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[Column] Kevin Ng'ang'a: E-commerce can create a borderless and efficient market for Africa
One area that has the potential to create a borderless and efficient market as envisioned by AfCFTA is Africa’s e-commerce space which Statista estimated hit the $40 billion-mark last year.
AI solutions provider Meeranda joins NVIDIA Inception
Meeranda, an AI solutions provider, announced it has joined the NVIDIA Inception.
KindWorks.AI raises $1.5m funding to revolutionize workplace culture using proven power of Kindness
KindWorks.AI has closed an oversubscribed pre-seed round over $1.5m.
E-commerce tech platform MarketLeap secures €2.6m to expand brands’ global reach and revenue
MarketLeap has secured €1.5m funding.
Relocalize raises $2.5m seed round to decarbonize food & beverage manufacturing
Relocalize has raised $2.5m in the initial closing of $3.5m seed round.
Vistry unveils conversational AI platform LumoChat for food commerce
Vistry has announced the launch of its Conversational AI platform, LumoChat.
Plug and Play Alberta announces 73 startups for Fall cohort accelerator programs
Plug and Play Alberta has announced 73 startups for the Fall cohort.
French SaaS firm scnd raises €4m to disrupt the sales of services
scnd, the trailblazing French SaaS solution, announced a €4m funding round backed by 42Cap and Partech.
Canadian e-Commerce inventory platform Centro launches with $2m pre-seed funding round
e-Commerce inventory platform Centro, announced a $2m in pre-seed funding.
Epson opens call for third Innovation Challenge for startups and developers
Epson is expanding its third Innovation Challenge for developers and startups.
Cardata raises $100m capital to accelerate growth in product innovation
Cardata has announced a new round of growth investment.
IFC invests in e-Commerce platform ANKA to support Africa’s creative Artisans
IFC has invested $3.4m equity investment in African e-Commerce platform ANKA.
Genus AI secures over $6m seed extension round for Generative AI in e-Commerce
Genus AI, a generative AI platform, has secured over $6m in a seed round extension
Montreal startup Urbanoid files patent for AI solution based on location intelligence
Urbanoid has developed an innovative technology for marketers to target ads.
African fintech startup Lipa Later gets greenlight for public fundraising in US
Lipa Later Group is a global trailblazing innovator recognized as one of Africa's Fastest-Growing Fintech Companies by the Financial Times that continues to reshape the finance, payments, and e-commerce landscape in Africa.
Liviri launches independent e-Grocer grant program
Liviri is launching its first-ever e-Grocer grant program – an initiative that will award resources to an independent grocer.
Human-like AI Meeranda is now a part of Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
Meeranda announced its acceptance into the Microsoft for Startups program.
Israeli social commerce startup Terrific completes its seed round of financing
Israeli social commerce startup Terrific has completed its seed round of financing.
Startupbootcamp AfriTech opens cohort 4 of its ASIP accelerator program
Startupbootcamp AfriTech has opened applications its ASIP accelerator program.
Palantir partners with Toronto-based startup AirMatrix to scale drone operations
Palantir Technologies and AirMatrix have partnered to accelerate drone operations.
Kenyan agritech startup Kyosk acquires KwikBasket, expands into fresh produce market
Kenyan agritech startup Kyosk, is expanding into the African fresh produce market.
Cargo airline startup Ribbit signs $1.3m to test autonomous flights in Canada
Ribbit has signed a $1.3m to test autonomous flights across northern Canada.
[Column] Paul Selibas: Embedded finance in the age of e-Commerce
The African online e-Commerce market has grown rapidly in recent years.
Kenyan e-Health startup MYDAWA raises $20m funding from Alta Semper Capital
MYDAWA has received $20m capital injection from private equity investor.
New PitchBook survey finds majority of venture capitalists have invested in AI
PitchBook has released findings from a new survey in partnership with Collision.
Kenyan fashion e-Commerce startup ShopZetu raises pre-seed funding to fuel growth of its marketplace
Kenyan fashion e-Commerce startup ShopZetu has raised $1m pre-seed funding.
[Interview] Caroline Mutuku, General Manager, Glovo, Kenya
Caroline Mutuku is Kenya's General Manager of multi-category app Glovo.
Plug and Play, Suncor partner to accelerate sustainable energy, digital transformation
Plug and Play has announced a new relationship with Suncor.
Genetica raises $500k seed round to make cannabis shopping smarter with AI
Genetica, an AI cannabis retail platform, announced the close of its seed round.
Austrian SaaS startup Shopstory scores million-dollar investment to accelerate growth
Austrian SaaS startup Shopstory has scored another million-dollar investment.
Kenya's B2B e-Commerce startup Wasoko expands to Zambia
Wasoko has revealed plans to invest over $1 million in Zambia. The B2B retail and e-Commerce made this announcement while announcing its official entry into the Southern African country.
Milan-based fintech startup Viceversa closes €10m Series A funding round to accelerate growth
Viceversa, the Milan-based fintech startup that introduced revenue-based financing to Italy to support the growth of digital companies, announced the closing of €10 million Series A financing round.
Forces shaping the retail landscape in 2023, ESW
Brands and merchants are constantly adapting to the ever-changing forces that shape the retail landscape
3 key trends in retail and brand innovation, Plug and Play
Brands and the retail industry are undergoing a rapid transformation. As technology and customer expectations continue to evolve, businesses must innovate to stay competitive and provide a better consumer and user experience.
[Column] David Meintjes: Unified communication and collaboration trends for 2023
As businesses continue evolving to meet changing customer behaviour, the uptake and investment in cloud unified communications platforms and tools will continue to soar.
Healthtech startup WELL invests in doctorly, launches strategic alliance to tech enable German doctors
WELL Health Technologies (WELL), announced it has made a strategic investment, through its wholly owned subsidiary, WELL Ventures, in doctorly GmbH (doctorly), a medical practice management software provider based in Germany.
Vue.ai announces new AI powered models to generate inclusive ad creatives through Meta's Creative Shop
Vue.ai, the retail vertical of AI startup Mad Street Den, announced its partnership with Meta to generate automated and inclusive ad creatives using AI-powered models for brands using Meta's creative services.
Indian SaaS startup Mintoak raises $20m Series A funding round to grow its product portfolio
Mintoak, an India-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform focused on merchant services, has raised $20 million in Series A funding round led by PayPal Ventures.
Tech startup Uspace fills the gap in web marketing missing from main street small business
Recent advertising by e-Commerce giants Go Daddy, Shopify, Wix and others would have the public believe that anybody can build and launch a moneymaking website with little time and effort.
Canadian healthtech startup The Rounds closes $6.7m Series A funding to accelerate growth
The Rounds, a Canadian healthcare tech startup, announced the successful close of its Series A round with two follow-on investments totaling $1.6 million CAD from Panoramic Ventures.
South African grocery delivery startup Yebo Fresh raises 4.5m pre-Series A funding to fuel expansion
Yebo Fresh, a South African grocery delivery startup has raised $4.5m in a pre-series A equity funding round.
Bangladeshi B2B commerce platform ShopUp secures $30m debt financing to fuel expansion, strengthen supply chain operations
ShopUp, a full-stack B2B commerce platform in Bangladesh, announced it has secured $30 million in debt financing, to drive expansion efforts and strengthen the company's supply chain operations.
[Startup Interview] Don Okoth, General Manager, Sendy, Kenya
Don Okoth is General Manager for Kenyan Fulfillment and Logistics startup Sendy. In this interview, he talks about the current state of logistics in Kenya and beyond, including Sendy's role in shaping the industry.
Belgian SMEs management software Odoo opens local office in Australia
Belgian company Odoo, an all-in-one integrated business solution for Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), announced it is setting up shop in Australia.
Food Foundry accelerator announces fifth cohort of early-stage foodservice startups
Food Foundry, an accelerator program built by Relish Works and Gordon Food Service for early-stage startups disrupting the food and foodservice industry, announced the five startups that will join the fifth cohort starting in January 2023.
Toronto-based startup Credential Sentry automates occupational license verification to combat negligent hiring and retention
Toronto-based startup Credential Sentry, has developed an advanced data analytics algorithm to streamline the credential verification process for businesses operating in licensed industries.
