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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.
Quantum Systems secures €63.6m to bolster European resilience through aerial intelligence
Quantum Systems has announced the completion of €63.6m Series B funding.
Circu Li-ion receives €8.5m seed funding to automate sustainable battery recycling
Circu Li-ion has announced the closing of a €8.5m seed financing round.
Estonian startup Bisly raises €3.6m for energy-saving building automation in EU
Bisly has closed a €3.6 million round of fundraising.
Stockholm-based climate fintech Cloover secures €7m for renewable energy solutions
Cloover has closed an oversubscribed €7 million pre-seed investment round.
Open wealth platform Flanks secures $8m to disrupt the wealth management sector
Flanks, an API for automated wealth services, has secured $8m Series A round.
German insurtech Getsafe acquires French startup Luko to expand its European presence
Getsafe has entered into an agreement to acquire French insurtech Luko.
EIF and Swedish fintech Invoier boost European SMEs with €58m financing
EIF and Invoier have partnered to provide SMEs with better access to funding.
French insurtech startup Orus raises €11m funding to expand its services in Europe
French insurtech startup Orus has raised €11 million in Series A funding.
E-commerce tech platform MarketLeap secures €2.6m to expand brands’ global reach and revenue
MarketLeap has secured €1.5m funding.
Vistry unveils conversational AI platform LumoChat for food commerce
Vistry has announced the launch of its Conversational AI platform, LumoChat.
Romanian AI startup Creatopy raises $10m to scale its creative automation platform
Creatopy, the AI-driven creative automation platform, has raised $10m Series A funding.
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.
Startup Wise Guys and EBRD launch Growth Ukraine programme
Startup Wise Guys announced the launch of Growth Ukraine programme.
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.
Swedish fintech Brite Payments raises $60m to accelerate instant bank payments across Europe
Brite Payments has announced a $60m funding round.
MeetingPackage raises $4.6m to boost European growth, forge into the North American market
MeetingPackage has secured a $4.6m Series A round.
French startup Kamino Retail raises €1.25m pre-seed round to accelerate growth
Kamino Retail announced a pre-seed funding of €1.25m from business angels.
Paris-based startup Ondorse raises €3.8m to expand KYC solution in Europe
Ondorse, a business KYC solution, has raised €3.8m seed round.
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
Plan A closes $27m to scale its business decarbonisation platform
Plan A has closed $27m funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.
London-based Q-Bot secures €4m to drive expansion in Europe and the U.S.
London-based Q-Bot has raised €4 million to insulate people’s homes with robotics and AI.
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.
French startup Teale secures €10m to become the European leader in mental health
Parisian Digital mental health platform Teale, has raised €10m second round of funding.
Cikisi raises €2.7m pre-Series A round to accelerate growth and extend its market
To fuel its growth over the next two years, Cikisi has raised €2.7 million this summer.
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.
French clinical-stage biotech Abivax secures €75m for product development
Claret European Growth Capital has participated in investing €75m into Abivax.
Swedish fintech Klarna records growth in key European markets
Klarna, the global payments network and shopping assistant, announced strong growth across Europe.
Berlin-based insurtech startup SureIn closes €4m designed for Europe's SMBs
Berlin-based insurtech startup SureIn has closed a €4 million Seed round.
bp ventures invests £4m in UK-based fleet optimization software provider Dynamon
bp ventures has made a £4 million investment in Dynamon.
British Business Investments commits €27m to Bootstrap Europe II
British Business Investments has committed €27 million to Bootstrap Europe II.
ev.energy secures $33m funding to drive electric vehicle-grid integration in North America and Europe
ev.energy announced its $33m Series B raise.
Frankfurt-based QuoIntelligence secures €5m seed financing to accelerate growth
QuoIntelligence announced a €5m seed financing round.
Israeli social commerce startup Terrific completes its seed round of financing
Israeli social commerce startup Terrific has completed its seed round of financing.
European payments startup Salve FH selects Finastra to tackle payment delays for corporates
Salve FH has selected Finastra Essence to reduce payment delays.
Startupbootcamp AfriTech opens cohort 4 of its ASIP accelerator program
Startupbootcamp AfriTech has opened applications its ASIP accelerator program.
