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Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3772269 | Tags:













EIB Global announces $30 million investment in Seedstars Africa Ventures I, a VC fund for African entrepreneurs
Published: 11-01-2024 | 16:12:27 | By: Bob Koigi
Innovative businesses and start-ups across Africa will benefit from better access to risk capital thanks to a  US$30 million equity investment by EIB Global in the Seedstars Africa Ventures I venture capital fund. 


CENTA platform crosses 1m, becomes world's largest community of teachers
Published: 02-10-2023 | 12:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Centre for Teacher Accreditation recently launched its enhanced native app, CENTA.


South Korean edtech startup Mathpresso secures $8m to accelerate growth
Published: 12-09-2023 | 11:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mathpresso has raised $8m from Korea's telecom giant, KT.


Upskilling startup AlmaBetter partners with Woolf to deliver accredited degrees to online learners
Published: 01-08-2023 | 13:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
AlmaBetter has partnered with Woolf.


[Interview] Joel Daniel, Founder, Solutions Platforms, Nigeria
Published: 20-03-2023 | 14:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Joel Daniel is the founder of Solutions Platforms, a company that grooms young people to succeed and have global relevance by leveraging its various programs designed to foster international education.


Elgon Kenya partners with Ministry of Agriculture to reward young farmers
Published: 23-02-2023 | 13:15:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Agro input company Elgon Kenya has partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education to reward pupils and their teachers for participating in food production in a wider scheme that seeks to motivate school going children into farming.  


CcHUB launches $15m accelerator for edtech startups in Kenya and Nigeria
Published: 21-02-2023 | 10:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), touted as Africa’s largest innovation and incubation hub, announced it is launching a $15 million accelerator program for targeting edtech startups.


New Orleans edtech startup Pressto utilizes AI to revolutionize writing instruction
Published: 25-01-2023 | 10:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Edtech startup Pressto is releasing unprecedented teacher-driven product enhancements, including the incorporation of unique AI capabilities, at the Future of Education Technology Conference in New Orleans.


Oklahoma universities, Tulsa Innovation Labs partner to launch Canopy HealthTech
Published: 24-01-2023 | 12:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The University of Oklahoma, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University, and Tulsa Innovation Labs, announced the launch of Canopy HealthTech, a new multi-year initiative to accelerate the commercialization of virtual health innovations.


Maven Mentorship programme to equip teenagers with skills for the future
Published: 12-01-2023 | 11:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Former Principal Executive Director at Britam PLC  Stephen Wandera has launched a mentorship programme aimed at equipping teenagers with the necessary skills to  be prepared for the future.


Italian edtech startup Wyblo acquires college communication platform Clay to scale social learning
Published: 09-01-2023 | 09:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Wyblo, an Italian edtech startup creating tech to support the training industry, has acquired Clay, a Berlin-based startup that created a digital tool that helps instructors create a social classroom.


EG Capital announces anchor closing of its maiden fund to invest in startups across East Africa and Zambia
Published: 19-12-2022 | 09:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EG Capital, a growth-oriented private equity impact firm has announced the anchor closing of its first EG-Economic Empowerment Fund LP (EG-EEF), which will invest in medium-sized businesses.


[Column] Natalia Ahmadian: Four ways to accelerate tech transfer in Europe
Published: 23-11-2022 | 10:27:41 | By: Pie Kamau
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


AI startup Prof Jim auto-converts textbooks into cinematic lessons
Published: 16-11-2022 | 10:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Prof Jim is launching out of stealth with one of the first practical applications of generative AI in education. This technology transforms textbooks into visually dynamic online courses.


Danish blockchain startup Drivn enables users earn an income while saving the planet
Published: 27-10-2022 | 11:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Drivn, the brainchild of three Danish founders, aims to change the world's travel behavior towards a more sustainable future.


Finnish edtech startup Kide Science raises €1m bridge round to accelerate growth
Published: 08-08-2022 | 11:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Finnish edtech startup Kide Science announced it has raised €1 million, to support their new and exciting bid to expand from primarily science education, into all early years subjects.


Michigan-based edtech startup Alchemie earns $1m grant for accessible learning for STEM
Published: 15-07-2022 | 12:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Alchemie, an educational technology company based in Troy, Michigan, announced it has received a prestigious one-million-dollar Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.


Live-streaming platform Elevate K-12 raises $40m Series C to address the growing national teacher shortage
Published: 20-06-2022 | 11:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Elevate K-12, provider of high-quality live-streaming instruction for US K-12 classrooms, has closed a $40 million Series C round of funding led by venture capital firm General Catalyst.


Tunisian edtech startup GOMYCODE raises $8m Series A funding to expand across Africa
Published: 14-06-2022 | 13:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Tunisian edtech startup GOMYCODE, raised $8.85 million in series A funding, one of the highest African funding this quarter to expand across Africa.


Nigerian edtech startup Afrilearn attracts UNICEF Innovation Fund
Published: 06-06-2022 | 12:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian edtech startup Afrilearn has emerged as the only Nigerian startup to join the latest cohort of the UNICEF Venture Fund.