Terramera creates enrichAg to commercialize transformative soil analysis platform with $6m from At One Ventures
Terramera announced the formation of its new majority-owned subsidiary, enrichAg, which will focus on commercializing its soil enrichment platform. The seed round is led with a $6 million investment from AOV.
Nigerian online furniture store Taeillo raises $2.5m for expansion
Nigerian online store Taeillo, announced a $2.5 million funding round from Aruwa Capital, a growth equity and early-stage investor.
Senegalese startup Kwely launches made in Africa online store
Kwely, a Senegalese-based startup has launched a B2B e-marketplace to provide African producers and manufacturers with a global window to sell their products at scale.
Canadian healthtech startup KeyOps raises $4m seed round to fuel expansion in the U.S.
KeyOps, a Toronto-based Insights-as-a-Service (IaaS) startup, announced it has raised $4 million (CAD) in seed funding.
Canadian B2B automotive trading startup TRADE X opens new trading facilities in Kenya
TRADE X, a B2B cross-border automotive trading platform based in Ontario, Canada, announced it has opened a new Kenyan trading corridor, which includes both a shared bonded warehouse in Mombasa and an office in Nairobi.
[Nebulab Case] How this e-Commerce tech studio went global to fight talent shortage and improve diversity
Hiring talent has become one of the top challenges for technology companies. The global talent shortage and emerging trends have made finding and retaining skilled professionals more difficult.
Netail closes $5m seed funding to advance retail-focused AI development
Netail, a technology that enables retailers to auto-identify competitors across the internet and track their assortments, availability and optimize prices in real time, announced the closing of $5 million in seed funding.
Canadian SaaS startup Produce8 closes $6m investment to accelerate growth in the future of workforce analytics
Produce8, a startup SaaS company aiming to reduce distractions and increase productivity for distributed and digital-first teams, announced $6 million in funding to support strategic growth.
Berlin-based AI-powered startup Faircado raises €500K to transform E-commerce into Re-commerce
Faircado, a Berlin-based startup that provides the first AI-powered second-hand shopping assistance, announced it has raised €500,000 in a pre-seed round led by BackBone Ventures.
Kenyan supply chain and logistics startup Leta secures $3m pre-seed funding to accelerate growth
Leta, the supply chain and logistics startup driving distribution optimization, announced the close of $3 million Pre-Seed equity round.
Plug and Play partners with Canadian airline WestJet to leverage AI and Machine Learning solutions
Global innovation platform Plug and Play announced its partnership with WestJet, Canada's second largest airline in both their Silicon Valley and Alberta, Canada locations.
Swiss Web3 payment startup DePay partners with WooCommerce to bring payments to online merchants
Swiss Web3 payment startup DePay, announced it is joining forces with the self-hostable, open-source eCommerce plugin WooCommerce, pushing decentralization further and providing merchants with the ability to have customers send payments directly to their own wallets.
Montreal-based BoostSecurity exits stealth with $12m seed funding to secure the software supply chain
BoostSecurity, the developer-first, zero friction DevSecOps automation platform that builds trust into every step of the software supply chain, has emerged from stealth with $12 million in seed funding.
[Startup Interview] Ganesh Verma, Founder, MoogleLabs, Canada
MoogleLabs is a Canadian startup that leverages emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, Blockchain, DevOps, and Metaverse to come up with innovative solutions that help companies become more cost-effective.
Demand for seamless, convenient way of shopping increase growth of e-Commerce in Africa
The electronic commerce (e-Commerce) transaction of goods and services between business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), consumer-to-consumer, and consumer-to-business, has become rampant in this digital age.
Ultra-convenient healthy meals startup Proper Good closes seed funding to bring absurdly delicious products
PROPER GOOD, an ultra-convenient home-delivered food service company that offers nutritious prepared meals made with simple and high quality ingredients, announced the closing of $3.5 million in seed funding.
Startup Wise Guys selects the second batch of participants for Africa-dedicated fund
Startup Wise Guys (SWG), Europe’s startup accelerator and one of its most active investment funds, has selected the second batch of participants for its €7.5 million fund for African startup investment.
Vue Storefront wins best e-Commerce and retail startup at The Europas Tech Startup Awards 2022
Vue Storefront, a technology company that develops software for businesses to create fast, modern and high-performing online storefronts, was crowned a winner at The Europas Tech Startup Awards 2022.
UK-based hospitality tech startup Journey completes £5m growth capital raise
Journey Hospitality has secured £5 million growth capital investment. The funds, from private equity firm Averroes Capital, will enable Journey to deliver its vision to revolutionise e-Commerce for the hospitality industry.
Vienna-based startup Orderlion raises $4m funding to scale the global B2B food supply chain
Vienna-based startup Orderlion announced the successful closing of $4 million in preSeries A funding, including a mix of equity and debt financing, bringing the total amount of investments raised to $7.5 million since the company’s inception.
GS1 Hong Kong unlocks the next generation of trade finance service for SMEs in China
GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK) announced it has welcomed the launch of Commercial Data Interchange (CDI) by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).
Nigerian social commerce startup Bumpa raises $4m seed funding to build the future of commerce for African sellers
Nigerian social commerce startup Bumpa announced it has raised $4 million seed round led by Base10 Partners, the largest black-led fund in the world, with participation from Plug & Play Ventures.
Fintech startup Banyan raises $43m Series A to scale world's largest SKU data network
Banyan, the network for SKU data, announced it has raised $43 million Series A round led by Fin Capital and M13. The investment will accelerate Banyan's technology and infrastructure growth.
Logistics Startup Nuvocargo appoints Nicholas Simmons as Head of Engineering to accelerate company's growth
Nuvocargo has appointed former Shopify executive Nicholas Simmons as Head of Engineering to continue to develop the Nuvocargo platform and expand the company’s world-class engineering team.
Climate infrastructure startup EcoCart raises $14.5m Series A to accelerate sustainable e-Commerce
EcoCart, a software company building the infrastructure for e-Commerce companies to operate sustainably at scale, has raised a $14.5 million Series A round.
German startup 35up secures €5 million to cross selling platform for SMEs
A German startup providing cross selling platform has received five million euros financing from VC firm Capnamic and other existing investors.
Canadian Lia 27 becomes the new face of AI after closing seed funding round at $5m valuation
Canadian Artificial Intelligence (AI) company Lia 27 Inc, announced it has closed a seed funding round valuing the company at $5 million. The funding launches the one-year-old business into the next dimension.
New Utah startup Oops offers doorstep return pickups for in-store and online purchases
An early-stage startup born in the heart of Utah's Silicon Slopes, Oops is offering doorstep return pickups for in-store and online purchases across the Wasatch Range.
Vendease secures $30m to transform procurement and business operations for restaurants across Africa
Vendease, a Y Combinator-backed digital platform that allows restaurants in Africa to buy supplies, access financial services and power their business operations, has raised $30 million funding round.
West african fintech startup Julaya raises $5m extension round to expand its operations
Julaya, a fintech stratup based in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and France, announced it has raised $5 million extension round led by European venture capital fund Speedinvest to expand its operations in West Africa.
Idealist Capital announces first close of its Climate Impact Fund to accelerate energy transition
Idealist Capital, a North American fund with a primary focus on the Canadian market, announced the first closing of the Idealist Climate Impact Fund LP (the Fund) with capital commitments totalling C$250 million.
Canadian Raven Indigenous Capital Partners launches Fund II at $46m, eyes U.S. markets
Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, North America’s only Indigenous-led and owned venture capital intermediary, launched its second fund (Raven Fund II) with an initial close of $46 million, and a target size of $75 million.
Irish e-Commerce growth unicorn Wayflyer secures $253m debt financing from Credit Suisse
Wayflyer, the revenue-based financing and growth platform for e-Commerce businesses, has secured $253 milion debt financing facility from Credit Suisse.
[Startup Interview] Tesh Mbaabu, CEO, MarketForce, Kenya
Tesh Mbaabu is a serial entrepreneur who lives to blend commerce and technology. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Kenyan-based B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods and digital financial services in Africa today, MarketForce.
Austrian SaaS startup Shopstory raises €2.2m in second round funding to back e-Commerce brands
Austrian startup Shopstory is raising a million-dollar investment from tecnet equity, Startup300 and business angels Patrick Pöschl (Co-Founder Scalable Capital) and Hansi Hansmann in its second round of financing.
