big-screen, the latest Android 9 Pie (Go edition) and high-quality design.
The Nokia 210 is the firm’s most affordable internet enabled device yet and the latest addition to the market-leading feature phone family.
Nokia 9 PureView also brings a 2K pOLED PureDisplay screen, integrated Qi Wireless charging and under display fingerprint sensor.
Nokia 4.2
Nokia 4.2 packs in a dual-rear camera, AI innovations and the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, all running the latest Android 9 Pie. Premiering the Google Assistant button, the Nokia 4.2 will revolutionise the way you engage with your smartphone. Nokia 4.2’s compact size and edge-to-edge display with ‘selfie-notch’ . At just 8.4mm, is slim enough for single hand use.
Nokia 3.2
Nokia 3.2 combines the biggest HD+ display for the price with our signature two-day battery life all powered by the latest Android 9 Pie experience. The Nokia 3.2 features an impressive 6.26” HD+ display so you’ll never struggle and strain to see more of your favourite movies, TV shows and streams. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 mobile platform, Nokia 3.2 will get through tasks with ease. Nokia 3.2 also comes with the Google Assistant button.
Nokia 1 Plus
Nokia 1 Plus is a brand-new member of the Android (Go edition) smartphone family. The Nokia 1 Plus brings a progressive and cutting-edge design to the value segment. Using innovative materials with 3D tooling, it achieves a gorgeous textured nano-pattern at the back that cups Nokia 1 Plus all the way to the display.
Nokia 210
Nokia 210 is a new addition to our market-leading feature phone family. Get connected to the web with Opera Mini browser and play hours of Snake without having to worry about battery. Fans can make the Nokia 210 their own by downloading their favourite apps, ringtones and wallpapers straight from the Mobile Store.
Joining the accessories portfolio are two wireless charging solutions: the Nokia Wireless Charger and Nokia Portable Wireless Charger. Both devices support the universal Qi charging standard. The Nokia Wireless Charger supports fast 10-watt wireless charging and is a power bank that supports wireless charging, so you can charge your wireless devices on the go, even if you forgot your cable. The Nokia Portable Wireless Charger also supports universal USB output – so non-wireless devices can be charged through a USB cable.
· Nokia 9 PureView is already shipping and will retail for a global average retail price of 699USD.
· Nokia 4.2 will be available to buy starting from April for a global average retail price of 169USD for the 2/16 variant and 199USD for the 3/32.
· Nokia 3.2 will be available to buy in early May for a global average retail price of 139USD for the 2/16 variant and 169USD for the 3/32.
· Nokia 1 Plus will be available to buy from mid-March for a global average retail price of 99USD
· Nokia 210 will be available to buy from March for a global average retail price of 35USD
Huawei has launched its Huawei Mate X, touted as the world’s fastest 5G foldable phone just days after Samsung launched its Galaxy Fold.
Launched under its Mate Series, the HUAWEI Mate X features the Falcon Wing Mechanical Hinge, 7nm multi-mode modem chipset Balong 5000 and a high-capacity 4500mAh battery with a 55W HUAWEI SuperCharge.
When folded, the device is a huge display smartphone with a 6.6-inch screen, and when opened, it turns into a slim tablet with an 8-inch screen. The new multi-form factor revolutionizes both productivity and entertainment experiences on a mobile device.
According to Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei CBG, “HUAWEI Mate X combines 5G, foldable screen, AI and an all-new mode of interfacing to provide consumers with an unprecedented user experience. The HUAWEI Mate X will be the first key for consumers to open the door to 5G smart living.”
A result of Huawei’s bold testing with novel smartphone form factors, the 2-in-1 smartphone and tablet HUAWEI Mate X features a high strength flexible OLED panel and a falcon wing mechanical hinge.
The 6.6-inch dual display panel is equipped with a true FullView display. which, unfolded transforms into an 8-inch tablet only 5.4mm thick. The Falcon Wing Mechanical Hinge supports movement, balancing between the overall aesthetics and technology.
When unfolded, the screen is a perfectly flat surface; and when folded, the two halves of the screen fit snugly to the frame. The two modes—smartphone and tablet modes—transition seamlessly from one to another.
The expansive viewing area lends well to both productivity and entertainment scenarios—everything from editing a document to reading feels better on a larger screen. In addition, consumers are able to drag images from their photo gallery to their emails in split-screen mode. The larger screen allows consumers to do more with their time.
Hauwei Mate X comes with Leica cameras, supporting the most advanced imaging features to date. The foldable design makes it possible for the camera system to play the role of both front and rear cameras. When folded, the HUAWEI Mate X shows a view finder on both sides, so even the subjects in the frame can contribute to the creative process.
Moreover, the HUAWEI Mate X comes with an integrated Fingerprint Power Button that enables users to power up the device with one tap, offering a secure and convenient experience.
Equipped with the world’s first 7nm 5G multi-mode modem chipset Balong 5000, the chipset has unprecedented 5G download speeds, at 4.6Gps on the Sub-6GHz band (theoretical). Balong 5000 is also the world’s first chipset to support both SA and NSA architectures, users will not need a device upgrade to continue enjoying 5G connectivity. The HUAWEI Mate X’s dual SIM feature supports both 4G and 5G.
The phone’s 4,500mAh battery is packed in HUAWEI Mate X’s 5.4mm-thick body, combined with the AI smart power saving technology, fulfilling the demand for greater battery performance in the 5G era. 55W HUAWEI SuperCharge tops the battery up quickly to minimize downtime. In just 30 minutes, HUAWEI SuperCharge is able to charge the battery back to 85 percent.
Huawei also launched a series of new products, including the an updated HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, new mainstream notebook PCs HUAWEI MateBook 13 and HUAWEI MateBook 14, as well as the HUAWEI 5G CPE Pro.