Birmingham-based startup Astound raises $1m seed round to improve university access to corporate-sponsored research funding
Published: 01-06-2022 | 09:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Astound, a Birmingham-based startup, secured $1 million in seed funding to develop the first marketplace to allow research institutions and universities to easily find corporate sponsors.


South African edtech startup FoondaMate secures $2m seed funding to accelerate growth
Published: 31-05-2022 | 11:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
FoondaMate, a South African edtech startup, has secured $2 million in seed funding to increase usage of its Whatsapp and Facebook-based learning chatbot throughout the globe.


Swiss edtech startup Alphacruncher raises €1.45m for global rollout of research cloud workspace product
Published: 16-03-2022 | 13:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Swiss edtech startup Alphacruncher has raised €1.45 million funding from Austrian venture capital firm Alpine Equity, NGM, private investors and existing users, to enable the global rollout of its education and research cloud workspace product, Nuvolos.


Edtech startup Tutored by Teachers raises over $10m to bolster America's K-12 schools, close the opportunity gap for high-need students
Published: 25-02-2022 | 12:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EdTech startup Tutored by Teachers (TbT) announce it has raised over $10 million in Series A funding, led by GSV Ventures, to expand its teacher community.


Dutch edtech startup Winc Academy raises $3m to train 20,000 IT professionals in Europe
Published: 17-01-2022 | 15:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


The University of Nairobi and Elgon Kenya to develop agriculture technology and innovation centre
Published: 17-12-2021 | 17:40:11 | By: Bob Koigi
The agriculture sector in Kenya has received a major boost following a partnership between two leading institutions to set up a technology and innovation centre, the first of its kind in East Africa.


Africa-focused edtech startup Edukoya raises $3.5m pre-seed round to accelerate growth
Published: 16-12-2021 | 11:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Edukoya, an Africa-focused online learning platform, has raised $3.5 million in a pre-seed round led by Target Global with strategic participation from angel investors including European and African founders.


South Korea-based Edtech startup Mathpresso secures strategic investment from Google
Published: 10-11-2021 | 14:39:55 | By: Bob Koigi
South Korea-based edtech startup Mathpresso has announced that it has received an investment from Google.


Private equity firm Evegreen acquires majority stake in edutech startup DreamBox Learning
Published: 10-11-2021 | 14:29:16 | By: Bob Koigi
TPG’s The Rise Fund will retain a significant minority stake and continue to be represented on the company’s Board of Directors.


Indian education infrastructure startup Teachmint raises $78m Series B round to accelerate growth
Published: 26-10-2021 | 07:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Teachmint, the education infrastructure startup and the creator of India's largest teaching platform, raised $78 million in Series B round led by Rocketship.vc and Vulcan Capital.


Indian edtech startup ConveGenius raises $5m pre Series A funding to accelerate growth
Published: 19-10-2021 | 09:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Indian edtech startup ConveGenius AI has raised $5 million in Venture Capital funding to grow its conversational AI platform in India and South-East Asian markets.


Social learning startup Fiveable closes $10m Series A funding to fuel student-led online spaces
Published: 29-09-2021 | 13:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fiveable, a social learning platform that has supported more than 7 million high school students since 2018, has raised $10 million in Series A funding led by Union Square Ventures with participation from Owl Ventures and Progression Fund.


Israeli startup Quantum Machines raises $50m to make quantum computers ubiquitous and disruptive across all industries
Published: 07-09-2021 | 15:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Tel Aviv based startup Quantum Machines, creator of the Quantum Orchestration Platform, announced it has secured $50 million in Series B funding to expand its growth into quantum cloud computing and drive its worldwide distribution.


FedTech leverages Converge, a startup studio event to expand access to deep tech
Published: 25-08-2021 | 13:11:17 | By: Bob Koigi
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) is partnering with FedTech to provide equal and inclusive access to government and university-sourced next-gen deep technologies for entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds.


UNest acquires Kidfund, the savings app designed for children
Published: 18-08-2021 | 13:32:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The acquisition of Kidfund will further accelerate UNest’s growth and deepen the company’s goal to simplify and streamline how parents save and invest for their kids’ future.


LearnWorlds secures $32m in growth funding to help educators create and sell online courses
Published: 16-07-2021 | 14:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
LearnWorlds, an all-in-one platform for creating and selling online courses, has secured a $32 million minority investment by global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners.


Seoul-based edtech startup Mathpresso secures $50 million in Series C funding
Published: 02-07-2021 | 13:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Seoul-based edtech startup Mathpresso announced it has raised $50 million in a Series C funding round last week, bringing the company's total funding to $105 million.


GG4L acquires edtech startup Stackup
Published: 24-06-2021 | 13:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Global Grid for Learning (GG4L), announced the acquisition of Stackup, an edtech startup with a focus on learning outcomes in K-12 education.


Fintech startup The Beans announces $2m in funding to simplify the path to financial success
Published: 04-06-2021 | 10:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Beans, a financial technology startup built for America's Caring Class, announced $2 million in funding, led by Precursor Ventures.