Kenyan B2B e-Commerce startup Wasoko opens innovation hub in Zanzibar
Wasoko (formerly Sokowatch), an African B2B e-Commerce startup that leverages technology to transform the informal retail supply chain, announced the official launch of the “Wasoko Innovation Hub” in partnership with the Zanzibar government.
FMO partners with SBC AfriTech to support next generation of early-stage African tech startups
FMO has partnered with a pan-African tech accelerator, Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech, for the third installment of the Africa Startup Initiative Accelerator Program which is designed to scout skill and scale early-stage tech startups in Africa.
Nigerian B2B e-Commerce startup Omnibiz raises $15m for expansion
Nigerian B2B e-Commerce startup Omnibiz has raised $15 million pre-Series A round ($5 million equity and $10 million debt) led by Timon Capital, Ventures Platform, Lofty Inc, Chapel Hill Denham, Chandaria Capital and Musha Ventures.
Canadian startup Vive Crop Protection closes $26m funding round to accelerate its precision chemistry platform
Vive Crop Protection announced the close of $26 million Series C investment round, led by Emmertech with participation from the Cibus funds, and existing investors Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).
Nigerian last-mile delivery startup Kwik launches in Ibadan
Nigerian last-mile delivery startup Kwik Delivery announced it has officially launched its innovative and just-in-time delivery solutions to merchants, entrepreneurs, businesses, government agencies and social vendors in Ibadan.
Budmail announces partnership with Canadian AI startup Lil Durk
Lil Durk (LilDurk.com), a Canadian news & technology company enhanced by AI-driven neural networks, has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Budmail, a retail-focused cannabis company.
South African agritech disruptor AgriKool drives down food costs for consumers, increases profits for farmers
AgriKool, a South African e-trading platform, is connecting agricultural producers to buyers to facilitate the sale of products between retailers and farmers.
Canadian AI startup Proto raises $5.6m Series A funding to accelerate global expansion
Canadian startup Proto announced it has raised $5.6 million Series A round led by Mucker Capital with participation from Yolo Investments for the global expansion of its AI Customer Experience (AICX) solutions.
Kenyan mobile commerce startup Copia unveils manufacturing unit for sugar and rice production
Copia Global, a Kenyan-based mobile commerce platform has unveiled a new manufacturing unit to enhance its output of affordable sugar and rice to the Kenyan market.
Canadian news and technology startup startup Lil Durk raises $20m to reduce misinformation
Lil Durk (LilDurk.com), a Canadian news and technology startup enhanced by A.I.-driven neural networks, announced it has raised an additional $20 million in equity through a private funding round led by Alexander Elder.
Product search engine startup Vetted raises $15m to vet trustworthy product data for consumers
Vetted (formerly Lustre) announced the launch of its AI-powered product search engine, alongside a $14 million Series A investment round led by global software investor Insight Partners.
VMG Catalyst closes $400m Fund II to scale commerce venture capital space
Venture capital firm VMG Catalyst announced the closing of Fund II at its target of $400 million, bringing the total capital raised to $650 million across both funds.
Why you should implement cryptocurrency payments into your e-Commerce website, Remuno
Crypto is one of the biggest aspects of modern finance and technology. For businesses, this revenue stream could provide major boosts to sales numbers, with crypto payments giving customers more freedom while also bringing benefits.
Ukrainian and Dutch-based startup Cloudprinter.com raises €7m seed funding to grow its global print API platform
Cloudprinter.com, the Ukrainian and Dutch-based global print API platform raised €7 missed in a seed round led by Capital Mills.
Canadian biotech startup Spiderwort secures $13.2m financing to accelerate clinical trials of biomaterials
Spiderwort, the biotech company innovating in cellulose-based tissue scaffolding to treat acute spinal cord injuries, announced the successful completion of its $13.2 million Series A financing.
Bodybuilding.com partners with Retail Ecommerce Ventures to accelerate growth
Bodybuilding.com, the online fitness store, has struck a deal to partner with Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), a global leader in e-Commerce with a rapidly growing roster of well-known brands, to accelerate growth.
Indian no-code mobile startup Plobal raises $8.5m to expand presence in North America
Plobal Apps, a no-code mobile app platform for e-commerce stores, raised $8.5 million, led by Elevation Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners.
Community-centered lifestyle startup Saysh closes $8m Series A round to scale growth
Saysh, the community-centered lifestyle brand co-founded by Olympian Allyson Felix and her brother and business partner Wes Felix, announced a Series A round closed at $8 million.
Inovia Capital closes $325m early-stage fund to strengthen the Canadian tech ecosystem
Inovia Capital announced it raised $325 million for its fifth early-stage fund, the latest step in its journey to help build global, sustainable companies that strengthen the Canadian tech ecosystem.
B2B e-Commerce and fintech startup Bazaar raises $70m to revamp the retail industry in Pakistan
Bazaar, Pakistan’s B2B e-Commerce and fintech platform has raised $70 million in a Series B financing led by Dragoneer Investment Group and Tiger Global Management.
Utrecht-based same day and next day delivery startup Trunkrs raises €15 million in growth capital
Trunkrs, specialist in same day & next day delivery for the e-Commerce sector, has successfully raised €15 million in a series B investment round. The financing round was led by Korys, the Belgian investment company of the Colruyt family.
Canadian digital footprint monitoring startup Flare raises CAD$9.5m Series A to democratize cybersecurity
Flare, the leader in digital footprint monitoring, announced a CAD$9.5 million Series A Round led by Inovia Capital with participation from White Star Capital and Luge Capital.
Amsterdam-based Instant Commerce secures €2m pre-seed funding to boost its headless storefront builder
Amsterdam-based Instant Commerce announced it has secured €2 million pre-seed funding to boost its headless storefront builder.
Text messaging startup Prokeep raises $9m to modernize distributor communications and commerce
Prokeep, the communications and commerce platform built exclusively for distributors, announced the closing of $9 million seed round.
Indonesian social commerce startup Super completes $70m oversubscribed Series C round
Super, an Indonesian social commerce platform serving tier-2 and tier-3 cities and Indonesian rural areas, announced it completed a $70 million oversubscribed Series C round led by NEA with additional investment from Insignia Ventures Partners.
Vancouver cleantech startup VoltSafe introduces electrical technology to reduce the effects of inflation
Vancouver cleantech startup VoltSafe has introduced a new electrical technology to reduce inflation effects in marine, automotive and housing industries.
Swiss Web3 payment startup DePay brings Web3 P2P payment gateway to eligible Shopify merchants
Swiss Web3 payment startup DePay, announced its official integration into omnichannel commerce platform Shopify, allowing for the very first integration of a wallet-to-wallet (P2P) payment solution for eligible Shopify merchants.
AAEC and WAEMU renew partnership with additional funding of 10 million CFA
The support will go towards improving the performance of the Africa e-Trade Hub platform to cater for the exchange of electronic certificates of origin as well as consolidating ongoing initiatives and further support Member States in the process of simplifying procedures and formalities.
Canadian biotech startup Evolved Meats raises $2m seed round to accelerate growth
Evolved Meats ("Evolved"; formerly known as CaroMeats), a Canadian biotechnology startup, has raised $2 million in its seed round to accelerate its product development and to support the initial scale up of its production processes.
e-Commerce logistics startup Kubbo begins international expansion, starts Italy operations
e-Commerce logistics startup Kubbo, announced its first international move to expand its model of digitising logistics for brands and ecommerce companies. The operator has launched its activity in Italy.
Fintech startup BridgerPay raises $6m seed round for self-onboarding payment operations platform
BridgerPay, a Limassol, Cyprus-based payment operations platform provider, raised $6 million in seed (equity and secondary) funding, to build the world's first self-onboarding payment operations platform.
Dough Ecommerce Capital partners with Byrne Capital to scale DTC businesses online
Dough Ecommerce Capital and Byrne Capital Ventures announced a strategic partnership to invest in and acquire direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce businesses.
Salaries for startup CEOs break records, Kruze Consulting
Kruze Consulting, a CPA and finance consulting company for VC-backed startups, released new data on the average salary for startup CEOs.
e-Commerce startup byrd raises $56m Series C to become Europe-wide standard for next-day delivery
e-Commerce fulfillment technology startup byrd has raised a Series C round of $56 million, bringing the funding raised within the last 10 months to $75 million.