Quick Specs
Display size: 8 inches when unfolded Display Size 6.6 inches for front panel, 6.38 inches for back panel. Chip: HUAWEI Kirin 980 + Balong 5000
CPU: 2 x Cortex-A76 Based 2.6 GHz + 2 x Cortex-A76 Based 1.92 GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 1.8 GHz GPU: Mali-G76 NPU: Neural Network Processing Unit
Connectivity: 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G Multi-mode OS: Android 9 Memory: 8 GB RAM + 512 GB ROM NM card: support up to 256 GB
DUAL SIM SUPPORT Card slot 1: nano card Card slot 2: nano card or NM card
Trella, a b2b technology platform and trucking marketplace that connects shippers with carriers in the highly fragmented freight industry has raised $600k+ in a pre-seed funding round led by Algebra Ventures, with participation from strategic investors, global VCs, and notable angel investors including Esther Dyson and Jambu Palaniappan.
‘We’re thrilled to be leading this round,’ adds Karim Hussein, Algebra Ventures’ Managing Partner. ‘They’re a superstar team with proven execution ability. The large and highly fragmented freight market in Egypt is ripe for technological disruption. We are excited to be joined by a group of capable and experienced co-investors who will help accelerate Trella’s growth in the short run and support it in subsequent financings.’
Founded in 2018 by Omar Hagrass and Pierre Saad, Trella empowers drivers and reduces costs for shippers by improving load utilisation and efficiency, offering transparent pricing schedules, and enabling shipment tracking in real-time. The platform is addressing an enormous pain-point in a deeply fragmented industry plagued by asset under-utilisation and a lack of transparency, consistency, and reliability.
Trella’s CEO, Hagrass, is no stranger to the transport-tech space in the region, having served as Regional Manager, EMEA Launch and Expansion at Uber. Saad, CTO, was previously Software Architect & Technical Lead at Vezeeta. They are joined by Muhammad El Garem (previously Business Development Manager at OLX) as Head of Operations.
‘Building on the fantastic success of ride-hailing
startups, we built a similar solution for the freight industry in the region to
improve efficiency throughout the supply chain,’ says Hagrass. ‘The interest in
our solution has been overwhelming, both from businesses who want to use our
technology, and from truckers who are getting significantly more value and more
consistent flow of business through our platform. We’re optimising truckers’
routes so they’re no longer driving empty.’
Jambu Palaniappan, former Head of Uber Eats – EMEA said he as incredibly excited to invest in Trella as part of their pre-seed funding round
‘The premise of bringing world class logistics technology to shippers and carriers across Egypt is a strong one, and the Trella team is extremely well equipped to achieve their ambitious goals. I look forward to supporting them along the way,’ Palaniappan said.
‘I love companies that make complex things simpler – but not too
simple,’ says angel investor Esther Dyson, executive founder of Wellville.
‘Trella’s combination of Hagrass’ real-world logistics experience and Saad’s
tech wizardry is perfect for the task of making the region’s trucking
infrastructure more transparent and efficient.’
Eight socially-minded inventors – all from Africa – will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday, May 9, to compete in the regional finals of the 2019 ASME ISHOW, the only global competition to recognize hardware with a social purpose. Three grand prize winners will be selected for a share of the $30,000 award, in-kind technical support, and a ticket to the ISHOW Bootcamp in New York.
ASME, the global organization for mechanical engineers, will see regional finalists display their socially-driven design prototypes and have five minutes each to pitch to a select panel of judges. The winners will be announced at a reception that evening. The first regional final recently took place in Bengaluru, India, on April 4, while the third is planned for Washington, DC, USA, on June 13.
breastIT (Kampala, Uganda) – breastIT is a portable, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered diagnostic tool for breast anomalies such as cancer. It’s a handheld, pocket-sized ultrasound imaging system that empowers radiologists to make focused assessments and accelerate treatment decisions at the point of care. With real-time cloud processing that offers quick and accurate analysis, radiologists are able to take decisive action, refer patients quickly, optimize the course of treatment, and reduce the overall cost of care in low-resource settings.
E Tuk Tuk “Solar E Cycle” (Nairobi, Kenya) – E Tuk Tuk designs and builds solar-powered electric vehicles for one of the largest markets in the world. The Solar E Cycle is a power generator on wheels with a range of 50 km a day at up to 35 kph made from off-the-shelf parts. It produces 3 kWh per day, which is enough to light a typical Kenyan home and more. The aim is to provide a clean energy mobility and electricity solution to people living in marginalized and underdeveloped regions of Africa.
hearX Group“hearScope” (Pretoria, South Africa) – hearScope is a first-of-its-kind smartphone video-otoscope with integrated, automated ear disease diagnostic capability. The high-quality variable magnification video-otoscope pen connects to a smartphone running the hearScope application. Users are able to easily take images or videos of a person’s eardrum. The recorded media is then uploaded into the mHealth Studio Cloud data management system for automated diagnosis.
Safi Organics (Naivasha, Kenya) – Safi Organics uses technology and proprietary formulas to decentralize and downsize fertilizer production, so that rural smallholder farmers have access to cheaper, locally produced, higher-quality fertilizers. Custom-tailored to the local soil and crop requirements, Safi Organics helps farmers improve their yields by about 30% and net income by about 50%.
Savanna Circuit Tech “MaziwaPlus Pre-Chiller” (Kapenguria, Kenya) – The MaziwaPlus Pre-Chiller is a mobile solar-powered chilling in-transit system that can be mounted on motorbikes, offering quality control, traceability, and maximized profits for dairy producers and cooperatives. The solution was developed in response to milk post-harvest losses due to transportation over great distances in rural Kenya.
SAYeTECH“Multi-crop Thresher “ (Kumasi, Ghana) – SAYeTECH produces multi-crop threshers to reduce grain waste and empower grain farmers. The multi-crop thresher can reduce post-harvest losses by up to 30%, providing enough food to feed Africa’s growing population, while also increasing income of smallholder farmers — especially women — by up to 50% every year.
Sesi Technologies Ltd “GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter” (Kumasi, Ghana) – The GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter is a low-cost grain moisture tester that helps grain farmers reduce post-harvest losses by making it easier to accurately measure grain moisture content before storage. At $100, GrainMate is more than four times cheaper than conventional grain moisture meters and offers superior accuracy.