Base10 Partners raises advancement initiative to grow HBCU endowments and catalyze wealth creation
Published: 28-05-2021 | 14:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Building on their VC Diversity Pledge, Base10 Partners announced the raise of a new $250 million fund with the mission of aligning the success of technology companies with wealth creation for underrepresented minorities.


South Korean AI startup Riiid raises $175m from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 to accelerate growth
Published: 25-05-2021 | 14:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Riiid Inc (Riiid), an AI education company and a member of Born2Global Centre, has raised $175 million investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2.


UC Berkeley SkyDeck selects 17 companies for Batch 12 startup cohort
Published: 19-05-2021 | 10:57:35 | By: Bob Koigi
The new group of startups specializes in a wide range of industries including AI, life sciences, semiconductor chips, HR, robotics, and enterprise software. The acceptance rate for the new cohort was 1.3%.


DBSA launches second edition of the Youth Challenge in South Africa
Published: 05-05-2021 | 16:02:56 | By: Pie Kamau
The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), launched the second edition of the DBSA Youth Challenge, a competition aimed at harnessing innovative solutions from young people in South Africa to help address infrastructure challenges.


Dutch impact investment firm Goodwell Investments launches €50 million fund to support African SMEs
Published: 30-04-2021 | 13:04:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Goodwell V will build a new portfolio of companies across various sectors in Africa: at least a third will be invested in financial inclusion, a quarter in agriculture, and the remainder in mobility and other impact sectors such as education and healthcare.


Ericsson launches Graduate Programme in Kenya
Published: 20-04-2021 | 10:47:30 | By: Bob Koigi
The programme aims to grow the technical skills of the graduates, training them on the Ericsson technology, solutions and, delivery and providing them with an understanding of Ericsson’s processes, methods and tools.


EdCraft startup raises $1m pre-seed round to expand its edtech platform in the U.S.
Published: 14-04-2021 | 10:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EdCraft, an early education platform launched by former McKinsey executives, raised $1 million from a group of Silicon Valley based angels. The startup aims to equip its students, aged 6-13, with essential 21st-century skills.


Cincinnati startups Abre and Pay Theory partner to transform education
Published: 13-04-2021 | 15:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Abre.io (Abre), and Pay Theory announced their partnership to help them better achieve their shared mission of breaking down socioeconomic and technical barriers to education.


SchooLinks startup lands $8.3m Series A for college, career success for diverse student population
Published: 18-03-2021 | 12:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SchooLinks, an Austin, TX startup founded by Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur Katie Fang to democratize access to modern career and college planning resources for the broader student population, raised an $8.3m Series A funding.


African Edtech startup Kabakoo receives funding from Zoom, launches first no-code training in Africa
Published: 17-03-2021 | 14:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Committed to democratizing access to tech education for the African youths, Kabakoo has launched the first no-code training in West Africa for a batch of twenty learners at its Bamako campus.


Edtech startup Quizizz raises $12.5m in Series A to empower teachers around the world
Published: 09-03-2021 | 13:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Quizizz, an edtech startup with a presence in India and the U.S., announced a $12.5 million Series A funding round led by Eight Roads Ventures with participation from GSV Ventures, Rocketship VC and existing investors Nexus Venture Partners.


Tech startup Mokusei offers 100% funding aid for individuals to cover their education and travel expenses
Published: 04-03-2021 | 12:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Incorporated on 17 Feb 2021, Mokusei Intelligence (Mokusei), is a social impact & education centric tech startup focused on developing AI/ML based algorithms and solutions.


Union Bank of Nigeria to support startups through UnionX Innovation Challenge
Published: 26-02-2021 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Blockchain startup Vaionex Corporation completes seed funding round with Two Hop Ventures
Published: 17-02-2021 | 13:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Vaionex Corporation, a blockchain startup founded by students from the University of Cambridge, announced it has completed a seed funding round with Two Hop Ventures, a Dutch venture capital firm focused exclusively on investing in Bitcoin SV startup.


Panoramic Ventures launches with $300m fund
Published: 09-02-2021 | 07:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Panoramic Ventures announced its formation through a partnership between highly successful entrepreneur and investor Paul Judge and BIP Capital.


Career development startup Careerist raises $1.25m in seed round at $21m market cap
Published: 05-02-2021 | 11:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Careerist (ex JobEasy), a Silicon Valley-based career development platform which adapts US labor to the new economy for a share of the future salary, has raised $1.25 million in seed financing.


Canadian edtech startup Wize raises $3m to enhance online learning experience
Published: 29-01-2021 | 13:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Wize, a fast-growing online education platform that delivers course-specific video tutorials and exam-like practice problems for high school, college, and university students across North America, announced it has raised $3 million in funding.


University of Chicago’s Polsky Center launches tech accelerator programme for early-stage startups
Published: 20-01-2021 | 12:39:54 | By: Bob Koigi
The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago has launched the Compass, a first-of-its-kind deep tech accelerator program for early-stage startups.


Edtech startup Sketchy announces Andrew Sugerman as President
Published: 22-12-2020 | 13:44:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Sketchy, an online education company that teaches complex concepts through visual memory techniques has named seasoned media executive, Andrew Sugerman, as President.