Nigerian retail tech startup TradeDepot appoints Chidi Akubuiro as Managing Director for West Africa
TradeDepot, a B2B e-Commerce and embedded finance platform in Africa, has appointed former Coca Cola HBC and Hayat Kimya Nigeria Executive, Chidi Akubuiro as its Managing Director for West Africa.
Viva Technology, IFC announce 45 emerging African startups to compete for the 2022 AfricaTech Awards
Viva Technology and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), announced the top 45 startups that have been long-listed for the first edition of the AfricaTech Awards.
Glovo announces winners of its tech startup pitch competition in Kenya
On-demand delivery platform Glovo has announced the winners of its tech startup pitch competition in Kenya.
African B2B marketplace Kwely nabs $1m seed round to accelerate growth
African B2B marketplace Kwely finalized a $1 million seed funding round with a $700,000 injection of fresh capital led by WIC Capital with participation from Loftyinc Capital, Afropreneur Angels, Haskè Ventures and other angel investors.
Estonian e-Store startup Upty acquires Finnish peer Rekki, opens up seed round
Estonian startup Upty, the resale e-Store in the Baltic region, announced the acquisition of its Finnish peer, Rekki. In addition, Upty is planning to kick-start the fundraising in the coming months in order to pursue the Company's accelerated expansion across Europe.
Canadian medical startup DrugBank raises $9m to solve growing biomedical data problem
Canadian future of medicine startup, DrugBank, announced the securing $9 million in seed funding to solve the challenges associated with the world's exponentially-growing biomedical data.
Construction tech company myComply closes $4.5m seed round to expand its workforce management solution
myComply, a Saskatchewan-based of IoT technology and cloud-connected software for the construction industry, landed its final capital to close its seed round investment at a total of $4.5 million.
Kenyan mobile commerce startup Copia appoints former Amazon Executive to its Board
Copia Global, a Kenyan-based mobile commerce platform has announced the appointment of former Amazon executive Jason Murray to its Board.
Kenya-focused social e-Commerce startup Elloe raises over $1m in pre-seed round
Elloe, a US-based social e-Commerce startup focused on Kenya and emerging markets, announced the raise of an undisclosed amount in pre-Seed funding. Investors for the round were led by Philippines’ Mad Ventures, Inc.
Colombian-based consumer and fintech startup Leal secures $10m Series A round to scale growth
Colombian-based consumer and fintech company Leal has raised a $10 million Series A round co-led by global internet services leader Rakuten Group – through its investment arm Rakuten Capital – and IDC Ventures global fintech investment firm.
Kenyan social commerce startup Tushop raises $3m pre-seed funding to accelerate growth
Tushop, a Kenyan social-commerce platform that enables group-buying of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), announced it has raised $3 million in pre-seed funding, led by 4DX Ventures.
AI-powered video commerce startup Vyrill raises $3m seed round to accelerate growth
VYRILL, a startup that enables video commerce with new, innovative 'in-video' search technology, announced the closing of a $3 million seed round of funding led by Noemis Ventures and Lightship Capital.
Nigerian B2B startup Kwik closes $2m Series A round to digitize informal African trade
French-Nigerian B2B startup Kwik, a fast-growing provider of SaaS logistics services to social vendors and e-commerce platforms in Africa, has announced that it successfully closed its $2 million Series A round.
Israeli data integration startup Triple Whale raises $27.7m to develop default e-Commerce operating system for Shopify brands
Triple Whale, the all-in-one operating system for Shopify brands, announced it has raised $27.7 million in an extended Series A, the company's first announced funding round since its foundation in May 2021.
Lipa Later selects Hotpoint as new retail partner
Lipa Later, a payment option that allows customers to purchase commodities through affordable monthly instalments has on-boarded Hotpoint as a new retail partner. Hotpoint appliances is Kenya’s premier supplier of Home Appliances and Electronics.
Kenyan e-Commerce startup Sokowatch raises $125m, rebrands to Wasoko
Kenyan based B2B e-Commerce startup Sokowatch has raised a $125 million Series B equity round, the largest venture financing round ever raised for a non-fintech startup in Africa.
Canadian healthtech startup Clinia raises $5m to power personalized pathways into every health journey
Montreal-based startup Clinia, the personalized health navigation platform, announced a $5 million CAD Seed funding round to scale the growth of its health search infrastructure across North America.
Product photo performance startup Bloom raises $1.1m seed round funding to bring generative AI to e-Commerce
Product photo performance engine Bloom announced it has raised $1.1 million at the close of its seed funding round.
Colombian startup Yuno raises $10m seed round to solve online payments in Latin America
Yuno, a Colombia-based startup has raised a $10 million seed round to bring to Latin American companies an easy online checkout solution that solves the pain point of managing multiple payment methods.
Canadian tech startup Calico secures $2.1m to revolutionize modern supply chains
Calico, the developer of the first AI-powered smart supply chain management platform, announced it has raised $2 million in seed funding. The growth financing is led by Serena Ventures following 300% growth since January 2022.
On-demand delivery platform Glovo launches pitch competition for early-stage tech startups in Kenya
On-demand delivery platform Glovo has launched a pitch competition targeting early-stage tech startups in Kenya that are delivering value to SMEs.
e-Commerce startup The Host Co. raises $1.85m to revolutionize short-term rental industry
The Host Co., the first-of-its-kind digital commerce marketplace for short-term rentals, announced an oversubscribed $1.85 million seed funding round, led by HearstLab with participation from The Artemis Fund and Untapped Capital.
Israeli logistics startup PrettyDamnQuick raises $6m seed round to expand growth in the U.S.
Israeli e-Commerce startup PrettyDamnQuick, the provider of checkout-to-delivery management platforms for e-Commerce businesses, announced the closing of $6 million seed investment round.
Retailtech startup Cortina raises $6m seed round to accelerate growth
Cortina, a revolutionary software solution that gives any retailer, from big box to mom-and-pop, the power to become a player in the fast-evolving marketplace revolution, announced it has closed $6 million in seed money.
Kenyan foodtech startup Kune starts commercial operations in Nairobi
Kenyan foodtech startup Kune has officially launched commercial operations with four meal hubs located in strategic locations in Nairobi.
Cross-border fintech startup Dowsure raises $20m to fuel growth of e-Commerce sellers in China
Shenzhen-based fintech startup Dowsure Technologies, has attracted the attention of global strategic investors, fueling the growth of millions of e-Commerce sellers from China on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Shopee and more.
Kenyan retail tech startup MarketForce raises $40m Series A to scale up super app for Africa’s informal merchants
MarketForce, the Nairobi-headquartered B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods and digital financial services in Africa, announced the closing of a $40 million Series A round.
African fintech Flutterwave rebrands, introduces new products and services
African fintech startup Flutterwave has unveiled a significant re-brand and identity during the Flutterwave 3.0, virtual event held on Friday, 18th February 2022.
[African Startup Review] Pie Kamau: Nigerian fintech Flutterwave is now Africa's highest valued Unicorn
As the African fintech industry continues to bloom, so does the funding. Flutterwave has now become Africa's highest valued startup after closing $250 million Series D funding, bringing the company’s valuation to over $3 billion.
German startup Cansativa closes $15m Series B to become the ‘Amazon’ of cannabis for Europe
Cansativa Group announced it has closed a $15 million Series B investment led by Casa Verde with participation by Argonautic Ventures and Munich-based family office Alluti.
Raydiant startup raises $30m Series B to reimagine in-store experiences for brick and mortars
Raydiant, the in-location experience management platform for brick-and-mortar enterprises, announced it has raised a $30 million Series B funding round led by 8VC and Atomic Ventures.
MENA's c-Commerce startup Zbooni launches in Egypt
Zbooni, MENA's c-Commerce (connected commerce) platform, has announced its official launch in Egypt. The rapidly scaling startup, which is backed by regional and global investors, will support the backbone of the Egyptian economy.
Fraugster partners with Dutch-based fintech startup Payaut to provide fraud prevention services to e-Commerce marketplaces
Fraugster, a German-Israeli payment intelligence company, has partnered with marketplace payout specialist Payaut, an Amsterdam-based fintech startup, to provide fraud prevention services to marketplaces.