Lightspeed leads Zluri’s $20m funding round as SaaS management platform takes off
SaaS operations(SaaSOps) platform Zluri, announced a $20m funding round.
Belgian fund manager Amavi Captial acquires Sweden’s SF Ventures, increases proptech portfolio
Belgium-based AMAVI Capital has announced expansion into the Nordic region.
Salonkee raises €28m to fuel growth, solidify position as Europe’s provider of salon management software
Salonkee has raised €28m in growth capital.
Kenyan agritech startup Kyosk acquires KwikBasket, expands into fresh produce market
Kenyan agritech startup Kyosk, is expanding into the African fresh produce market.
Kassel-based deep tech startup Twinsity bags €2.5m from EIC
Twinsity, a deep tech startup, has secured €2.5-million funding from the EIC.
Notion Capital closes oversubscribed fifth fund at €300m
Notion Capital announced the final close of its new €300 million fund, Notion Capital V SCSp.
[Column] Paul Selibas: Embedded finance in the age of e-Commerce
The African online e-Commerce market has grown rapidly in recent years.
EU-based fintech startup CAPEX.com expands into the Greek market
CAPEX.com announced its first M&A deal, the acquisition of WiredMarket.com.
Kenyan e-Health startup MYDAWA raises $20m funding from Alta Semper Capital
MYDAWA has received $20m capital injection from private equity investor.
Vesalius Biocapital announces first close of fourth fund raising €95m
Vesalius Biocapital announced the first close of its fourth fund, Vesalius Biocapital IV, securing over €95m.
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.
Germany joins Europe Startup Nation Alliance (ESNA)
Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), Europe's largest economy, has joined Europe Startup Nation Alliance (ESNA).
German autonomous, electric trucking startup FERNRIDE raises $31m Series A funding
FERNRIDE has secured $31m Series A funding.
Volvo Group Venture Capital invests in Trucksters to manage innovative relay trucking in Europe
Volvo Group Venture Capital has invested in Madrid based startup, Trucksters.
[Interview] Caroline Mutuku, General Manager, Glovo, Kenya
Caroline Mutuku is Kenya's General Manager of multi-category app Glovo.
Woflow acquires European startup XtremeAI to expand reach bolster AI capabilities
Woflow, the data infrastructure company, announced the acquisition of XtremeAI
Swiss lender Teylor secures €275m to support SMEs through its credit platform
Swiss fintech Teylor has secured €275m funding from Barclays and other investors.
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.
Alpine Space Ventures secures €60m to support the growing commercial NewSpace ecosystem
The EIF is committing €60m in equity to Alpine Space Ventures.
Austrian SaaS startup Shopstory scores million-dollar investment to accelerate growth
Austrian SaaS startup Shopstory has scored another million-dollar investment.
French EV startup Driveco raises $250m to become a European leader in EV charging infrastructure
Driveco, the innovative French electric vehicle charging startup, announced a €250 million fundraising round from Dutch pension fund manager APG.
German startup Wingcopter secures €40 to scale up electric delivery drones and logistics services
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide a €40 million quasi-equity investment into Wingcopter, a European pioneer in unmanned delivery drone technology and related services.
Spacetech startup EnduroSat secures $10m Series A funding to streamline satellite data
Spacetech startup EnduroSat, has raised $10m Series A funding, led by the EU investment firm CEECAT Capital, focused on the high growth markets of CEE Europe.
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.
Claret Capital Partners launches €72m Opportunity Fund to support its performing portfolio companies
Claret Capital Partners, the London-based Pan-European growth capital adviser, announced the launch of its first Opportunity Fund, the Claret European Growth Opportunities Annex Fund I, with a total size of €72 million.
French-African Fund 2 completes final close at over €50 million
AfricInvest announced a final close of the French African Fund II (FFA II), the successor fund to the French African Fund (FFA), having raised over €50 million of subscriptions.
Gate Pay partners with CityPay.io startup to advance crypto payment adoption in Georgia and Europe
Gate Pay, the crypto payment service product by the global leading CEX Gate.io, announced a strategic partnership with CityPay.io, a fast-growing crypto payment startup based in Georgia.