[Startup Interview] James Adebisi, Founder, Xpora Academy, Nigeria
Published: 15-12-2020 | 09:41:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Xpora Academy is a Nigeria-based e-learning platform that equips the youth with in-demand digital skills relevant to the present and future of work.


Cincinnati-based startup Pay Theory launches new purpose-built payment solution for education
Published: 07-12-2020 | 19:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pay Theory, a Cincinnati-based startup, launched a new payment processing platform with the mission of making school fees and payments straightforward for all involved parties: families, educators, and administrators.


Zimbabwe startup Phenomenon Technologies partners with MEL Science for applied learning solutions in Africa
Published: 26-11-2020 | 13:53:09 | By: Bob Koigi
Zimbabwean startup Phenomenon Technologies has partnered with global science kits giant MEL Science in a strategic move meant to enable applied science learning in Zimbabwe and Africa.


Tech startup Nestlings raises $1.5m to help international students through college application process
Published: 26-11-2020 | 10:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nestlings, an online portal that guides international students through the process of applying to colleges in the US, Canada, and the UK, has raised $1.5 million in a Seed Round of funding from Candid Ventures.


Dutch non-profit start-up Spacebuzz awarded  four international Lovie Awards
Published: 19-11-2020 | 12:25:00 | By: Bob Koigi
ESA astronaut André Kuipers’ SpaceBuzz won four prizes during the 10th annual international Lovie Awards presentation: Two Jury Lovie Awards – Best Narrative experience and Virtual Reality – and two People’s Lovie Awards from public votes.


[Startup Interview] Almasi Ndangili, Founder, Imarisha East Africa Productions, Kenya
Published: 10-11-2020 | 11:57:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Almasi Ndangili is the founder of Imarisha East Africa Productions Ltd, a Kenya-based talent academy promoting education through edutainment. The startup has invested in TV Shows, event organization, book launches, talent development, TV Script writing, Africanized animations, digital publishing and branding.


Mohammed VI Polytechnic University partners with Plug and Play to launch accelerator programme in Morocco
Published: 09-11-2020 | 09:13:33 | By: Pie Kamau
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), an academic and research institution, has partnered with global innovation platform, Plug and Play, to launch an Open Innovation Hub in Morocco, with the support of OCP Group.


Nigerian CcHUB acquires Kenyan edTech startup eLimu
Published: 04-11-2020 | 08:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenya’s technology Incubation and Accelerator space iHub owned by Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) has announced the acquisition of edtech startup and digital educational content provider eLimu.


[Algeria] Sonatrach invests in university incubator for startups
Published: 22-10-2020 | 08:17:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Algeria state owned oil company Sonatrach has partnered with the National Agency for the Promotion of Research and Technological Development Results (ANVREDET), to establish a university incubator for start-ups.


Health and wellness hydration startup LARQ raises $10m series A funding for further expansion
Published: 30-09-2020 | 16:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
LARQ, health and wellness hydration brand, announced a round closure of $10 million in Series A funding to continue its global expansion through 2021 and further develop as a 360-degree hydration brand.


Scrum Ventures launches Food Tech Studio - Bites!
Published: 30-09-2020 | 15:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Scrum Ventures announced the launch of Food Tech Studio - Bites!, a global community of stage-agnostic startups who share a common vision of solving key challenges plaguing food supply chain.


Alfa Bank, Plug and Play collaborate on innovation in Fintech
Published: 30-09-2020 | 14:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Along with 80 other financial institutions across the United States, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo, Alfa Bank will join Plug and Play's global ecosystem.


Copenhagen biotech startup Synklino raises seed round to develop breakthrough infection treatment for transplant patients
Published: 29-09-2020 | 15:02:14 | By: Pie Kamau
Synklino ApS, an emerging biotech company developing first-in-class breakthrough treatment to eliminate cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in the transplant setting announced the successful closing of a seed financing.


Cannabis cultivation software startup Trym closes $3.1m seed round to accelerate growth
Published: 29-09-2020 | 14:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Trym, a pioneering cannabis cultivation software company announced the completion of its $3.1 million seed funding round of financing to accelerate growth.


Taiwanese healthtech startup iWEECARE extends $2.4m pre-series A financing to serve global demand for remote patient monitoring
Published: 29-09-2020 | 13:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
iWEECARE, developer of world's smallest continuous temperature monitoring product, Temp Pal®, raised $2.4 million in extended pre-series A financing to serve global demand for remote patient monitoring.


Robotics solution startup Exotec raises $90m for international expansion of its warehouse automation technology
Published: 29-09-2020 | 12:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Exotec, a robotics solution for logistics and creator of the Skypod 3D warehouse robots, announced a $90 million financing round.


Cyber security startup Cerby announces $3.5m seed round to accelerate product development and hiring
Published: 28-09-2020 | 15:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cerby, a stealth cybersecurity company focused on helping enterprises harness Shadow IT, announced a $3.5 million seed round led by Bowery Capital with participation from AV8 Ventures, Global Founders Capital, and the Incubate Fund US.