Solar Freeze (Machakos, Kenya) – Solar Freeze provides access to portable solar-powered cold storage for farmers of perishable agricultural produce (e.g., fish, fruits, and vegetables) to help them reduce the significant challenge of post-harvest food loss in Kenya.
WHEN & WHERE:Thursday, May 9, 2019 Crowne Plaza Nairobi Upper Hill Kenya Road, Upper Hill Nairobi KE, Kenya
Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold, a new foldable smartphone features the world’s first 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display, which folds into a compact device with a cover display.
The Galaxy Fold offers a powerful new way to multitask, watch videos, play games, and more – bringing to life new experiences and possibilities years in the making.
Galaxy Fold is both a smartphone and a tablet in one. It’s foldable internal screen is made of a polymer layer and is around 50 percent thinner than the typical smartphone display making it to open smoothly and naturally, like a book, and closes flat and compact with a satisfying click.
The fingerprint scanner is found on the side where the thumb naturally rests, so the device unlocks easily. Two batteries and the components are evenly distributed so Galaxy Fold feels balanced in your hands.
Galaxy Fold changes to the screen you need, the moment you need it. Slip it out of your pocket for one-handed calls, texts, and more and open for endless multitasking and higher quality viewing on our largest mobile display for presentations, digital magazines, movies, and AR content.
With an ultimate multitasker, users can open up to three active apps simultaneously on the main display so you can surf, text, work, watch and share without losing a beat.
As Galaxy Fold opens and closes, apps will automatically show up where you leave off. When you’re ready to take a photo, make in-depth edits, or have a closer look at the feed, open the display for a big screen and fuller canvas.
Samsung equipped Galaxy Fold with a high-powered, next-generation AP chipset and 12GB of RAM with PC-like performance. The Galaxy Fold is also capable of charging itself and a second device simultaneously via Wireless PowerShare, while connected to a regular charger so you can leave your second charger at home.
Galaxy Fold Specs Display: 7.3” QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED (4.2:3) Cover display: 4.6” HD+ Super AMOLED (21:9) Cover camera: 10MP Selfie Camera, F2.2 Rear triple camera: 16MP Ultra Wide Camera, F2.2 12MP Wide-angle Camera, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.5/F2.4 12MP Telephoto Camera, PDAF, OIS, F2.4, 2X optical zoom Front dual camera: 10MP Selfie Camera 8MP RGB Depth Camera Processor: 7nm 64-bit Octa-core processor Memory:12GB RAM, 512GB No MicroSD slot Battery: 4,380mAh with fast charging on wired and wireless OS:Android 9.0 (Pie)
Samsung Electronics has introduced a new line of premium smartphones: Galaxy S10. With four unique devices, the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ , Galaxy S10e and Galaxy S10 5G.
Featuring the all-new Dynamic AMOLED display, next-generation camera, and intelligent performance, the Galaxy S10 line offers consumers more choices and sets a new standard for the smartphone.
Galaxy S10’s Dynamic AMOLED display delivers vivid digital content, and with dynamic tone mapping, you’ll see a wider range of color for a brilliant, realistic picture. It’s DisplayMate promises exceptionally accurate colors on your mobile device3– even in harsh sunlight. What’s more, the Dynamic AMOLED display also reduces blue light through its TÜV Rheinland-certified Eye Comfort display4without compromising picture quality or adding a filter.
The result of a groundbreaking engineering process, Galaxy S10’s unique Infinity-O Display packs an array of sensors and camera technology into a hole-in display – so you can maximize your screen real estate without any distractions.
Galaxy S10’s Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner reads the 3D contours of your physical thumbprint – not a 2D image of it – for improved anti-spoofing.
Building on Samsung’s camera leadership of Dual Pixel and Dual Aperture firsts, Galaxy S10 introduces new camera technology and advanced intelligence that makes it easy to take epic shots and videos:
Galaxy S10 is built with premium hardware and machine-learning-based software that works hard so you don’t have to. From brand new power sharing capabilities to AI-powered performance enhancement and Intelligent Wi-Fi, Galaxy S10 is Samsung’s most intelligent device yet, from the inside out.
Samsung introduces Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S10, making it possible to easily charge Qi-certified smartphones and even compatible wearable devices. In addition, Galaxy S10 is capable of charging itself and a second device simultaneously via Wireless PowerShare8, while connected to a regular charger, enabling you to leave your second charger at home while on a trip.
With Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung’s first flagship 5G smartphone, consumers on a 5G network can download a full season of a TV show in minutes, play graphics-rich cloud games with virtually no lag, enjoy enhanced VR and AR experiences and stay in touch with friends and family via real-time 4K video calls.
Galaxy S10 5G features the largest-ever Galaxy S series display, the 6.7-inch Infinity-O Display; Samsung’s 3D Depth Camera for 3D-image capturing to power Video Live focus and Quick Measure; powered by 4,500mAh with Super Fast Charging at 25W.
The Galaxy S10 line offers Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, IP68 water and dust resistance1, a next-generation processor and Samsung services like Bixby, Samsung Health, Samsung Pay and Samsung DeX. The S10+ even comes with 1TB of built-in storage and the ability to add an additional 512GB microSD card for up to 1.5TB12.
Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e will be available in Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow and Flamingo Pink. Galaxy S10+ will also be available in two, all-new, premium Ceramic models: Ceramic Black and Ceramic White1.
Mac Microsoft Office is one of those best Microsoft that you cannot miss to have. It has modern features like Word, Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint. The features are products of Mac that aims to give you quality service at all time.
When you decide to buy Microsoft for Mac, you will get a chance to work well in an office setup and enjoy the unique feature of Mac Office. Word and Excel feature in Mac Microsoft will help you publish quality documents and let you do more. In this article, I will guide you accordingly on how to use Microsoft Office for Mac Office and get the best you need. 1. How to obtain Microsoft Office for Mac
For you to buy microsoft office for mac , you need first to download it. To download, you visit the website www.office.com and sign in with your account. If you do not have an account, you will have first to create one. Your account must be associated with your version of Office for you to log in. Once you sign in you will go to the office home page then select install. 2. How to install Microsoft office for mac
Mac Microsoft Office comes with its installer file once you download it. To connect, click on the file and follow the given simple instructions. When a phase pop up that indicates, “you are set to go”know your Office is an installer and ready for work.