Climate tech startup nZero raises $16m Series A funding amid global call for accurate sustainability reporting
nZero, the near real-time carbon management and accounting platform, announced it has closed a $16 million Series A funding 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
[Interview] Patrick Mehrhoff, CEO and Founder, Mehrhoff Digital, Estonia
Patrick Mehrhoff is the Founder and CEO of Mehrhoff Digital, a Tallinn-based marketing consultancy for financial services.
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.
Applications open for Google's 3rd cohort of Black Founders Fund 2023
Google has opened applications for this year’s Black Founders Fund for Startups in Africa and Europe. Startups from Africa applying for the fund must be headquartered in the continent or having a legal presence on the continent.
[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.
Stockholm’s Summa Equity acquires majority stake in Logpoint to create European cybersecurity powerhouse
Summa Equity announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Logpoint, the creator of a reliable, innovative cybersecurity operations platform - empowering organization to thrive in a world of evolving digital threats.
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.
Munich-based finway raises $10m Series A funding to reimagine spend management for European SMBs
finway, the German finance operating system for SMBs, has raised €9.2 million in a Series A round from Capital 49, an early stage venture fund led by founders of global fintech unicorn Airwallex.
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.
German electric mobility startup Dance raises €12m to accelerate sustainable mobility solutions across Europe
Electric mobility subscription startup Dance has raised €12 million in additional equity and debt capital. The equity raise was led by existing investors HV Capital, Eurazeo and BlueYard.
Spanish EV charging operator Zunder receives €40m from the EIB to accelerate electrification of road transport
The EIB and Zunder, an independent ultra-fast charging infrastructure operator for electric vehicles (EVs) in Spain, have signed a loan of €40 million in order to finance the installation of a network of fast chargers.
Y Combinator-backed Crew raises $2.3m to launch first all-in-one recruiting CRM
After 18 months of restricted beta access, Crew, a Parisian all-in-one recruiting CRM for teams solution, announced the launch of its product in self-serve and a $2.3 million seed funding round through a strategic approach.
Swiss startup Taurus raises $65m to further develop its digital asset platform, fuel international expansion
Taurus, the digital asset infrastructure provider for financial institutions in Europe, announced a $65 million Series B capital raise from strategic investors.
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.
Berlin's EatFirst acquires London-based foodtech startup Feedr to accelerate growth
Berlin-based corporate food ordering platform EatFirst, has acquired Feedr, a London-based enterprise food technology platform that gives corporate customers software to support healthier daily eating in workplaces.
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.
Portuguese startup Coverflex closes €15m Series A round to expand its Compensation OS in Europe
Portuguese startup Coverflex closed €15m Series A round, to expand its Compensation OS in yet another European market, the Italian one!
[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.
European digital asset platform Bitpanda launches SaaS product for banks, fintechs
Bitpanda, a European digital asset platform, announced the launch of Bitpanda Technology Solutions, the most scalable Investing-as a-service infrastructure available in Europe and globally.
Nordics-focused LP firm Monterro announces final close of small-cap fund at €150m hard cap
Monterro, the Nordic B2B software investor, announced the final close of Monterro G1 at its €150m hard cap, including a 24% GP commitment.
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.
Highland Europe closes €1 billion fund to back growth-stage tech startups
Highland Europe announced it has closed its fifth fund, raising €1 billion to double down on its strategy of backing the Continent’s most outstanding founder-led teams in software and internet businesses.
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.
German AI-powered road infrastructure SaaS startup vialytics nabs $10m Series A funding to accelerate global expansion
European market AI-powered road infrastructure SaaS startup vialytics has secured a $10 million Series A investment led by venture capital investor Scania Growth Capital.
Swedish solar power startup SunRoof raises €13.5m growth round to expand across Europe and the US
Swedish solar power startup SunRoof announced it has raised €13.5 million growth round extension to bring its pioneering solar roof system to more homeowners worldwide.
Trackunit acquires German construction tech startup Flexcavo to accelerate growth
Global IoT services provider Trackunit, announced it has closed a deal for Germany's construction tech startup Flexcavo, enabling the telematics specialist to extend its reach in the contractor market.
Finance software startup Quartr partners with Lightyear to bring free and easy-to-access company information for investors across Europe
Finance software startup Quartr, signed an API deal with Lightyear, an online broker based in London, serving customers in 20 countries across Europe.