[African Startup Review] Pie Kamau: Capital funding for tech startups gain momentum in 2022
The startup ecosystem in Africa is taking shape. A lot of technological innovations especially in the areas of fintech, e-mobility, e-commerce, healthtech, foodtech and cleantech have seen accelerated growth towards Africa’s digital transformation and innovation.
Vietnam-focused retail investing app Infina closes $6m seed funding to accelerate growth
Vietnam-focused retail investing app Infina, announced the closing of $6 million in seed funding from Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, Y Combinator, Saison Capital, Starling Ventures, Alpha JWC, and AppWorks.
Agribusiness e-Commerce startup Agrizon receives investment to expand operations in Latin America
Agrizon, a specialized cross-border e-Commerce company that connects and delivers worldwide brands of ag inputs to farmers and businesses, has received investment from Latin Leap Venture Capital Studio to expand operations in Latin America.
Canadian impact venture fund Amplify Capital closes $30.7m Fund II, expands investment team
Amplify Capital, a Canadian impact venture fund, closed its oversubscribed Fund II on January 31, 2022, at $30.7 million. Amplify Capital was rebranded from the MaRS Catalyst Fund after spinning out of the MaRS Discovery District in 2019.
SaaS management startup NachoNacho raises $3m to upend the SaaS industry
NachoNacho, a single destination for businesses to manage, discover, and buy SaaS products, and for SaaS vendors to acquire net new paying customers, announced the close of $3 million seed round.
B2B marketplace startup Retailo raises $36m Series A funding to empower community commerce in the MENA region
Retailo, the B2B marketplace startup for retailers in Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (MENAP), has raised $36 million in its Series A investment round which was a mix of equity and venture debt.
South African delivery startup Orderin raises $4.7m pre-Series B funding for expansion
South African B2B delivery-as-a-service (DaaS) startup Orderin has raised $4.7 million pre-Series B funding to scale its infrastructure and improve its last-mile delivery service.
Grocery logistics startup EasyBins raises $2m late stage seed round for expansion
EasyBins, a company solving the grocery logistics problem for suburban markets in North America, announced $2 million late stage seed round funding to expand its geographic footprint and invest in technology and staff.
Morocco fintech startup Chari closes a bridge round to pilot BNPL services with grocery stores in Francophone Africa
Aiming to take a serious step towards the Fintech space, Chari has announced the closing of a bridge round led by the Saudi-based venture capital fund Khwarizmi Ventures (KV).
Kenyan mobile commerce startup Copia raises $50m to ramp up African expansion
Kenyan-based mobile commerce platform Copia Global raised $50 million in a Series C equity round led by Goodwell Investments.
DutchFounders launches €62m seed fund to back founders building the next wave of marketplaces in Europe
DutchFounders has reached the final close for its second fund, making more than €62m ($70m) available for early-stage marketplaces and so-called marketplace enablers.
Canadian fintech startup Periculum launches in Nigeria to build credit assessment infrastructure for Africa
Canadian fintech startup and credit assessment company Periculum, has launched in Nigeria to tackle the challenge of domestic credit to the underserved markets.
Kenyan BNPL startup Lipa Later secures $12m funding to expand across Africa
Lipa Later, one of it’s kind buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) company operating in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Nigeria, has raised $12 million from a consortium of investors.
Irish digital food-ordering startup Flipdish raises €87m funding to transform digital consumer experience in hospitality
Irish digital food-ordering platform Flipdish has become the State’s fifth official home-grown tech unicorn following a new €87 million investment led by global technology company Tencent and Tiger Global.
Ivorian e-Commerce startup Afrikrea raises $6.2m pre-Series A funding, rebrands to 'ANKA'
Afrikrea, an Ivorian e-Commerce startup has raised $6.2 million pre-Series A funding round led by Investisseurs & Partenaires. The startup has also rebranded to 'ANKA'.
Nigerian last-mile delivery startup Kwik reaches 100,000 customers, announces over 400% GMV and revenue growth for 2021
Nigeria's last-mile delivery startup Kwik Delivery, trading name of Africa Delivery Technologies SAS, announced its GMV and revenue for 2021 grew by over 400% year on year.
Canadian fertility tech startup raises Series A financing round to progress AI-enabled fertility solutions
Future Fertility, a fertility technology company developing AI-enabled and non-invasive fertility solutions to optimize clinical decision making in fertility care and in vitro fertilization (IVF), announced it has successfully raised a Series A financing round.
CellPoint Digital secures $25 million investment to boost entry into new markets
CellPoint Digital, a global provider of digital commerce and payment solutions, has announced an equity financing round of $25M provided by Toscafund and its private equity arm, Penta Capital, to build on a series of major successes in recent years.
Alibaba announces 50 small businesses receiving $10,000 grants to catalyze entrepreneur economy
Alibaba.com, one of the world’s largest B2B ecommerce marketplaces and a business unit of Alibaba Group has announced the 50 entrepreneurs each receiving $10,000 grants from the first-ever Alibaba.com Grants Program.
Kenyan fintech startup Tanda inks deal with Twiga Foods to enable vendors vend its digital financial services
Kenya’s fintech startup Tanda announced a new partnership with Twiga Foods that will see Twiga vendors become a one-stop-shop for a variety of digital and financial services offered by Tanda.
Canadian electric vehicle startup eLeapPower raises $21m funding to accelerate initial production and global growth
eLeapPower, a technology innovator revolutionizing electric vehicles inside and outside, with its Smart Inverter System, announced it raised $21 million CAD in Series A funding.
Egyptian fintech startup Sympl raises $6 million to accelerate growth of its merchant network
Sympl will use the proceeds to accelerate the growth of its merchant network to serve multiple product and service categories across online and in-store merchants as well as improving the product offering to better serve the platform customers.
Canadian fintech startup Payment Rails rebrands as Trolley, closes $7 million funding
Canadian Fintech startup Payment Rails has revealed that it is rebranding as Trolley—the payouts platform for the internet economy. The newly renamed Trolley also announced its recent $7M Series A funding round led by Pace Capital.
Kenyan-based Penda Health partners with femtech e-Commerce startup Kasha to ease contraceptive access for consumers
Healthcare solution provider Penda Health announced a partnership with Rwandan femtech e-Commerce startup Kasha, to enable increase access to contraceptive products via the Kasha digital platform.
Nigerian B2B e-Commerce startup TradeDepot raises $110m to extend ‘Buy-Now-Pay-Later’ services to African retailers
TradeDepot, the B2B e-Commerce and embedded finance platform in Africa, has raised $110 million in an equity and debt funding round to support the delivery of Buy-Now-Pay-Later services to SME retailers.
Canadian bike-tech startup MyVeloFit secures seed funding to scale up its operations, expand service offering
Canadian bike-tech startup MyVeloFit secured seed funding with Shopify's former Chief Technology Officer Cody Fauser leading the investment.
[Startup Interview] Sophie Tarif, Nina van Boxtel, Founders, BOETIEK, Netherlands
BOETIEK, a Dutch startup, works with local boutiques and brands to increase audiences and increase online sales. The platform offers a wide range of products and services from latest fashion trends to new online boutiques and concept stores.
Canadian startup OutPoint raises $1.2m to help high-growth brands improve paid marketing effectiveness
OutPoint, an automated media mix modeling (MMM) platform, announced it raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding to transform how high-growth consumer brands measure paid media effectiveness and diversify marketing investments.
Axelar secures investment from Crypto.com Capital to bolster its efforts to connect blockchain ecosystems
Axelar, the universal interoperability network connecting all blockchain ecosystems, applications, assets, and users, announced it has secured a strategic investment from Crypto.com Capital, the investment arm of cryptocurrency giant Crypto.com.
Toronto-based mobility startup Treepz expands to East Africa, acquires Uganda's Ugabus
In a bid to digitize the public transportation system and provide safer, reliable and comfortable commute options across Africa, Toronto-based shared mobility company Treepz, announced its acquisition of a similar Ugandan bus company Ugabus.
Fintech startup Rapyd partners with shopping app nate to expand eCommerce reach globally
Rapyd seeks to serve customers with the best consumer experiences and is thrilled to partner with one of the faster growing consumer shopping apps to support its global expansion.