Like any other Microsoft office, Mac Office runs office applications. It only requires you to subscribe to get it services.
Let have a look at different uses of Mac Office in applications.
• Microsoft Word
Microsoft word is a high profile program in the Mac operating system. Its word has rudimentary publishing capability that you can use for your work. With Microsoft word from Mac Office, you have the pleasure to write words, format, and make publications using new graphics.
Mac word graphics makes you write excellent looking documents. It has new designs that help you apply a nice layout to document pages, Colors, and nice looking font all along the paper.
Also, you can utilize new learning tools that come with Mac office in word writing. Such devices include text-to-text speech, translation of feature and text spacing. You should also use the optimized ribbon in the word for quality word.
• Outlook
This feature in Mac Office will help you put in place good workflow and email drafting. You must use this feature well by including @ command and tag people on emails. When you do this, you increase the number of people you need to reach in a single email.
Also, when you buy and install Mac Office, through the outlook, you will get new emails templates. This function allows you to send emails later if you are not in a position to do so now.
• PowerPoint
When you got Mac Office Microsoft, ensure you maximally use its PowerPoint feature. Its PowerPoint is more advanced. It has a 3D display, and SVG file on it slides for presentation. It has advanced media as well as a visual feature to ensure quality work.
It also can present video PowerPoint work in UHD format that even allow you to write by use of hand moving elements using pencil at the same time editing.
• OneNote
Windows 10 use OneNote for ink-to-text support. That means when you handwrite in your iPhone for example; your writing will automatically convert into typed form.
• Excel
In Mac office, excel host variety formulas and many new charts with the support of 2D that helps in calculations and presentation of quality data.
With improved formulas that come with Mac Office, it saves you time when computing your calculation, spreadsheets creating and data entering. It does so by the help of autocompleting ability that it comes with an easy to use keyboard shortcuts.
• Skype
Skype is a telecommunication app the uses Mac Office in a video, voice calls, and chat communication. Once you have installed Skype into your computer, you only need to sign up so that you can start communicating with friends. You cannot miss having this type of fun. Buy Mac Microsoft Office today, install Skype, and start enjoying.
• Mobile apps
If you have an iPhone that can support word, excel, and PowerPoint you need to download Mac Microsoft Office to start up the fun. With Mac Microsoft, you can use the word in your smartphone to write messages to friend and family members. You can also reach your business clients using the same signals and increase your business.
When you install Mac Microsoft Office, use it to activate your PowerPoint in the phone and create slides of your photos and video. By doing this, it helps in preserving data.
• Use Mac Microsoft in Publisher
If you are fun of creating a picture for printing, logos, designs for various purposes you will need to use Mac Microsoft every time. Just like Microsoft Word, a publisher in Mac office has added the feature that will help you in creating nice looking images.
• Utilize mac office in Microsoft InfoPath
Microsoft InfoPath is a program that helps you share designed electronic forms between one people to the other. It works with the help of InfoPath web part that has to be coordinated by a Microsoft application. When you have Mac Microsoft office software on your computer, it always becomes more accessible to do such kind of work.
Conclusion
Macs Microsoft Office has many uses to the computer and electronic users. It is easy to use and comes with advanced features. Start using it today, and you will never be disappointed
The Zayed Sustainability Prize submissions for the 2020 edition are open to applicants from across the African continent from 30thJanuary to 30thMay.
Building on the legacy of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and since being established in 2008, the Prize’s winners have delivered direct and indirect positive impact to more than 318 million people around the world. Formerly known as the Zayed Future Energy Prize, a strategic refocus, in April 2018, has seen the Prize broaden its scope from an initial focus on energy, to address global sustainability priorities.
Since its launch, participation from Africa has been growing and for the 2019 edition of the Prize, Africa received more entries than any other world region. Additionally, African innovators won in two of five categories including Food and Global High Schools. African innovators are therefore encouraged to enter into the 2020 edition of the Prize.
Speaking ahead of the launch, H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said, “Building on the Prize’s 11-year track record of awarding exceptional innovations, we hope to continue attracting and rewarding the world’s foremost sustainability pioneers, while encouraging an agenda that supports an integrated approach to resolving global sustainability challenges.”
The Zayed Sustainability Prize covers The Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East & North Africa, Europe & Central Asia, South Asia, and East Asia & Pacific regions.
Winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020 will be announced at the annual awards ceremony held during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in January next year.
Winners of each category will receive US$600,000 in prize funds to enhance and develop their existing solution. In the Global High Schools category, six schools from six world regions will receive up to US$100,000 each, to create or enhance a school or local community project.
Traditional delivery service Rush has launched its on-demand last mile delivery and logistics platform to meet the growing demand for on-demand delivery as well as enable small businesses and individuals manage their own deliveries and picks with ease.
With this launch, Rush aims to bridge the gap between online to offline commerce, a market that is seeing a plethora of e-commerce start-ups sprout in different locations.
According to Head of Operations, Musa Wasike said, “The firm is looking forward to creating opportunities to engage with local customers through all channels, empower communities to shop local with no waiting and transform the way goods move around cities by enabling anyone to have anything delivered on-demand.”
The platform is also expected to help small e-commerce businesses to reach out to their consumers in a quick, efficient and convenient way through driver-partners for either on-demand or scheduled package delivery. Techmoran will get into the details of how the platform works and Rush’s business model later.
We will also look at the competition and how Rush has an advantage over them but right now the start-up is working with owners of bicycle, motorbike, van, pick-up and trucks that will be working full time across the city to guarantee quick, convenient and efficient deliveries for its users.