US-based ServiceNow player Thirdera acquires SilverStorm to expand its business in Europe
Thirdera, the global pure-play provider of workflow-enabled ServiceNow services and solutions, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SilverStorm Solutions.
Healthcare venture capital fundraising and investment remained strong in 2022, SVB reports
SVB released its 12th annual Healthcare Investments and Exits Report which shows venture capital fundraising and investment persisted in 2022.
Wendel invests €15m in Tadaweb to accelerate growth in Europe
Wendel, through its investment arm Wendel Growth, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a minority interest of Tadaweb. Wendel will make an equity investment of €15 million to support Tadaweb’s growth.
Finnish asset management firm eQ raises more than €500m for private equity and venture capital funds
eQ PE XIV North focusing on Northern Europe held its final close on €288 million, a more than 40 % increase compared to its predecessor.
Dutch scale ups face €500b financing gap, report
Venture Capital firm Lakestar released The €500 Billion Dutch Financing Gap report, which delves into the Netherland’s strong heritage in scaling growth companies and how it can create the next wave of companies for the future.
Traveltech startup Evaneos raises €20m to accelerate growth in Europe
Evaneos, the online platform dedicated to making travel a source of positive impact, announced a €20 million equity financing round to accelerate growth in Europe.
Italian biodiversity startup 3Bee raises €5m to scale the protection of pollinators in Europe
Italian-based scale-up 3Bee (a world with bees), which operates both in the B2C and B2B protection of ecosystems and pollinators area has raised €5 million series A funding round.
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.
European fintech Novicap raises €200m for its Credit platform as it hits €1b transaction volume milestone
Novicap, the European fintech providing end-to-end working capital solutions, announced it has raised a €200 million debt facility from London-based asset manager, Fasanara Capital.
[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.
eureKARE co-leads €5m seed investment in Biomemory which is advancing cutting-edge DNA-based data storage solutions
eureKARE, an innovative investment company for disruptive synthetic biology applications, announced it has co-led a €5 million seed funding round in Biomemory.
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.
[Column] Natalia Ahmadian: Four ways to accelerate tech transfer in Europe
The importance of university spin-offs has been recognized for decades. Several studies showed that Tech Transfer is beneficial for social welfare and entrepreneurial activity
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.
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.
Austrian deep-tech startup Sarcura closes €7m to develop next-generation cell therapy manufacturing platform
Austrian deep-tech startup Sarcura announced the closing of an oversubscribed €7 million Seed Plus funding round to develop a next-generation cell therapy manufacturing platform.
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.
European software investment firm Round2 Capital completes first closing of €100m software lending fund
European software investment firm Round2 Capital has completed the first close of its second software lending fund with €62 million, expanding its total assets-under-management to €115 million.
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.
Climate tech VC firm Satgana announces first closing of its fund with €30m target size
Climate tech venture capital firm Satgana announced the first closing of a target €30 million VC fund to back the next generation of purpose-driven entrepreneurs building the Future of Earth.
EQT Ventures III closes Europe's largest venture capital fund committed to early-stage tech startups
EQT has closed Europe's largest venture capital fund committed to early-stage tech startups. EQT Ventures III (the "Fund" or "Ventures III") closed with total commitments of €1.1 billion.
Paris-based startup Mytraffic raises €30m Series B to provide digital intelligence to brick-and-mortar operators
Paris, France-based startup Mytraffic, a SaaS offering detailed insights on any location in Europe, has raised €30 million Series B funding round led by AXA Venture Partners.
French battery startup Verkor raises more than €250m financing for its innovation centre
French battery startup Verkor announced it has raised more than €250 million, for the inauguration of its R&D lab, an integral part of the Verkor Innovation Centre.
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.
Berlin-based startup Crowd.dev raises €2.2m to launch the open-source platform for community-led growth
Berlin-based startup Crowd.dev announced it has raised €2.2 million to improve how developer-first businesses harness online communities.
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.
London-based Sidekick raises £3.33m pre-seed to build a modern investment manager for today’s changing world
Sidekick, a digital active investment manager built for today’s rapidly changing world, announced a £3.33 million pre-seed equity round led by Octopus Ventures.