Swisscom, Ericsson and Qualcomm join forces to find world's most innovative 5G startups
Published: 28-09-2020 | 15:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Switzerland's telecommunications and IT company Swisscom is joining forces with Ericsson and Qualcomm CDMA Technologies GmbH to identify the world's most innovative startups and research teams working on 5G applications.


AltoIRA enables individuals invest in startups using IRAs
Published: 28-09-2020 | 15:06:01 | By: Pie Kamau
AltoIRA, a technology platform that simplifies and streamlines the process for investors to add alternative assets to their IRAs announced a new partnership with Republic, a leading investment platform for startups.


Cannon Quality announces new compliance essentials for startups program
Published: 28-09-2020 | 14:54:52 | By: Pie Kamau
Cannon Quality Group (CQG) announced a new medtech quality management program designed to help startups set the foundation for a quality management system (QMS) compliant to FDA QSR and ISO 13485 requirements.


Unacademy acquires exam prep startup Coursavy
Published: 25-09-2020 | 12:23:17 | By: Bob Koigi
India edtech company Unacademy has acquired Coursavy, a platform for Union Public Service, UPSC exams preparation.


Mastercard announces Fintech Express to empower Middle East and Africa fintechs to launch and expand rapidly
Published: 24-09-2020 | 16:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mastercard has launched Fintech Express in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), a program designed to facilitate emerging fintechs’ launch and expansion.


EasySend raises $16m to enable insurance companies and financial institutions to build a no-code digital future
Published: 24-09-2020 | 14:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EasySend, the no-code AI-powered platform transforming manual processes into digital journeys, announced it has raised $16 million in funding following the completion of an $11 million Series A round led by Hanaco with participation from Intel Capital.


Insurtech startup cogniSure launches AI platform for commercial loss run automation with 9 pilot customers
Published: 24-09-2020 | 13:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The insurance industry spends a significant amount of manual effort, time and money analyzing PDF and Excel loss runs that are in nonstandard, carrier-specific, unstructured document formats.


Peterson Ventures announces $65m in fresh capital to invest in early stage consumer and SaaS startups
Published: 24-09-2020 | 13:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Peterson Ventures, a founder-first seed stage venture fund, announced that it has raised $65 million in fresh capital.


 [Startup Interview] Myron Leskiv, CEO, Atama.AI, Netherlands
Published: 24-09-2020 | 08:42:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Atama A.I is a Netherlands startup that develops Artificial Intelligence-based trading algorithms for financial markets informed by years of research and development. It uses over 170 technical indicators and trained and back-tested millions of times to predict where the markets will go.


Neighbor attracts top tech talent to usher in new wave of growth for Silicon Slopes startup
Published: 23-09-2020 | 13:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Neighbor, the self-storage marketplace disruptor, has added three strategic hires to its executive team to fuel a new wave of growth for the Andreesesen Horowitz-funded startup, which has grown 5X in 2020.


Legendary Ventures invests in Elon Musk's SpaceX
Published: 23-09-2020 | 13:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Legendary Ventures announced an investment in Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) through its Series N funding round.


London-based startup TopTip plans to give half its shares to its users
Published: 23-09-2020 | 13:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
London-based startup Useful Interruptions, owner of the TopTip recommendations app, announced the launch of its Founders Club programme that aims to give half the shares in the company to users of TopTip.


Finish startup ICEYE raises $87m to accelerate growth of its SAR satellite constellation
Published: 22-09-2020 | 14:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ICEYE, a SAR data provider, announced the closing of a larger than planned $87 million Series C funding, led by return investor True Ventures, with a significant additional investment by OTB Ventures.


Finch secures $1.8m to launch all-in-one checking and investing account for millennials
Published: 22-09-2020 | 13:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Finch, a New York based fintech startup that integrates the benefits of investing and the flexibility of checking into an all-in-one account has raised $1.8 million in seed funding to launch its platform and help transform how people manage their money.


Neurostimulation startup Salvia BioElectronics raises €26m to develop innovative therapy for chronic migraine
Published: 22-09-2020 | 13:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Salvia BioElectronics B.V., a neurostimulation platform company targeting chronic migraine, has raised €26 million in new financing from new and existing investors.


Amsterdam based startup Zeta Alpha launches AI platform to help experts navigate new research
Published: 22-09-2020 | 13:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Amsterdam based startup Zeta Alpha is launching AI Research Navigator, a new deep learning-based search platform, to help AI experts navigate new research.


[Startup Interview] Marthinus Coetzee, CEO, iPTT Africa, South Africa
Published: 22-09-2020 | 11:02:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Iptt africa (pty) Limited, a South African telecommunications startup, solves the communication problems faced by many businesses and organizations in Africa through its italkptt platform that allows businesses to communicate from anywhere in Africa to anywhere in the world. The CEO Marthinus Coetzee elaborates.


ARM launches API service for fintech startups in Nigeria
Published: 22-09-2020 | 09:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigeria's financial services provider ARM launched ARM Sandbox, a new and more efficient way for fintechs to scale their integration and customer acquisition plans.