PPC is a channel that has seen tremendous growth in the last five years, with businesses jumping on board and reaping the rewards, regardless of the industry they hail from. With experience and repetition your PPC strategy can be a lucrative channel, provided you have set yourself up correctly in Merchant Centre and continue to review and optimise your store. If you haven’t given much thought to improving your Merchant Centre functions, your ads may be missing out on potential traffic and conversions. Here’s how you can maximise Google Merchant Centre.
Engage an agency or have a dedicated resource
PPC has proved itself to be an always-on channel for so many small to large businesses. Although that doesn’t mean it’s a set and forget channel. Your Google Merchant Centre needs to be reviewed and optimised as often as possible, to avoid the wrong traffic finding their way to your store and costing you a click. The advantage of engaging a PPC agency is that you can effectively place that channel in the capable hands of a Google certified professional, knowing that your store will be firing strong. PPC specialists work across a portfolio of clients, which allow the opportunity to experiment with product-based sales and bring those valuable insights to your account. The alternative is employing a dedicated PPC specialist to manage the channel inhouse, although the costs may not work in your favour and the employee will need to keep themselves abreast of Google updates and changes.
Keep it fresh
When it comes to Google Merchant Centre, there is no such thing as too many updates. You should be exporting your Google Merchant Centre product feed daily, typically after you have updated your products. This means that your products are selling at the price you intend them to sell for, or have been removed from the store entirely if sold out. Businesses that fail to upload product data will be showcasing products at prices that are not optimised, and do not reflect real-time stock levels. Keep your product data fresh to avoid paying for a click that cannot eventuate into a sale.
Leverage reviews and ratings
When you have a grasp of Google Merchant Centre and how the product moves through this channel, you can start to enable other tools that will enhance your visibility and reputation. The value of seller reviews are powerful, especially when customers are shopping online. Based on your activity your reviews will contribute to a seller rating, which collates as a Google Customer Review badge that will appear in your store. This rating is between one and fifteen, so make it count.
Ensure a seamless set up
Setting up your Google Merchant centre correctly the first time will save you a lot of time down the track. This means adding information about your store, uploading your logos and stable landing pages. This is not just an aesthetic metric, failure to successfully compete your setup will mean that your reporting will not always tell an entirely accurate story and may inform the wrong decisions. A common mistake for businesses is setting up the wrong tax. Remember that tax rates are destination-based and not origin-based, meaning the user pays the tax based on the destination in which they have placed the order.
Mastering every single channel is a job in itself, but with the right agency you can take PPC out of house and under the control of an experienced team of professionals. Exploring the functionalities and features of Google Merchant Centre will inform better decisions for your store, and allow you to shift more product with a better conversion rate.
Beyond Capital Fund, an impact investment fund that invests in for-profit social enterprises throughout India and East Africa has made its second investment into a Kenyan agritech startup in line with its focus of improving access to health care, water, sanitation, and energy, as well as food security and financial inclusion.
Beyond Capital Fund is structured as a non-profit, which permits us to emphasize fidelity to our social mission alongside our financial mandate.
Alongside other investors, Beyond Capital Fund has made a new investment in a Kenyan startup, Tulaaw an agri-marketplace which uses artificial intelligence to connect Kenyan farmers, supplier, and buyers.
This is not the funds first time to invest in Tulaa. In 2017, the fund participated in a $627,000 investment round led by AHL Ventures Partners, among others.
Founded in 2017 by Hillary Miller-Wise, Tulaa has now become the 8thcompany in Beyond Capital’s portfolio. With the fund, Tulaa will develop its technology to better serve Kenyan farmers and expand it across the country.
Pesapal yesterday announced the integration of Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, FitBit Pay and Google Pay payments on its new tap-and-go, contact-less Sabi M010 terminals. Business owners across East Africa will now be able to conveniently accept digital wallet payments from their customers as more consumers look for cashless options for making payments.
Digital wallet payments are used in place of credit or debit card, chip and PIN transactions. Customers save their cards on their smartphones and digital watches and then tap on a terminal to complete a payment. Pesapal’s Sabi terminals enable merchants to accept these payments securely and reduces the time it takes to process payments within their premises.
“New payment technologies are exciting for us. With digital wallets, the ability for a consumer to transact quickly and securely enables the merchant to focus on providing more value for the customer, with the transactions taking the least time in the process. As a leading payment service provider, and especially in the hospitality and tourism industry, this will be key to stimulate spending among digital wallets users. ”, said Pesapal CEO Mark Mwongela
East Africa receives over 6 million tourists every year, from North America, Europe, Australia and China. As tourist numbers grow, local businesses along the tourism value chain such as hotels, restaurants, taxis, curio shops and tour operators will be able to sell more when they can accept digital wallet payments.
Samsung Pay is compatible with select Samsung Android mobile devices, including Gear S2, Gear S3, Gear Fit2 and Gear Sport watches as well as Samsung phones updated to Android 5.0. That includes the phones from the Galaxy series that were released after the S6 and Note 5.
With over 25 million daily users worldwide, Google Pay uses NFC technology to securely transmit card information to the Sabi M010 card reader. All customers have to do to pay is simply hold their phone to the card reader while the phone app is open.
Apple Pay now has over 252 million users worldwide with an estimated 31 percent of iPhone users having made a purchase using the service in the past one year.Pesapal to enhance digital wallet payments in East Africa with new POS terminalApple Pay now has over 252 million users worldwide with an estimated 31 percent of iPhone users having made a purchase using the service in the past one year.
“Tourists carry their phones everywhere and when local traders and businesses accept payments from digital wallets, tourists can spend more which is good for local businesses. Tourism spend helps creates good quality jobs, raises the standard of living and as we have seen, leads to improved infrastructure and services for everyone.” added Pesapal CEO Mark Mwongela.
The payment options are immediately available to all merchants in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania who are using the Sabi M010 device. All transactions are processed via Visa Accelerated Connection Platform (ACP) and secured by CyberSource Inc, providing end to end safety for both consumers and merchants who use the service.
Kenyan Internet Services provider, BRCK, has acquired its rival Surf, in a move that makes it one of sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest public networks. The details of the deal remain undisclosed as of the time of writing.