Retail media research startup Future Commerce announces launch of weekly podcast
Infinite Shelf recognizes that digital media and eCommerce tactics and strategies are no longer confined to traditional eCommerce channels and direct-to-consumer.
London-based healthcare startup Gravitiq raises $55m seed round to expand portfolio of e-Commerce healthcare brands
Gravitiq, the doctor-founded and led healthcare brand aggregator, announced the close of its seed funding round, raising a total of $55 million.
Healthy dog food delivery startup, Dog Standards, launches in Canada
The company will be one of the first of its kind in Canada to offer human-grade, vet-developed and preservative-free dog food direct-to-consumers across the country.
Indonesia's Hypefast emerges from stealth mode as the largest house of e-Commerce native brands in Southeast Asia
Hypefast, Southeast Asia's (SEA) largest house of e-Commerce native brands, announced it has grown its portfolio to more than 25 brands and has been achieving full profitability.
Home fashion startup Modern Matter raises $1.2m seed round to accelerate growth of its e-Commerce platform
Modern Matter, a design company and manufacturer of decorative and architectural hardware, raised $1.2 million in seed capital. Modern Matter collaborates with leading designers to develop exclusive hardware designs for luxury homeowners.
Digital payments startup MFS Africa raises $100 million to expand across the continent
MFS Africa, Africa’s digital payments network, has raised $100 million through an equity and debt financing round.
Indian full-stack agritech startup DeHaat raises $115m Series D round
DeHaat, the technology-based platform offering end-to-end agricultural services to farmers in India, announced it has raised $115 million in Series D funding, led by Belgium based investment firm Sofina and Lightrock India.
Four Ghanaian startups join the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce accelerator
Four startups from Ghana have joined The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator, a programme that supports innovators building digital commerce solutions.
Indian e-Commerce startup LoveLocal raises $18m Pre-Series B investment round to accelerate growth
LoveLocal, India's hyper-local e-Commerce platform empowering local retailers, has raised $18 million in a Pre-Series B investment round.
Pan-African fintech startup Payday joins Techstars Toronto Accelerator program
Payday, a Pan-African fintech startup announced it has joined Techstars Toronto Accelerator program.
Berlin-based on-demand delivery startup Gorillas secures close to $1b Series C funding, the largest European round in its sector to date
Gorillas, the European market player in instant on-demand grocery delivery, has successfully raised close to $1 billion in Series C funding round, being the largest funding of a non-listed business Europe's grocery delivery sector has seen to date.
Nigerian e-Commerce startup Sendbox raises $1.8m to digitize deliveries for African SMEs
Nigerian e-Commerce fulfillment startup Sendbox announced the completion of $1.8 million seed round from investors including 4DX Ventures, Enza Capital, FJLabs and Golden Palm Investments.
Canadian energy startup Pani secures $8m to scale up AI solution to improve water and energy efficiency in water treatment facilities
Pani, a Canadian software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, announced the completion of an oversubscribed $8 million CAD capital raise.
ShipHero opens accelerator program to support emerging e-Commerce startups
ShipHero, the shipping and logistics provider for over 5,000 e-commerce brands and 3PLs, announced a new accelerator program for e-Commerce startups looking to supercharge their businesses with best-in-class warehouse management software.
Unilever invites startups to partner through Positive Beauty Growth Platform
Unilever announced the launch of the Positive Beauty Growth Platform, a new initiative which aims to partner with scaleups and startups to drive innovation and brand growth.
Canadian precision-farming startup Semios raises $100m in capital to expand agtech platform globally
Semios, a precision-farming platform and one of the world's largest independent agtech solutions providers, announced it has raised $100 million in funding led by Morningside Group, a Boston-based private equity and venture capital firm.
Alberta tech startups to plug into global innovation system through new business accelerator
Alberta tech entrepreneurs and startups will soon have access to an accelerator with worldwide reach that will help them grow their businesses.
Canadian supplier enablement startup Convictional raises $6.7m Series A funding
Convictional, the first supplier enablement platform for retailers and distributors to power drop ship, marketplace and wholesale business models in one solution, announced it has secured $6.7 million in Series A funding.
Delivery startup Glovo expands its African footprints
Leading multi-category delivery platform Glovo recently announced the expansion of its operations in Africa, to include Ghana and Tunisia, bringing its current operations to a total of seven countries on the continent.
Healthtech startup bttn. adds PlastCareUSA to burgeoning supplier ecosystem
bttn., a Healthtech startup providing a B2B e-Commerce platform for purchasing medical supplies, announced an expansion to its product catalog with the addition of 93 PlastCare USA products for dental practitioners.
Canadian machine learning startup Private AI secures $3.15m seed round to streamline privacy compliance for enterprises
Private AI, a developer of privacy-preserving machine learning and natural language processing tools, announced it has secured $3.15 million in seed funding to improve its product offering.
Canadian machine learning startup CruxOCM raises $6m venture financing to accelerate growth
CruxOCM, the pioneer of robotic industrial process automation (RIPA) for control room operations, announced it has raised $6 million in venture financing to fuel growth.
Workwear startup BRUNT raises $8.4m Series A funding to accelerate growth
BRUNT Workwear, a modern work boot and apparel brand designed for today's construction workers and tradespeople, closed an $8.4 million Series A round to accelerate its growth and meet demand as the company disrupts a $12 billion-dollar category in the US.
Canadian plant-based food innovation startup TMRW Foods raises $2.6m in seed round funding
TMRW Foods, the growing Canadian plant-based food innovation company, announced a seed round investment of $2.6 million.
Foodtech startup GrubMarket acquires Bartolotta, further expands in Eastern US and Canada
Food technology startup GrubMarket announced it has completed the acquisition of Bartolotta, a full-service provider of fresh fruits and vegetables to customers in New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Eastern Canada.
[Startup Interview] Nicolas d'Audiffret, Co-Founder, Ankorstore
Ankorstore is an online B2B marketplace connecting brand and retailers, all around Europe.
Wine & spirits e-Commerce startup Speakeasy Co. raises $2m seed round to accelerate growth
Speakeasy Co., a technology company and e-commerce platform for the wine & spirits industry, announced a $2 million seed round led by Trog Hawley Capital LLC with participation from other notable investors.
Kenyan retail tech startup MarketForce raises $100,000 funding from Harambeans Prosperity Fund
The Harambeans Prosperity Fund, a donor advised investment vehicle formed through the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance’s network of prominent families and corporations co-invested $100,000 in Y Combinator Harambean venture MarketForce.
Egyptian B2B e-commerce startup MaxAB acquires distribution platform WaystoCap
MaxAB, Egyptian B2B e-commerce platform that serves food and grocery retailers, has acquired WaystoCap, the Morocco-based B2B e-commerce and distribution platform that connects retailers with suppliers across Africa.
End-to-end e-Commerce startup Cart.com raises $98m Series B to deliver integrated solutions for e-Commerce brands
Cart.com, the end-to-end e-Commerce services provider, announced the close of a $98 million Series B round, bringing the company's total funding since its launch eight months ago to more than $140 million.
Ghanaian startup Plendify launches B2B e-Commerce marketplace
Ghanaian startup Plendify has launched a B2B e-Commerce marketplace to connect customers with small and large African wholesalers, manufacturers, exporters, and importers.
Full-stack delivery scale-up Merqueo raises $50m Series C to expand its grocery delivery service across Latin America
Merqueo, a full-stack delivery scale-up, landed a $50 million series C round led by IDC Ventures, Digital Bridge and IDB Invest. The company is the first and largest full-stack grocery delivery player in Latin America.
Fintech startup Rapyd raises $300m Series E to further enhance its service offering
Rapyd, a global Fintech as a Service company, announced a $300 million Series E funding round led by Target Global.
Hospitality tech startup Bbot raises $15m Series A to expand platform capabilities, improve support for restaurants
Bbot, a hospitality tech startup dedicated to simplifying and improving the ordering and payments process for restaurants, announced $15 million in Series A funding led by CRV.
Canadian tech startup Edgehog secures $1.25m seed round to accelerate growth
Edgehog Advanced Technologies, developer of the world's best nanotextured, omni-directional, anti-reflective glass, announced the first closing of $1.25 million of its $2.5 million seed capital raise.
