Tag Resultaten

Published: 06-04-2018 16:44:00 | By: Nico Scherphuis | hits: 3744466 | Tags:

[Interview] Fedir Kompaniiets, CEO, Gart Solutions, Ukraine
Published: 09-02-2024 | 13:35:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Gart Solutions is a provider of comprehensive DevOps solutions, dedicated to helping businesses streamline their software development processes and achieve operational excellence.


BBT.live extends seed funding to $8.4m for secured connectivity as a service
Published: 22-08-2023 | 11:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
BBT.live has extended its seed funding round to $8.4 million.


[Column] Theo van Zyl: Connectivity on the go, why not all mobile internet services are the same
Published: 14-07-2023 | 15:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
More consumers are taking a closer look at their connectivity requirements.


Kenyan rural Internet Service Provider Mawingu raises $9m to scale its operations across the country
Published: 02-02-2023 | 11:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Rural Internet Service Provider (ISP), Mawingu has raised $9 million in Series B funding to scale its operations across Kenya.


Digital solutions startup Bantoo joins the Smart Africa Alliance
Published: 11-11-2022 | 06:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Smart Africa Alliance announced it has welcomed digital solutions platform Bantoo to the alliance, to advance technological developments in the continent.


Nashville-based advanced radio technology startup Xtremis announces move to West Virginia
Published: 27-10-2022 | 11:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Xtremis, a Nashville-based startup developing advanced, Artificial Intelligence control systems that improve the performance of wireless networks in congested RF environments, announced its intention to relocate to Morgantown, WV.


London-based Claret Capital raises €297m fund to back European tech startups
Published: 31-08-2022 | 12:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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
Published: 31-08-2022 | 11:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Healthcare startup Prolocor announces $5.2m funding from seed round and NIH SBIR grant
Published: 31-08-2022 | 11:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Prolocor, a healthcare startup developing an innovative precision diagnostic test with the potential to predict the risk of thrombosis by quantifying FcγRIIa on the surface of platelets, announced the closing of an oversubscribed $3.2 million seed round.


SheMatters raises $1.5m seed funding to address medical neglect and Black maternal morbidity in the U.S.
Published: 31-08-2022 | 11:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SheMatters, an online platform and mobile app designed to support Black women/WOC who experience postpartum comorbidities, announced the close of over $1.5 million in seed funding.


UPTIMA secures investment from Salesforce and Docusign Ventures to fuel growth and expansion
Published: 31-08-2022 | 10:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Uptima, a global consulting and system integration firm, announced it has received funding from Salesforce Ventures and Docusign Ventures, to continue to enhance its IP-based accelerator, Everything-to-Revenue™.


Dublin-based startup Protex AI raises $18m to protect workplace accidents
Published: 30-08-2022 | 13:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dublin-based startup Protex AI has raised a total of $18 million of investment to help further grow its presence in Europe and North America, led by Notion Capital.


FMO partners with SBC AfriTech to support next generation of early-stage African tech startups
Published: 30-08-2022 | 13:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


South Korean animation Startup Plask releases motion capture tool to democratize 3D animation
Published: 30-08-2022 | 13:10:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Plask, a 3D animation startup has unveiled its namesake premium motion capture and animation SaaS tool that makes 3D animation more accessible than ever.


EMURGO Ventures invests in DoraHacks to scale Cardano's Web3 developer pool and dApp ecosystem
Published: 30-08-2022 | 12:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EMURGO Ventures, the venture arm of EMURGO, one of the founding entities of Cardano blockchain, announced an investment into DoraHacks, a Web3 hackathon organizer.


Telit acquires California-based startup Mobilogix to provide custom IoT project and solution design services
Published: 30-08-2022 | 12:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Telit, a global leader in the Internet of Things (IoT), announced the acquisition of group assets from Mobilogix, a California-based startup company specializing in custom IoT solutions worldwide.


Nigerian fintech startup Grey raises $2m to simplify cross-border payments across Africa
Published: 29-08-2022 | 15:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian fintech startup Grey has raised $2 million in seed funding to simplify cross-border payments across Africa. The seed funding round included participation from Y Combinator, Soma Capital, Heirloom Fund and other high-profile investors.