The company said in a statement on its website that the acquisition will enable BRCK to take off-the-shelf routers, partner with local ISPs, and roll out network faster into fiber-connected locations. The statement read, “One of the great advantages that we were looking for was an ability to have a fixed WiFi strategy to add to our transportation and edge compute model. All of this will run the Moja platform, so there is a seamless user experience between public locations and public transportation.”
The acquisition is inclusive of Surf’s US-based parent Everlayer and extends BRCK’s network to more than 2 500 hotspots across the two East African countries, the Nairobi-based company said in an e-mailed statement on Friday. BRCK had 1 500 hotspots before the acquisition, according to director of commercialisation Christian Doyen.
BRCK has long been on a mission to create an onramp to the internet for people who can’t afford it regularly; bringing products like the SupaBRCK which supports the Moja Network. Brck has expanded its services through Kenya and recently into Rwanda.
Kenya is known globally for two things-as a land of innovators and a land of runners.
After the advent of M-PESA, new innovations have been developed rabidly to drive faster growth and efficiency for businesses and society However, there is a general lack of digital skills.
A 2018 LinkedIn report found that 4 of last year’s top five emerging jobs were in machine learning, cryptocurrency, Software as a Service and Artificial Intelligence (AI). But companies are finding it hard to fill this roles because employees don’t possess these skills and most of them don’t have digital literacy skills.
This digital skills gap could cost the UK £141 billion in GDP growth and much more to developing economies according to Accenture. Every other profession is also going digital including agriculture which has seen the entrant of new technologies such as soil sensors and drones.
It’s for this reason that the Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) has partnered with KAIST, the first and top Korean science and technology university founded through a six-million USD loan from USAID in 1971 to launch Kenya’s-KAIST by 2021.
Since November 2018, KAIST, has been part and parcel of the planning and implementation process of Kenya’s first advanced institute of science and technology (KAIST). The Korean institute has led the economic development plan with the provision of science and technology education consultancy for the establishment of institution.
With a $95 million economic development cooperation fund loan from Korea Eximbank, the Kenyan government is sure to have the first batch of 200 graduate students starting classes in 2022 at the campus set to be constructed at the Konza Techno City.
Korea’s KAIST is now working with other stakeholders, local and international, to develop academic curricula for Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, ICT Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Agricultural Biotechnology which will be the six initial departments to lay the groundwork for engineering research and education in Kenya.
KAIST will also do a backgrounder to basic science areas of math, physics, chemistry, and biology for Kenyan students. With these graduates out, the Korean and Kenyan government will then have a knowledge base of scientists, technologists, and innovators to achieve what Konza Techno City was set up to do.
The graduate-only university will act as a growth engine in the center of the Konza Technopolis, which aims to become a space for technologists, innovators and scientists. These will go ahead to start global tech firms that will create 16,675 jobs in the medium term and over 200,000 upon completion, positioning Kenya as an ICT hub globally.
A report from the National Academy of Sciences in the US described KAIST as an exemplary case in which a former recipient of international aid has grown to become a science, technology and innovation leader. KAIST has become a donor institution that passes on science and technology education systems including the construction of campuses to developing countries and it has been acclaimed as US AID’s most successful foreign aid project.
Korea- KAIST has shown its capacity to innovate and spin off successful ventures such as Samsung and LG. In 2014 Korea- KAIST was ranked third place in the Times Higher Education’s “100 Under 50” ranking of the world’s best universities, less than half a century old. In June 2017, Reuters named it “Asia Pacific’s Most Innovative University” for the second year running.
Setting up Kenya -KAIST is purposed to provide high-quality education in Science and Technology in order to generate high-skilled engineers and scientists with both theory and practical knowledge, and to conduct socially relevant research and development (R&D), to improve national competitiveness and transform Kenya into an industrializing middle-income country as envisioned in Kenya Vision 2030 agenda.
Interested applicants can apply on the DFS Lab website here.
The hackathon will hold in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania April 8 to 12 and will offer participants an in-depth look Mojaloop, an open-source software for financial services companies, government regulators, and others taking on the challenges of interoperability and financial inclusion.
According to Jake Kendall, Executive Director of DFS Lab, “We’re excited to host this hackathon in Tanzania and work with cutting edge startups using technology to help expand financial services.”
Mojaloop is open source software for real-time payments clearing and settlement. Mojaloop was created by the Gates Foundation’s Level One Project, which is aimed at leveling the economic playing field by crowding in expertise and resources to build inclusive payment models to benefit the world’s poor.
To achieve interoperability, which is necessary for financial inclusion, DFS Lab aims to see how fintech startups can use Mojaloop to achieve interoperability.
“We’re looking for fintech companies and other innovators who recognize that switch based mobile money interoperability is coming and want to work with us to build the next generation of features and products that this enables,” Jake added.
Mojaloop is being used to enable interoperability in several projects in Africa, notably by Mowali, a new joint venture between MTN and Orange. This hackathon will allow fintech companies to get on board, develop and test innovative use cases for Mojaloop.
“Interoperability of digital payments is one of the biggest challenges for the financial services industry, but it is also a powerful and logical way to increase financial inclusion,” said Konstantin Peric, Deputy Director of Financial Services for the Poor at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Huawei Mobile is taking the Kenyan smartphone market by storm with launch of new devices-flagship or entry level phones every month.
At the end of January, Huawei launched a new Y7, an addition to the Y series devoted to the middle income segment targeting youth across the country. The Huawei Y7 Prime 2019 followed last years’ Huawei Y7 2018. There was a Y9 2019 launched last year too, a budget Y5 Lite and the Y5 Prime.
Huawei Y7 Prime 2019 is retailing at Kshs.17,999 in official offline retail stores across the country as well as online on Jumia Kenya and Kilimall.
Available in three colours, Coral Red, Aurora Blue and Midnight Black, the less than $200 smartphone was available for pre-orders around Valentine’s Day touted as the perfect gift for Kenya’s youthful lovers.