Tech startup Properly raises $35m Series B financing to transform real estate experience In Canada
Properly, the Canadian tech-enabled real estate brokerage, announced $35 million in Series B financing to fuel a national expansion across Canada's $400 billion real estate market.
Egyptian social e-Commerce startup Taager raises $6.4m seed round
Taager, an Egyptian social e-Commerce startup raised a $6.4 million seed funding round to help it scale its platform and expand across the Middle East.
unybrands startup raises $300m in growth capital to acquire and scale e-Commerce businesses
unybrands, an integrated platform for e-Commerce businesses looking to scale their operations on and off Amazon, announced the closing of up to $300 million in growth capital with Crayhill Capital Management.
Kenyan startup Marketforce appoints Ore Omolaja as Country Manager, Head of Business for Nigeria
Marketforce, the Kenyan-based B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods and digital financial services in Africa, announced the appointment of Ore Omolaja as the Nigeria Country Manager and Head of Business, effective 15th July 2021.
Kenyan startup MarketForce raises $2m pre-Series A to scale B2B retail marketplace, RejaReja
MarketForce, the Kenyan-based B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods and digital financial services in Africa, announced a $2 million pre-Series A round, bringing total funding to-date to $2.5 million.
FDJ announces partnership with Plug and Play Brand & Retail France
FDJ announced the beginning of a partnership with Plug and Play, world's open innovation platform.
Codat startup raises $40m, expands its API infrastructure for SME data
Codat, the technology company that enables small businesses to seamlessly share business and financial data with financial and other service providers, secures $40 million from investors, following 3x annual growth and doubling of headcount.
Canadian space-tech startup SkyWatch partners with Wyvern to deliver next-gen earth observation data
SkyWatch Space Applications, a Waterloo-based space technology startup, signed an agreement to deliver data management capabilities to Wyvern, a commercial space data company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
NYC creator economy startup Pietra raises $15m to champion creators, streamline entrepreneurship
Pietra, the new platform that gives Creators the tools to bring an idea for a product line or brand to life from start to finish, today announced it has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round.
Toronto-based multifamily proptech startup Yuhu launches in the US
Toronto-based multifamily proptech startup Yuhu announced a market entrance into the U.S. operations technology marketplace, offering their unique co-innovative property management software solution to owners and managers across the United States.
Cannabis marketplace and purchasing platform MainStem named Microsoft Partner for Startups
MainStem, the cannabis industry's only marketplace and combined integrated purchasing platform, announced it has been selected as a Microsoft Partner for Startups.
Predictive Kids' e-Commerce startup Ten Little raises $5m to disrupt children's marketplace with personalized guidance
Ten Little, the predictive e-Commerce platform helping parents navigate the cluttered kids product space, announced the close of its $5 million seed round led by Kindred Ventures.
MarketForce acquires Digiduka startup to consolidate distribution of consumer goods with digital financial services in Africa
MarketForce, the end-to-end retail distribution platform for consumer brands in Africa, announced the strategic acquisition of Digiduka, a startup on a mission to bring informal retailers in Africa into the digital economy.
Brazilian logtech startup Uello concludes $4m Series A investment deal led by the Btomorrow Ventures
Uello, a Brazilian logtech startup that uses technology and a collaborative network to provide express freight services with superior experience, concluded its Series A investment deal with an investment injection of $4 million.
Canadian Esplanade Healthtech Ventures closes oversubscribed inaugural digital health fund
Esplanade HealthTech Ventures (Esplanade or the Fund), announced the closing of its oversubscribed inaugural venture fund, Esplanade HealthTech Ventures I (Fund I), with commitments totaling more than C$21 million.
SaaS startup Synder raises $2m in late seed round to revolutionize accounting for e-Commerce
TMT investments venture fund invested $2 million as a lead investor in a late seed round into Synder, an easy accounting solution for e-Commerce businesses.
Floral tech startup Something Borrowed Blooms raises $1.5m Series A funding to accelerate growth
Something Borrowed Blooms, the pioneer of the silk wedding flower revolution, announced a $1.5 million Series A funding round led by Callais Capital. This investment brings the total raise by the company to just over $2 million since 2015.
Food startup OZO expands plant-based proteins to international retail starting in Canada
Planterra Foods, an innovative plant-based protein startup based in Colorado, announced a supply agreement with UNFI Canada, a subsidiary of UNFI, the largest publicly traded grocery distributor in North America.
Rapyd launches venture arm to propel digital commerce and payment innovation globally
Rapyd, a global Fintech-as-a-Service company, announced today the launch of Rapyd Ventures, its new venture arm that will focus on investing in early and growth stage businesses that are delivering the next wave of financial services innovation.
Canadian commercialization venture firm FACIT leads seed round in Nanology Labs
FACIT, a commercialization venture firm focused on advancing Ontario's top-tier oncology innovations, announced a new follow-on investment in startup Nanology Labs.
Healthcare fintech startup Green Feather secures $1.5m in seed round
Green Feather, an Atlanta-based healthcare fintech company, announced a seed capital raise of $1.5 million. The capital will bolster customer acquisition and engineering resources for Feather Pay, Green Feather's next-generation patient payments platform.
Payment facilitation startup Tilled raises $11m Series A to provide PayFac-as-a-Service infrastructure to software companies
PayFac-as-a-Service startup Tilled, announced the close of $11 million in Series A funding to empower software companies to monetize the payments flowing through their platforms.
Canadian startup OpenUnit closes $1m seed round for expansion
OpenUnit, a Y Combinator-backed all-in-one commerce platform for self-storage facilities, announced that it has raised a $1 million seed investment round with participation from luminaries in the real estate and technology industries.
Creator platform Fanbase attracts high-profile artists and creators, expands into three new territories
Fanbase, the subscription-based social platform that empowers creators to monetize their content and grow their fanbase, is on the verge of closing its seed round, already raising $3.1 million dollars on StartEngine.
Plug and Play Canada selects 12 startups to participate in Toronto Supply Chain and Logistics Program
Plug and Play Canada announced the selection of 12 startups into the first batch of the Toronto Supply Chain & Logistics Program.
Canadian startup Agnostiq secures $2m seed round to further develop SaaS-based quantum solutions
Agnostiq, Inc., the quantum computing SaaS startup, has raised $2 million in seed funding to support the continued development of its software platform.
Consumer warranty startup Upsie secures $18.2m Series A round to accelerate growth
Upsie, a consumer-centric platform for purchasing product warranties, announced it has raised a $18.2 million fundraising round led by True Ventures.
On-demand delivery management startup Cartwheel raises $1m seed round to accelerate growth
Cartwheel, an on-demand delivery management platform for restaurants and retailers, announced it has raised a $1 million seed round led by TenOneTen Ventures with participation from Act One Ventures and Portillo's Hot Dogs,
Foodtech startup GrubMarket acquires Vaccaro & Sons to expand to St. Louis, Missouri
San Francisco-based food technology startup GrubMarket announced it has completed the acquisition of Vaccaro & Sons in St. Louis, Missouri.
Mastercard invests in Rwandan femtech e-Commerce startup Kasha Global
Mastercard announced a new investment in Rwandan female-focused e-Commerce platform Kasha Global, to continue shared efforts to ensure women across emerging markets have essential access to health.
Subscription Management startup Chargebee raises $125m Series G funding to accelerate global shift to subscriptions
Chargebee, the subscription billing and revenue management platform, announced a fresh round of $125 million in series G funding, co-led by new investor Sapphire Ventures and existing investors Tiger Global and Insight Venture Partners.
Nigerian last-mile delivery startup Kwik Delivery releases Prestashop plugin
After the release of its plugins for Shopify and Magento, Kwik Delivery has released its plugin for Prestashop.
Twenty-two startups join second cohort of UNICEF StartUp Lab in Ghana
UNICEF announced the launch of the 2021 cohort of the UNICEF StartUp Lab, a co-creation space and accelerator, that engages young startups in the development of innovative, open-source, market-driven products and solutions.
Kenyan logistics startup Amitruck and Sky.Garden announce last mile goods pick-up and deliveries partnership
Logistics platform Amitruck and e-Commerce platform Sky.Garden have partnered to form an end-to-end digital chain for goods pick-up and deliveries to the last mile.