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).
Dutch AI startup Axelera closes $27m Series A investment round to accelerate growth
European AI startup Axelera AI announced the closing of its $27 million Series A investment round to support its AI’s launch and mass production of its first-generation AI acceleration platform.
British fashion startup LØCI raises £4m seed round to disrupt the fashion industry
15-month-old British fashion brand LØCI announced a £4 million seed round, as well as an investment from actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio to further its impact-driven mission of redefining the sector.
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.
UK-based spaceflight startup Orbex secures £40.4m Series C funding to scale up its resources
UK-based spaceflight company Orbex has secured £40.4 million for its Series C funding round, led by a new investor, the Scottish National Investment Bank.
London-based private equity platform Lightrock closes inaugural Climate Impact Fund at €860m
Lightrock, a global private equity platform that backs purpose-driven entrepreneurs tackling the world’s biggest challenges, has closed its inaugural Lightrock Climate Impact Fund (“LCIF” or “the Fund”) with commitments of €860 million.
Amsterdam-based Fastned receives €75m investment from Schroders Capital accelerate future growth
Fastned, the European fast charging company, announced a €75 million private placement of 2,032,520 new depositary receipts representing the same number of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company with Schroders Capital.
Fintech market set for cooling and consolidation as macroeconomic factors bite, report
In its latest 'State of European FinTech 2022’ report, fintech venture capital firm Finch Capital forecasts a period of cooling and consolidation across the fintech sector, as macroeconomic conditions grow more challenging.
Barcelona's human resources startup Factorial becomes a Unicorn after $120m Series C investment round
Barcelona-based human resources startup Factorial is now the newest European Unicorn after closing a Series C investment round of $120 million with a valuation of $1 billion.
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.
Amsterdam-based HolidayHero closes €500k pre-seed round to enhance guest experiences in the travel industry
HolidayHero announced a successful closing of €500,000 pre-seed funding round to kick off its vision of delivering proactive and personalized guest experiences in the travel industry.
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.
London scaleup Wazoku raises £8.5m series B funding, acquires Danish intelligence startup Mindpool
London-based innovation scaleup Wazoku has closed a series B funding round of £8.5 million through investment from Octopus Ventures along with follow on from existing investors including Calculus Capital.
Deep tech startup MATSUKO and European telcos partner to develop holographic presence
European telecom operators Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone, together with the deep tech startup MATSUKO, have conducted a pilot to make holographic calls easy.
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.
India's fruits and vegetables platform Sahyadri Farms raises €40m growth capital to support smallholder farmers
India's integrated platform for fruits and vegetables Sahyadri Farms has raised €40 million growth capital from a group of impact-focused investors; Incofin, Korys, FMO and Proparco.
Tallinn-based climate tech startup Arbonics raises €1.8m pre-seed funding to fight climate change in Europe
Arbonics, a new climate tech startup, is launching its unique data- and science-driven tool to make calculating the potential carbon income of land and forests quicker and easier for landowners in Europe.
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.
Infrastructure and private equity investment manager Foresight launches in Dublin, Ireland
Foresight Group (Foresight), a private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has announced the opening of its new office in Dublin, Ireland.
Swiss foodtech startup Planted raises €70m Series B funding to accelerate international growth
Swiss foodtech startup Planted, known for its natural biostructured meat made from alternative proteins, announced it has successfully closed its Series B financing round of €70 million.
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.
London-based Claret Capital raises €297m fund to back European tech startups
Claret Capital, the London-based Pan-European growth capital provider, announced the final closing of Claret European Growth Capital Fund III (Fund III), to back European tech startups.
Swedish payment startup Billogram raises €15m to accelerate growth in Europe and the DACH region
Swedish invoicing and payment startup Billogram has raised €15 million in funding round led by Swisscom Ventures, with participation from Partech, CNI Nordic and Inbox Capital.
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.
Swiss tech startup deskbird raises $5m to accelerate growth across Europe
deskbird, a Swiss-based tech company on its way to becoming Europe’s leading workplace management platform, announced the closing of a $5 million Pre-Series A financing round.
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.
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.