Our friends at Huawei were kind to furnish us with a review unit to get a feel of, and this is what our first impressions are;
Insidethebox
Lifting off the lid, inside the box is:
1 Huawei Y7 prime 2019 in Aurora blue
1 SIM eject tool
1 clear plastic phone case
1 plastic film screen protector
1 power adapter (5V / 2A)
1 USB/MicroUSB cable
1 3.5mm audio jack earpiece
1 user guide.
Designanduserexperience
The device fits in well in the palm, its edges are soft to handle and slides well into the pockets. The Huawei Y7 Prime 2019 has a 6.26-inch HD + HUAWEI Dewdrop display (a teardrop-style notch) @ 1520 x 720 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio.
We have it in this really cool Aurora Blue colour. The back appears to be made out of polycarbonate which is a bit of a disappointment especially if you thought it was metallic due to the shine, but it’s a plus for durability.
At the back of the phone, we have the vertically stacked dual rear cameras which have AI integration, on the upper left corner; the LED flash, a fingerprint sensor, and the Huawei brand name at the bottom left of the back.
The sides seem to have a matte textured finish which makes it easier to hold and definitely reduces slippage.
On the left, we have a triple slot card tray that is to accommodate 2 nano sims and a micro SD card, which is always a plus.
On the right, we have a power button and the volume buttons.
Up top, we have the headphone jack and a noise cancelling microphone, and at the bottom, we have the micro USB port sandwiched between the main microphone and the bottom loudspeaker.
The Huawei Y7 Prime 2019 runs on Android 8.1 (Oreo) or EMUI 8.2, hopefully there will be an update to Android Pie.
On the phone we get a RAM of 3 GB and 32 GB ROM which is expandable to 512 GB via micro SD. The rear camera is 13 MP + 2 MP (f/1.8) AI shooter, while the Front Camera is a 16 MP shooter, with the right scenery and good lighting this must produce some good shots.
For the battery we get a huge non-removable 4000 mAh, this can definitely last more than a day or maybe even two days of moderate use. We’ll give you a detailed review in a few days. Meanwhile check out other Y series devices here.
Findit.ke is new business directory in Kenya aimed at helping businesses connect to their customers as well as maintain an online presence with ease has raised $200,000 from undisclosed investors to fill that gap.
Like the defunct Mocality, Findit signs up businesses-both online and offline and allows them to showcase their products and services as well as connect with their customers online. Findit is not the first app to be launched locally after the demise of Mocality and Google’s GetMyBusinessOnline and a similar platform for classifieds called GoogleTrader.
The listing or business directory business model has never sustained any business locally followed by the classifieds business which saw Naspers’ backed OLX close shop across Africa. Findit will need to sign up volumes of businesses and rake in substantial revenues to sustain itself.
According to the founders, Viral Shah and Jay Sandhu,” Our Clients (businesses) can actually showcase their products & service offerings. At the end of the day when a user searches for a specific business, he wants to know what products are being offered. Getting contact information is too basic, that’s all our competition is offering.”
The platform attracts users by having continuous deals on the platform, from travel to dining, Furniture to Lamp Shades and many more. The platform claims to have over 200+ business listings at the moment and is routing to grow the number by the day.
Currently, the firm is in the process of Developing a mobile app where users will be able to make reservations or bookings with businesses. The firm expects to market this feature to restaurants when it’s ready. The booking feature might as well work with hospitals and several other services providers in the market but the team has a lot of working pushing for sign ups and adoption.
“We raised $200,000 as seed investment to get the venture started in August 2018. We will also be going for our Series A in the near future to expand into the full east African market over the course of one year,” said Viral Shah.
African startups have been invited to apply for the Inclusive Fintech 50 competition organized by MetLife Foundation and Visa Inc., in collaboration with Accion and IFC.
The “Inclusive Fintech 50” aims to recognize the top 50 early-stage fintechs contributing to financial inclusion around the globe. The top 50 will include the most impactful, emerging fintechs expanding access, usage and quality of financial services globally.
Marianne Mwaniki, Global Head of Social Impact at Visa Inc said, “This initiative will help investors identify those high-potential companies and, in turn, help those companies attract the capital and knowledge they need to scale their business for maximum social impact.”
Investors often cite difficulty in identifying prospective fintech investees, especially those contributing to inclusion, while financial service providers struggle to identify appropriate fintech partners.
“Though capital is available to well-known and established fintechs, it’s less so for the early-stage companies focused on financial inclusion,” said Sarah Willis, Director of Financial Health at MetLife Foundation. “This effort will create visibility into a pipeline of inclusive fintechs that are reducing costs in delivery, improving the customer experience and ultimately creating an environment where low- to moderate-income people can build resilience, expand their economic opportunities and plan for the future.”
The judging panel will assess fintechs across for inclusiveness, business model innovation, scale potential, and traction.
Interested early-stage fintechs should apply between February 11 and March 8 by visiting www.inclusivefintech50.com. Winners will be announced in June 2019
Left to right: Flow Co-Founders Gil Sperling and Daniel Levy
South African proptech platform Flow, an app that rewards tenants for good behaviour recently raised R10 million ($1.5m) from venture capital firm Kalon Venture Partners and a similar amount from an international VC firm to help bring sanity in the real estate market in South Africa.
Founded by serial successful entrepreneurs, Daniel Levy and Gil Sperling (Popimedia co-founders), Flow rewards tenants for registering, adding their property details, paying their rent on time, looking after their homes, and much more.
Tenants can use the app and be rewarded for good rental behaviour even if their landlord isn’t active on the app. Great tenants can earn thousands of points every month, increasing their Flow score and accessing incredible rewards.
For these rewards, Flow has struck partnerships with a number of leading brands in the lifestyle, entertainment, homeware, fashion and travel space, all of which are valuable within the lives of millennials (those between the ages of 22 to 37) – a group which makes up a large portion of renters in South Africa.
The co-investment of R20 million by Kalon Venture Partners and the international VC will help Flow fuel growth and increase the base of tenants already using Flow; as well as to increase the range of rewards available to tenants.