Online sales program startup Virtanza closes $1m in private investment funding round
Published: 21-09-2020 | 14:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Sales2Job Academy, DBA Virtanza, an Orange County-based company that offers higher education a scalable sales training solution directly connected to employers, announced it has raised seed round funding totaling $1 million from private investors.


South Korean fntech startup WireBarley raises $10m Series B to strengthen global remittance service capabilities
Published: 21-09-2020 | 14:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
South Korean fintech startup in global memittance WireBarley has raised $10 million in Series B funding from Magna Investment, Shinsegae I&C and Dt & Investment.


South Korean healthcare startup WellsCare signs in-store contract with b8ta for IASO
Published: 21-09-2020 | 14:00:35 | By: Pie Kamau
WellsCare, a member company of the Born2Global Centre, signed a store contract with b8ta, a famous American flagship store that is dedicated to innovative products.


Harvard-incubated startup MarqVision launches AI-powered platform to protect brands from counterfeits
Published: 21-09-2020 | 13:43:44 | By: Pie Kamau
MarqVision, an AI-based SaaS company, launched its brand protection platform that helps brands effortlessly detect and remove counterfeits on online marketplaces.


[Startup Interview] Jason Gras, Emile Fulcheri, Stima, Kenya
Published: 19-09-2020 | 10:54:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Stima is a Kenya-based startup that operates a smart service swap stations providing charging services to enable moto-taxi riders to switch to electric motorcycles.


German urban farming startup Infarm raises $170m to grow urban vertical farming network in the world
Published: 18-09-2020 | 13:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Infarm, German urban farming network announced $170 million investment raised in the first close of a Series C funding round expected to reach $200 million.


ZenSports closes additional $1.46m Seed funding for U.S. and international expansion
Published: 18-09-2020 | 12:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ZenSports, the mobile peer-to-peer sports betting marketplace announced a new $1.46 million Seed round of funding to expand into the United States, as well as to continue to grow its international presence.


Plug and Play selects 147 startups for its winter 2020 batches
Published: 18-09-2020 | 12:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Plug and Play announced the selection of 147 new startups into its winter 2020 batches. The startups were selected to join one of the following programs that will run through November 2020.


Imagine Impact closes Series A financing with Benchmark
Published: 18-09-2020 | 11:42:17 | By: Pie Kamau
Imagine Impact, the content accelerator and online marketplace startup founded by Academy Award-winning duo Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, announced the close of its Series A financing round led by Benchmark, a Silicon Valley Venture Capital firm.


Fintech startup KodyPay raises £1.8m to transform payments industry
Published: 17-09-2020 | 12:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
London based fintech startup KodyPay, raised £1.8 million to transform the payments industry, allowing users to pay for goods in-store without queueing thereby making shopping a prompt and effortless process.


Cellular agriculture startup Wildtype launches salmon in sushi restaurants
Published: 17-09-2020 | 12:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cellular agriculture startup Wildtype has unveiled its latest cell-based salmon. This version is "sushi-grade" and crafted with the sushi industry's favorite raw salmon applications in mind.


SEMrush acquires Poland's SaaS PR tech startup Prowly
Published: 17-09-2020 | 11:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SEMrush, an online visibility management and content marketing SaaS platform, has further expanded its ecosystem with the acquisition of a 100% stake in Poland's public relations SaaS startup Prowly.com.


Trust Payments partners with messaging and e-commerce startup Wakanda Messenger to empower Africans around the world
Published: 17-09-2020 | 11:05:41 | By: Pie Kamau
Trust Payments, the global unified payments group for global pay-in, pay-out and customer journey technologies, has partnered with social network, messaging and e-commerce startup Wakanda Messenger.


Hetz Ventures closes on $77m for oversubscribed second fund to invest in B2B enterprise tech
Published: 16-09-2020 | 14:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Hetz Ventures, a leading venture capital fund for early-stage investments, announced the close of its second flagship fund, oversubscribed at $77 million.


Flagstar Bank now accepting applications for MortgageTech Accelerator Program
Published: 16-09-2020 | 14:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Flagstar Bank and the Fintech Consortium are accepting applications for the Flagstar MortgageTech Accelerator Program now through Sept. 30.


Wix announces Wix Capital, internal venture arm to invest in global startups
Published: 16-09-2020 | 14:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Wix.com, the global leader in website creation, announced its own venture capital initiative, Wix Capital, to invest in technology innovators that are focused on the future of the web.


Nigerian e-commerce startup Kwik Delivery releases WooCommerce plugin, enabling 2-hour deliveries for online merchants
Published: 15-09-2020 | 12:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian e-commerce startup Kwik Delivery released a WooCommerce plugin, enabling thousands of Nigerian online merchants to integrate seamlessly its delivery service to their WordPress online stores.


Medical device startup Spine Align raises $1.75m Series Seed Round to reach FDA clearance
Published: 15-09-2020 | 08:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Spine Align, a medical device company developing a portfolio of products that enable spine surgeons to measure, visualize, and adjust patients' spinal alignment during surgery, closed a $1.75M Series Seed round.