Swiss tech startup deskbird raises $5m to accelerate growth across Europe
Published: 29-08-2022 | 14:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Copenhagen’s AI cybersecurity startup Muninn raises €2.5m seed round led by Luminar Ventures
Published: 29-08-2022 | 14:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
AI-driven cybersecurity platform Muninn, headquartered in Copenhagen, has secured a €2.5 million seed round led by Luminar Ventures, with previous investor PreSeed Ventures (PSV) participating.


Los Angeles-based startup RentSpree raises $17.3m Series B funding to propel growth in the rental market
Published: 29-08-2022 | 14:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
RentSpree, the industry's premier end-to-end rental management software provider, announced it has closed $17.3 million in Series B financing.


Kenyan startups raised $820m in VC funding in the first half of 2022, data
Published: 29-08-2022 | 14:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenya has secured an enviable position among the most competitive innovation and investment destinations in Africa. The country’s attractiveness has seen Big-Tech companies troop in to set shop in the capital, Nairobi.


Nigerian B2B e-Commerce startup Omnibiz raises $15m for expansion
Published: 29-08-2022 | 13:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Belgian startup Magnax raises €20m for axial flux “pancake” electric motors
Published: 26-08-2022 | 14:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Belgium-based Magnax, technology leader in axial flux electric motors, has closed a €20 million funding round and adds two new investors; BIG Capital, who led the round, and SFPIM.


Octopus rolls out €220m to drive green power generation, backs Exagen to build UK’s largest battery
Published: 26-08-2022 | 14:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Octopus Energy Group launched its new renewables fund Octopus Energy Development Partnership (OEDP), as the fund makes its debut investment in renewables developer Exagen to build new green energy.


Erie Insurance launches venture capital fund to accelerate innovation
Published: 26-08-2022 | 13:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Erie Insurance, an auto, home, business and life insurance company based in Erie, Pennsylvania, announced the establishment of Erie Strategic Ventures to support visionary entrepreneurs.


Mobile gaming platform startup INK Games secures $18.75m Series B financing
Published: 26-08-2022 | 13:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
INK Games (INK), an Austin-based startup building a social gaming and commerce platform, announced it has secured $18.75 million of funding through its Series B equity round.


South Korean edtech startup Day 1 Company announces plans to Dive into US
Published: 26-08-2022 | 13:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Korean edtech startup, Day 1 Company, announced plans to enter the U.S. market with the launch of a new product, Dive.


Eurobio acquires 100% of Dutch transplant diagnostics startup GenDx
Published: 25-08-2022 | 11:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Paris, France-based Eurobio Scientific (Eurobio) has reached agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Dutch-based transplant diagnostics startup GenDx for an amount of €135 million (net of adjusted cash) to be paid in cash at closing to its current shareholders.


German startup Dryad closes €10.5m Series A funding to speed up early wildfire detection technology
Published: 25-08-2022 | 11:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dryad, the only provider of solar-powered environmental sensor networks for ultra-early wildfire detection and forest monitoring, has closed €10.5m in Series A funding.


Munich-based Celonis secures $1b to fight economic and supply chain challenges
Published: 25-08-2022 | 10:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Celonis, the global player in execution management, announced it has secured an additional $1 billion in funds to accelerate its unique position to help customers thrive in challenging economic environments.


Pace raises $5m to integrate product-led growth with enterprise sales
Published: 25-08-2022 | 10:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pace, a startup building a product-led revenue platform, has raised a $5 million Seed investment led by Work-Bench. Pace simplifies the transformation from traditional enterprise sales motions to a hybrid, product-led approach.


ZEBOX America selects new batch of startups to reimagine global logistics and mobility
Published: 25-08-2022 | 10:05:35 | By: Pie Kamau
International startup incubator and accelerator ZEBOX America announced a new cohort of 9 startups, marking a key milestone as the tech hub works to reimagine and revitalize the North American supply chain, logistics, mobility and Industry 4.0 sectors.