Berkeley-based incubator Batchery announces new cohort of startups, "Batch 12"
Eleven early-stage startups have joined the Batchery's three-month Deep Dive program for entrepreneurs. The program focuses on helping startups get over their first set of growth hurdles.
[Interview] Esinam Yevu, Co-Founder, PayBox, Ghana
Esinam Yevu is Co-Founder and Communications Lead at Ghanaian fintech startup, PayBox
ASIP Accelerator Program open for applications from disruptive startups in Africa
To develop the potential of startups driving the internet economy, Telecel Group has opened applications for the ASIP Accelerator Program powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech.
Agora debuts program to help startups accelerate time-to-market, create engaging experiences for customers
Agora Inc., a pioneer platform for real-time engagement APIs, announced the debut of the Agora Startup Program to empower global entrepreneurs and startup founders with exclusive backend support for real-time engagement.
SOSA teams up with the CTA to scale Canadian cyber startups in the U.S
SOSA, the global open innovation company, announced its partnership with the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA), to launch the next CTA Cybersecurity, Privacy & Compliance Virtual Program in New York.
Snap acquires tech startup Fit Analytics
Snapchat's parent company Snap has acquired Fit Analytics, a technology startup that has built technology to help shoppers pick the right-sized clothing and footwear when they shop online.
Canadian startup Arteria AI raises $11m on oversubscribed Series A to accelerate growth in global financial institutions
Arteria AI, a global player in enterprise digital contracting, announced the closing of an oversubscribed Series A funding round, led by Information Venture Partners and Illuminate Financial Management.
Canadian fintech startup FIX4 set to transform car repair loan market
Canadian retail finance startup FIX4 Capital has joined the "Buy Now Pay Later" boom by offering instant online loan approvals so customers can enjoy flexible payment solutions for any car repair and maintenance estimates.
Kenyan startup Ajua, MTN Nigeria launch Customer Management mobile app for SMEs
Kenyan based startup Ajua has partnered with MTN Nigeria to launch EnGauge, a digital e-Commerce customer engagement management mobile app to support SMEs.
Nigerian startup Kwik Delivery officially launches its just-in-time delivery service in Abuja
Nigerian startup Kwik Delivery announced it officially made available its breakthrough, just-in time delivery service to businesses, government agencies and merchants in Abuja.
IFC invests in Savannah Fund to support Africa’s tech startups funding growth
IFC announced an investment in the Savannah Fund, a technology seed fund in Africa, to increase lending to startups across sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on supporting women entrepreneurs and disruptive companies in high-growth sectors.
Canadian cybersecurity startup Turnstil.Cloud bot analytics & management for cloudflare emerges from stealth
Turnstil.Cloud, a Canadian cybersecurity startup specializing in real-time bot analysis and management, announced it has emerged from stealth with the publication of a SaaS bot management solution for Cloudflare users.
Digital payments startup AeroPay raises over $5 m venture round
AeroPay, a Chicago-based digital payments platform powering bank transfer payments for businesses, announced the closing of a $5+ million Venture Round led by Chicago Ventures, a firm that leads investments in early-stage startups.
Text message marketing startup Postscript raises $35m to fuel the future of customer communication via SMS
Postscript, the text message marketing platform for Shopify stores, announced a new round of Series B funding of $35 million led by Greylock, with participation from YC Continuity Fund, OpenView, and others
Interlace Ventures adds new venture partners to expand strategic investments in tech-enabled commerce
Interlace Ventures announced it has expanded its team with two commerce technology luminaries. Vibhu Norby and Sydney Werber will join as venture partners while retaining their respective roles at b8ta and Avise.
Silicon Road Ventures announces $31m close of fund
Silicon Road Ventures today announced the close of its $31 million fund focused on commerce tech. Silicon Road invests in US-based technology startups ranging from seed to series A across e-commerce, retail and CPG.
Nigerian startup Kwik Delivery expands its delivery service to 4-wheels vehicles
Kwik Delivery has announced today that it is expanding its app-based breakthrough delivery service to 4-wheels delivery vehicles.
Union Bank of Nigeria to support startups through UnionX Innovation Challenge
Union Bank, one of Nigeria’s foremost financial institutions, has unveiled the 2021 UnionX Innovation Challenge, as part of efforts to support young startups and boost innovation in the startup ecosystem.
Horizon Technology Finance provides $9m venture loan facility to Primary
Horizon Technology Finance Corporation, a specialty finance company announced it has provided a $9 million venture loan facility to Primary Kids (Primary), of which $6 million has been initially funded.
Early-stage investor DFS Lab announces fintech and digital economy design sprint for startups in Egypt
Early-stage investor DFS Lab announced it will facilitate a virtual design sprint in March 2021 for fintech startups in Egypt. The sprint is hosted by the Central Bank of Egypt, in collaboration with the Financial Regulatory Authority.
Emotive startup raises $50m Series B funding to accelerates growth of its conversational text message platform
Emotive, the first and only conversational text message platform for eCommerce brands, announced the closing of a Series B funding round of $50 million led by CRV, bringing the company's valuation to $400 million.
Software startup FloorFound raises raises $4m to turn oversized goods returns into resale profit
FloorFound, a software platform that facilitates returns and resales of oversized products for eCommerce retailers, closed a $4 million seed round led by LiveOak Venture Partners.
Cloud infrastructure startup Pipe17 raises $8m to help high-growth e-Commerce merchants close demand and operations gap
Pipe17, the connected infrastructure company for e-commerce, announced the closing of an $8 million round of funding led by GLP Capital Partners, the U.S.-based investment arm of GLP.
DFC invests $1m in femtech e-commerce startup Kasha Global to support women’s health in East Africa
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), disbursed a $1 million equity investment in Kasha Global, an e-commerce company that provides women’s health and personal care products to customers in Rwanda and Kenya.
Livestream commerce startup talkshoplive raises a $3m to further scale its network
talkshoplive (TSL), a Los Angeles-based livestream commerce company, announced it has closed a $3 million seed round of financing led by Spero Ventures LLC, to further scale the livestream network.
Nex Cubed partners with Canadian government to support digital health startups
Nex Cubed, early-stage innovation and startup acceleration, announced a partnership with the Government of Canada to launch the SoCal Tech Highway Digital Health Program to support Canadian Digital Health startups .
EUNIKE Ventures partners with Foresight to accelerate growth of cleantech ventures in Canada
Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre (Foresight) and Eunike Ventures (Eunike) announced a collaborative partnership to further accelerate the growth of Canadian companies with promising cleantech solutions for the energy industry.
January sees record number of investments in Israeli startups despite the pandemic, SNC reports
Analysis by Israeli NGO Start-Up Nation Central (SNC), has revealed that January 2021 saw record investments in Israel during a single month. Six startups raised more than $100 million each (mega rounds) during the month, totaling 73% of the total.
Venture philanthropy platform Sparo joins Microsoft for Startups program
Maryland-based early-stage company Sparo has joined the Microsoft for Startups program to scale its trademarked Purchase with a Purpose platform on Microsoft Azure.
Interviews.
[Interview] Caroline Mutuku, General Manager, Glovo, Kenya
Caroline Mutuku is Kenya's General Manager of multi-category app Glovo. Caroline joined Glovo in December 2022 from Swvl Kenya where she also served as the General Manager from December 2021. In this interview...read more here
[Interview] Renate Swanepoel, COO, INC. Networking
Renate Swanepoel is an entrepreneur, global networker and inspirational speaker that has helped thousands of people around the world to find their purpose. She has gained significant networking and communication...read more here
[Interview] Anne-Marie Chidzero, Chief Investment Officer, FSD Africa
Anne-Marie Chidzero is the Chief Investment Officer at the Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) Investments. In this interview, she talks about the risks and opportunities in backing Africa’s early-stage startups...read more here
[Interview] James Kilpatrick, Chair, Gravitilab, UK
Gravitilab is a "Space as a Service" business providing research, testing and qualification facilities to space agencies, government, academia and commercial enterprises. The company’s Chair and Chief Finance Officer...read more here
[Interview] Ramanjeet Singh, CEO, Woosper, USA
Woosper is a US-based digital advertising and marketing agency focused on creating experiences that help clients discover their place in the digital world. The CEO Ramanjeet Singh...read more here