Virtual reality startup Nanome partners with Fujitsu to bring drug design software to Japanese market
Published: 15-09-2020 | 08:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
San Diego-based virtual reality (VR) startup Nanome, has entered into an agreement with Fujitsu to bring their signature product, an immersive scientific design and collaboration platform to the Japanese market.


Kenyan tech startup Xetova shortlisted for MIT 2020 health security & pandemics track
Published: 15-09-2020 | 08:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan technology startup, xetova, has been named 2020 Global Solve finalist by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the health security and pandemics track.


AI-based startup SafeRide expands into Germany to support, accelerate growing business in Europe
Published: 14-09-2020 | 12:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SafeRide Technologies, a leading provider of AI-based vehicle health management, data analytics, and cybersecurity solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles, announced the opening of a new office in Germany.


IME Medical Electrospinning secures €3m financing from Dutch VCs to expand its Medispin XL production platform
Published: 14-09-2020 | 12:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
IME Medical Electrospinning, a global leader in electrospun medical devices and regenerative medicine, announced it has successfully raised €3 million in equity financing and debt.


Danish drone startup QuadSAT raises €2m to accelerate product testing
Published: 11-09-2020 | 13:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
QuadSAT, a Danish company that is revolutionising test and measurement of satellite antennas, announced it has closed a €2 million Pre-Series A Investment, the largest venture investment in a Danish drone tech company in history.


Spain's Banco Santander spins out fintech venture capital arm, doubles allocated funds to $400m
Published: 11-09-2020 | 13:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Banco Santander announced the launch of Mouro Capital, a new, autonomously managed venture capital fund focused on fintechs and adjacent businesses linked with the financial services industry.


Zurich-based turicode closes €2m seed investments round for growth plans
Published: 11-09-2020 | 12:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
turicode, a successful Software-as-a-Service provider in the field of document processing solutions based on machine learning and deep learning raised €2 million seed investments to fund the company’s growth plans.


UK's curated audio platform for journalism Curio closes $9m Series A funding for international expansion
Published: 11-09-2020 | 11:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Curio, the premium audio platform with a curated library of expert journalism, closed a $9 million Series A round led by Earlybird. Draper Esprit, Cherry Ventures, and Horizons Ventures also took part in the investment.


Belgian startup InviteDesk raises €500K to expand its event marketing software
Published: 10-09-2020 | 14:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
InviteDesk, developer of event marketing software, has increased its capital by more than €500 thousand. With InviteDesk, companies increase their return on investment (ROI) from event marketing.


Sanbox acquires UK education startup Teachit
Published: 09-09-2020 | 17:21:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Sandbox, an operating platform for digital educational products and services has announced that it has acquired Teachit, a UK-based teacher resource provider from education charity AQA.


Belgian scale-up Oncomfort raises €10m in Series A funding
Published: 09-09-2020 | 15:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Oncomfort, the Belgian inventor of and leader in Digital SedationTM a method for relieving patients' pain and anxiety without medication announced the completion of a €10 million Series A funding round.


PopSQL raises $3.4m to help teams collaborate using data
Published: 09-09-2020 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
PopSQL, the collaborative SQL editor for teams announced $3.4 million in seed funding, led by Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused venture fund.


Pcysys announces $25m Series B funding round led by Insight Partners
Published: 09-09-2020 | 14:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cybersecurity Validation company, Pcysys, announced it has completed a $25 million Series B funding round led by US-based venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners.


SaaS Ventures announces launch of second fund, raises $20m in first close
Published: 08-09-2020 | 16:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SaaS Ventures, a Maryland-based venture capital firm focused on investing in early stage enterprise technology companies in secondary markets throughout the U.S. and Canada, has announced the launch of a second fund (Fund II).


Early investors in 4IR startups set to reap rewards
Published: 08-09-2020 | 15:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Early investors in startups with exposure to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) are benefiting from significant revenue growth despite the physical constraints introduced by governments’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.


Fintech startup Thunes raises $60m in Series B funding to accelerate global growth
Published: 08-09-2020 | 14:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fintech startup Thunes, which operates a global B2B cross-border payments network, continues to attract investment as emerging markets take off.


Smart consumer technology startup Dreame raises $14.6m in Series B+ funding
Published: 07-09-2020 | 16:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dreame Technology (Dreame), a smart consumer technology company specializing in cordless vacuum cleaners, robot vacuum cleaners and mops, announced it raised $14.6 million in its Series B+ funding led by IDG Capital.


Paul Lamontagne steps down as CEO of FinDev Canada
Published: 07-09-2020 | 11:27:26 | By: Pie Kamau
Following close to three years as the first CEO of Findev Canada, Paul Lamontagne has announced that he is stepping down effective September 11, 2020.


Software development startup Zymr expands footprint in India, opens new development center in Bengaluru
Published: 04-09-2020 | 15:32:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Zymr, a full-stack cloud-native software development company headquartered in California announced the establishment of a third development center in Bengaluru, India, to respond to an increasing customer demand despite COVID slowdown.


SafeButler, Liberty Mutual partner to offer instant renters insurance
Published: 04-09-2020 | 15:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
YCombinator funded startup SafeButler has partnered with Liberty Mutual, an insurance industry leader for over 100 years, to provide instant access to a comprehensive renters insurance plan at a very low rate.