UK-based Medi-science International partners with Kenyan healthtech startup Afya Rekod to enhance healthcare delivery
UK-based Medi-science International and Kenyan healthtech startup Afya Rekod have announced a strategic collaboration to transform healthcare delivery through improved access to personal health data.
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.
German space tech startup LiveEO secures €19m to bring space data insights to Industry 4.0
Berlin-based space tech startup LiveEO has secured €19 million in funding in what is one of the largest investments to date in Earth Observation in Europe.
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.
London-based VC firm Flashpoint unveils $102m close of its VCIII fund, secures first institutional investment partner
Flashpoint Venture Capital, an international technology investment firm announced that Széchenyi Funds signed up for a commitment of $20 million in Flashpoint’s VC III.
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.
Madrid-based healthtech startup Idoven raises €18.5m to develop its AI platform
Idoven, a Madrid-based healthtech startup, specialised in early detection and precision treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), raised €18.5 million, to continue developing its artificial intelligence (AI) platform to identify arrhythmias and cardiac anomalies.
London-based startup Geomiq raises $8.5m to digitize manufacturing and deliver industry leading service levels
London-based startup Geomiq announced it has raised $8.5 million funding to digitize global manufacturing and deliver industry leading service levels for Engineers and Procurement teams.
African accelerator for European scaleups Chapter54 now in full swing
Chapter54, the first accelerator dedicated to European scaleups wishing to expand into African markets, launched in January 2022 by Partech, has started to support its first batch of European scaleups.
Insight Partners announces Enterprise Technology Exchange to drive unparalleled innovation within the enterprise software sector
Global software investor Insight Partners announced the establishment of its Enterprise Technology Exchange, a council of preeminent technology leaders in Europe and North America.
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.
Climentum Capital raises €150m to invest in European early-stage tech startups attacking CO2 emissions
Climentum Capital announced it has raised €150 million for investments into European early-stage tech companies attacking CO2 emissions.
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.
Swiss startup Numarics secures leading position in European fintech with $2.2m funding
Swiss fintech startup Numarics is on its way to becoming the standard for state-of-the-art financial management and accounting for creators and small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe.
EuraTechnologies raises €24m to back deep tech startups, open 10 incubators in Eastern Europe
EuraTechnologies announced the raising of €24 million to back deep tech startups and open 10 incubators in Eastern Europe.
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.
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.
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.
French startup CleverConnect merges with Talentry to lead talent acquisition in Europe
CleverConnect, a cloud-based recruiting solutions company, announced the merger with Talentry, a Munich-based provider of talent relationship management solutions, to counteract the current unprecedented shortage of skilled workers.
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.
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.
London-based Crane Venture Partners raises $140m second fund to back early-stage founders
Crane Venture Partners, the London based firm leading the industry in graduation rates from seed to Series A, announced it has raised $140 million in its second fund to back early-stage founders.
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.
Danish startup Januar raises €6m to provide crypto gate for Europe
Danish startup Januar ApS, announced the closing of €6 million round to become the leading one-stop crypto gate for European businesses, serving the growing crypto and digital asset industry with a market cap of $2 trillion.
Cipio Partners unveils €202m fund to back growth-stage technology companies in Europe
Cipio Partners, an investor in European growth stage technology firms, has closed its latest fund, Cipio Partners Fund VIII, with €202 million in commitments.
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.
Logistics startup Swvl acquires Volt Lines, enters European market
Swvl Holdings, a global provider of transformative tech-enabled mass transit solutions announced a definitive agreement to acquire Volt Lines, a Turkey-based B2B and Transport as a Service mobility business.
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.
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.
Polish mental health startup Mindgram closes €7m seed round, begins European expansion
Warsaw-based holistic mental health & wellbeing platform Mindgram, announced the closing of €7 million seed round and its plan to expand into the European market.
Lefebvre Sarrut launches second edition its European startups accelerator, LightSpeed
Lefebvre Sarrut Group reaffirmed its commitment to innovation and invites European startups to participate in the new edition of LightSpeed, its startup accelerator.
Finnish booking startup Book Salon raises €3m to gleam European beauty and wellness salons
Book Salon, a Finnish payment and booking service provider specializing in hair, beauty, and wellness companies, has announced the successful closure of a €3 million funding round led by Joint Effects.