According to Gil Sperling, CEO of Flow, “Compared with any other industry, the property industry – and in particular the rental market – is archaic and disconnected. There’s also a massive paradigm shift in how people should rent which is inspired and driven by their lifestyle choices, and is something proptech could and should leverage big time. People are used to being connected all the time and transacting digitally, in real-time; and they want transparency in their dealings with companies (including their landlords).”
Flow aims to scale and revolutionise the economics of rent, providing a more seamless experience and more value to tenants.
“At Kalon Venture Partners we invest in technologies that are disrupting their respective industries and have large target addressable markets. Flow passed both these criteria with flying colors and also passed our most important investment criteria which is having the ‘A’ team. The three founders have all built successful businesses, which is quite rare in South Africa, and have the ‘execution intelligence’ to grow a product into a large profitable enterprise” said Kalon venture Partners CEO, Clive Butkow.
Kalon in November invested in financial services chatbot providers FinChatBot.
LEGO Group has officially opened its new Business Unit headquarters for the Middle East and Africa in Dubai and started a sales office in Johannesburg in a move to reinforce its commitment to bring more creative play to kids in as many countries as possible.
The Danish family-owned firm sees an estimated 125 million children aged 0 to 14 years in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) by 2028. The new regional HQ will cover an extensive area of 68 markets while the sales office in Johannesburg will manage SA and all Sub-Saharan countries.
“We are excited to open the new LEGO Group office in Dubai and to continue to invest in further globalising the company to help bring the LEGO play experience to more children all over the world. Being actively present in the region will help us to better understand local markets and consumers, and to more efficiently leverage our local partnerships,” saidJeroen Beijer, General Manager of MEA Business Unit.
“TheLEGO Group wants children of all ages to experience joy and pride when exploring their creative potential. Our aim is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through unique playful learning experiences that support children’s creativity and learning while bringing fun-filled moments to girls and boys all around the world,” added Julia Goldin, the LEGO Group Chief Marketing Officer.
For over 60 years, LEGO play helps young minds stay open, keep exploring and develop essential skills for the future, including confidence, creativity and communication.
LEGO toys expand children’s capacity for inventiveness and imaginative ideas as they experience the unlimited possibilities of LEGO play – both physical and digital. The first brick made in 1958 is just as culturally relevant today as it was at its launch because it offers children the chance of constant discovery – the possibility to create something new every time.
A valid email address is key to effective communication. It is no surprise that whenever you want to sign up for any online account, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc., you are always requested your email address. This just shows you how vital a valid email address is.
Email verification is very important because it helps to avoid spam complaints and blacklisting in spam databases. It also allows organizations to clean up their email lists from invalid, non-existent, and undeliverable email addresses.
But how can you verify an email? All you have to do is upload an email address or simply drag it to the dashboard of email verification sites such as Email Checker and you are done.
You can also verify an email address through the manual way. When you send an email to a recipient, and then you receive an automated soft /hard bounce reply from the mail server, this indicates that the email address is invalid. The following are other sites that you can use to verify an email address for free.
Bounceless
This site claims to be the fastest in the email verification industry. It can validate up to 600 email addresses per minute. You can upload an email list for automated bulk email verification, or you can implement their API which is very significant for real-time checking in contact or sign up forms. If you sign up for Bounceless free account, you get 100 free credits which allow you to verify up to 100 email addresses.
2. NeverBounce
NeverBounce is also another email verification company that enables you to verify email addresses in real-time. You can also verify bulk email addresses in the form of a file list. You also get to verify up to 5 email addresses without having to sign up for an account. The verification form is found on their site in the middle of the page.
The free subscription is available to registered users together with those with free accounts. This email verification company also offers 1000 checks per month to free accounts. But it’s worth noting that these 1000 credits are only for verifying single emails, they cannot be used in automated bulk checking.
3. Email Hippo
This is also one of the most powerful email verification sites. Its system allows it to handle up to 500,000 email addresses in a list which many sites cannot handle. Email Hippo has a hidden subdomain that can enable you to carry out 20 free tests without having to go through the sign-up process. It also offers a free trial account that allows you to verify up to 100 email addresses at their verification list.
4. Kleber Email Verification
Kleber is among the software platforms created by the DataTools Company based in Australia. When you subscribe to Kleber, you get the opportunity to access tools that can capture, verify, repair, match, and enhance data. Their verification tool also allows you to validate email addresses.
Kleber offers an amazing 90 days free trial that comes preloaded with $50 of credit. Kleber is ideal for developers who want to implement a verification system through the Klebers API.
RapidDeploy, a cloud-based software firm that enables public safety officials to reduce emergency response times and improve situational awareness, has raised $12 million in Series A financing led by GreatPoint Ventures and Samsung NEXT.
Launched in South Africa, RapidDeploy is now headquarted in the United States.
“We are excited to partner with seasoned technology investors who have proven experience in scaling software and technology,” said Steven Raucher, RapidDeploy CEO and co-founder. “RapidDeploy is on a mission to democratize public safety and will now enter a new stage of growth.”
Ray Lane, Managing Partner at GreatPoint Ventures and former President and COO of Oracle, will join RapidDeploy’s Board of Directors.
The funds will help the firm to deploy cloud-based dispatch technologies to enable public safety organizations to perform faster and seamlessly across jurisdictions.
Xineoh Technologies Inc. has raised an additional equity financing of US$500,000. Plus the December 2018 financing, Xineoh has raised aggregate gross proceeds of US$1.518 million.
Xineoh has developed a platform for predicting consumer behavior with AI which can be implemented by clients, quickly, cheaply and with minimum complexity. Companies can use Xineoh’s platform to out-predict their competition, thereby maximizing business efficiency, margins and customer satisfaction.
Xineoh allows for matching people with products, matching inventory with business opportunities, matching prices with spending propensity and matching people with usage patterns.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to continue to develop and commercialize its market-leading AI platform. All securities issued in the Offering are subject to a statutory four-month hold period expiring on June 12, 2019.
In December last year the firm closed a non-brokered private placement equity financing for aggregate gross proceeds of US$1.018 million to develop its AI platform for predicting consumer behavior which can be implemented by clients, quickly, cheaply and with minimum complexity.