StartUp Namibia launches Round 2 of COVID 19 Startup Grant
Published: 04-09-2020 | 08:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
In order to support more startups and young enterprises, StartUp Namibia and its partners announced Round 2 of the COVID-19 Startup Grant, called “Startup Survival Grant”.


Demodesk raises $8m to scale world’s first intelligent online sales meeting software
Published: 03-09-2020 | 16:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Demodesk has raised $8 million in the latest Series A funding round, led by Balderton Capital with participation from Target Global, to scale the platform that has revolutionized screen-sharing for great customer conversation.


BorgWarner expands collaboration with startup ecosystem Plug and Play
Published: 03-09-2020 | 16:02:58 | By: Pie Kamau
BorgWarner announced its next venture with Plug and Play, a global innovation platform and accelerator ecosystem for startup companies, by becoming a partner of its newly planned incubator location in Detroit.


South Korean Doit5 launches advertising content service using web AR technology
Published: 03-09-2020 | 15:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Social marketing platform Doit5 announced the launch of an advertising service that uses content with web based AR technology.


e-commerce startup Pharmapacks closes $40m bridge round financing
Published: 03-09-2020 | 15:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pharmapacks, a leading e-commerce enablement platform and retail seller for brands across major ecommerce marketplaces announced the closing of a $40 million bridge round financing.


West Africa's Miro Forestry raises $48 funding close led by CDC to combat climate crisis
Published: 02-09-2020 | 15:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CDC Group, the UK’s publicly owned impact investor announced a further $12 million commitment to Miro Forestry, a sustainable forestry and timber business with plantations in Ghana and Sierra Leone.


Fielding Norton joins advisory board of InsureTech startup Pricing Platform
Published: 02-09-2020 | 10:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pricing Platform, an InsureTech startup that integrates Property & Casualty underwriting, pricing, and portfolio analytics in a cloud-based platform announced Fielding "Fid" Norton has joined as founding advisor and Chair of the advisory board.


Digital Horizon invests in Nigerian health startup Healthlane
Published: 02-09-2020 | 09:55:45 | By: Pie Kamau
Digital Horizon venture fund has invested in Y Combinator alumnus Healthlane, the startup focusing on modern, online consultations for local and remote patients, alongside traditional face-to-face public health services across Africa.


Chromologics raises €1.9m seed round to accelerate development of fermentation-derived next generation food colorants
Published: 01-09-2020 | 17:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Chromologics, which is developing innovative natural food colorants, announced it has raised €1.9 million in seed financing led by Novo Seeds and supported by Nordic FoodTech VC and Vækstfonden.


Paris-based startup Klassroom raises $3m to expand from France to other countries including the U.S.
Published: 01-09-2020 | 17:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Klassroom, the Paris-based company that reinvents parent-teacher communication in pre-kindergarten and all elementary school grades, raised a $3 million seed round led by Bpifrance.


LimaCharlie receives $500K seed funding to accelerate growth of security infrastructure as a Service
Published: 01-09-2020 | 15:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
LimaCharlie, the market leader for delivering Information Security Infrastructure as a Service (SIaaS), has secured seed $500K funding from Lytical Ventures to accelerate growth and support its continued success.


San Francisco edtech startup Springboard raises $31 million Series B funding
Published: 05-08-2020 | 15:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
San Francisco edtech startup Springboard has raised $31 million in Series B funding led by Mark Sherman and Albert Bielinko from Telstra Ventures, Arrun Kapoor from SJF Ventures, and YB Choi from Vulcan Capital.


Moroccan learning startup KoolSkools raises $417,000 for local, international expansion
Published: 22-07-2020 | 13:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Moroccan learning platform KoolSkools has raised $417,000 from Maroc Numeric Fund II an unnamed business angel.The investment will be used to finance the development of KoolSkools both in Morocco and internationally.


CirrusHQ announces £400,000 investment, appointment of Alastair Mills as new Chairman to drive business growth in the UK
Published: 01-06-2020 | 17:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CirrusHQ, a leading Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Consulting and Solution Provider partner, announced it has secured a £400,000 growth capital investment plus the appointment of Alastair Mills as the company’s new Chairman.


Finnish startup Kide Science raises €1.5m in seed round to accelerate international growth
Published: 28-05-2020 | 16:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Global early childhood science learning provider startup Kide Science has secured €1.5m funding in a seed round led by Sparkmind.vc, with selected existing investors including Zanichelli Venture also participating.


Flat6Labs Tunis hosts Fifth Demo Day, graduates 8 startups digitally
Published: 25-05-2020 | 10:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Flat6Labs Tunis celebrated it’s fifth Demo Day online, with 8 innovative startups presenting their businesses to hundreds of registered attendees.


[Startup Interview] Julius Masaba, Co-Founder, Ablestate, Uganda
Published: 18-05-2020 | 13:03:09 | By: Bob Koigi
Ablestate, a Ugandan startup works with businesses to point them to the right software developers while offering digital training to institutions of higher learning. In the process the startup is addresings youth unemployment in the East African nation.