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.
Europe's TIER Mobility acquires US-based Fantasmo to expand its accurate e-scooter parking system
TIER Mobility, Europe's shared micro-mobility provider, announced it has acquired Us-based Fantasmo, to further expand its most accurate e-scooter parking system and introduce a computer vision-powered rider assistance system.
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.
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.
Capricorn Digital Growth Fund closes at €84.5m to back healthtech, business 4.0 startups in Benelux, Europe
Capricorn Digital Growth Fund closes at €84.5 million to back digital health and business 4.0 startups in Benelux
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.
German investor CommerzVentures closes €300m third fund to support European fintech and insurtech startups
CommerzVentures, the specialist fintech investor, announced its third €300m fund, to go towards supporting early and growth-stage companies in the fintech and insurtech sectors.
French healthtech startup Synapse Medicine raises $28m to scale its medication reconciliation platform
France-based healthtech startup Synapse Medicine has raised $28 million led by leading European venture firm Korelya Capital, and past investors (XAnge, MACSF, and BNP Paribas Development).
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.
German healthtech startup Climedo raises €5m funding for product development, expansion within Europe
Munich-based healthtech company Climedo, received €5 million in a seed financing round. The lead investor is pan-European VC firm Nauta Capital. Westtech Ventures from Berlin and existing business angels.
Fifth Wall closes €140m oversubscribed European Real Estate Technology Fund
Fifth Wall, the venture capital firm focused on technologies for the global real estate industry, announced that it has closed an oversubscribed €140 million for its European Real Estate Technology Fund (European Fund).
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.
Amsterdam-based Polestar Capital opens €100m circular economy fund, largest of its kind in Europe
Amsterdam-based Polestar Capital Polestar Capital announced the launch of the biggest circular economy fund in Europe. The fund, called the Polestar Capital Circular Debt Fund (PCDF), has opened at €100 million
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.
Irish e-mobility startup Modmo raises €8.7m seed round to accelerate urban transportation
Irish e-mobility startup Modmo closed out 2021 with a €5 million investment from Ballymore Group CEO Sean Mulryan, in addition to €2.7 million raised in September and €1 million in March from several angel investors.
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.
Dutch edtech startup Winc Academy raises $3m to train 20,000 IT professionals in Europe
Winc Academy announced a $3 million funding round led by Rubio Impact Ventures and Dutch Founders Fund to increase the steep growth of its education platform.
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.
Tallinn-based Bolt raises €628m funding round to accelerate transition from owned cars to shared mobility
Tallinn-based Bolt announced the closing of €628 million round of funding, its largest funding to date. This funding round will help Bolt accelerate its mission to help cities transform urban areas.
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.
Decentralized Mateverse social startup BOOM establishes $1 million fund to support creators
BOOM, a decentralized crypto native community platform focused on NFT+Social recently announced the launch of IOS and Android App.
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.
Lepaya announces $ 40 million Series B financing to help companies upskill their workforce
Lepaya, a provider of power skills training that combines online and offline learning, has announced a $ 40 million Series B investment, one of the largest financing rounds to date for an education technology company in Europe.
Cardiovascular startup Filterlex Medical selected to receive €7 million from the European Innovation Council
The EIC equity investment will be a part of Filterlex's next round of financing. This combined funding will go towards clinical program expansion, regulatory approvals, and commercialization of the CAPTIS® full-body embolic protection system to help transform left-heart procedures.
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.
Medical device startup ViCentra closes €65m Series C funding to expand footprint of insulin pump across Europe
ViCentra, the company behind Kaleido, world's smallest and lightest wearable insulin pump (patch pump), announced the closing of €65 million Series C financing.
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.
German indoor positioning tech startup NavVis raises €25m funding to digitize commercial buildings and assets
NavVis, a global leader in end-to-end solutions for reality capture and digital twins, announced it received €25 million of fresh equity funding that complements the recent €20 million debt funding from the EIB.
Netherlands emerging as 'Hottest Tech Hub' in Europe, not reaching its full potential yet, report
Atomico, an international investment firm that focuses on helping disruptive technology companies scale globally, announced that the Netherlands is emerging as Europe's hottest tech hub.
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.
[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.
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.
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