[Startup Interview] Collins Kathuli, Co-founder and CEO, Kyanda, Kenya
Published: 24-08-2022 | 15:21:37 | By: Bob Koigi
Kyanda is a Kenyan fintech startup that offers Digital Financial Services to businesses, SMEs and citizens.


[Startup Interview] Alfiya Kayumova, CEO and co-founder, Green Growth, USA
Published: 24-08-2022 | 15:16:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Green Growth is a US-based agritech startup that runs a software and hardware-based solution consisting of a set of sensors, combined in a single infrastructure.


[Startup Interview] Jelmer Van Der Linden, Co-Founder, De HardloopSchool, Netherlands
Published: 24-08-2022 | 15:11:00 | By: Bob Koigi
De HardloopSchool is a Dutch sports and fitness startup that offer physical and online classes on running by allowing learners to run wisely, efficiently and relaxed, which reduces the risk of injury and allows one to perform to their maximum potential.


Canadian startup Vive Crop Protection closes $26m funding round to accelerate its precision chemistry platform
Published: 22-08-2022 | 13:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Vive Crop Protection announced the close of $26 million Series C investment round, led by Emmertech with participation from the Cibus funds, and existing investors Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).


Early-stage startups don't stand to benefit from Inflation Reduction Act, Kruze Consulting
Published: 22-08-2022 | 13:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 doubles the R&D Tax Credit from $250,000 to $500,000, a popular tax credit used by unprofitable startups. However, an analysis by Kruze Consulting shows that the earliest-stage startups will likely not benefit from this increased credit.


Savannah Logistics Innovation Center, Plug and Play announce first cohort of their accelerator program
Published: 22-08-2022 | 12:52:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Savannah Logistics Innovation Center (SLIC) and Plug and Play announced the first cohort of selected startup companies chosen for their accelerator program.


Japanese healthtech startup Ubie raises $26.2m Series C funding to fuel business growth in Japan and the U.S.
Published: 22-08-2022 | 12:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ubie, a Japanese healthcare AI startup with a mission to develop a healthcare guide for everyone, announced it has raised $26.2 million in the 1st round of Series C funding.


Dubai tech startup Educatly appoints LinkedIn's Executive Ali Matar to Board of Advisors
Published: 22-08-2022 | 12:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dubai-based tech startup Educatly has appointed Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn MENA and EMEA growth markets, to its Board of Advisors.


Nigerian last-mile delivery startup Kwik launches in Ibadan
Published: 22-08-2022 | 11:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Cherubic Ventures completes $110m Fund V, brings total committed capital to over $400m
Published: 19-08-2022 | 12:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cherubic Ventures announced the successful completion of the venture capital firm's Fund V at $110 million, with a total of over $400 million in committed capital under management.


UK-based Medi-science International partners with Kenyan healthtech startup Afya Rekod to enhance healthcare delivery
Published: 19-08-2022 | 11:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


BASF Venture Capital and Dutch-based Aqua-Spark invest in Sea6 Energy as part of Series B financing round
Published: 19-08-2022 | 11:32:53 | By: Pie Kamau
BASF Venture Capital, the corporate venture company of BASF SE, Germany, and Aqua-Spark, a Dutch investment fund focusing on the global aquaculture industry, are investing in Sea6 Energy as part of a Series B round.


Kenyan e-Logistics startup Lori Systems raises funding from Google to facilitate expansion efforts
Published: 19-08-2022 | 11:06:35 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan e-logistics startup Lori Systems which operates across East Africa, announced it has raised an undisclosed amount of Round B funding from Google, to facilitate the company’s expansion efforts.


Kenyan agritech startup IProcure secures $10.2m Series B funding to accelerate growth
Published: 19-08-2022 | 10:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
iProcure, Africa’s tech and data-driven agricultural inputs supply company, announced the close of a $10.2 million Series B funding round that raised debt and equity from a diverse group of international investors.


Insurtech startup Ledgebrook raises $4.2m to provide best-in-class quoting experience to wholesale brokers
Published: 17-08-2022 | 15:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ledgebrook, a Boston-based insurtech startup, announced it raised $4.2 million in seed funding to build out its operations with the goal of writing its first policies in Q4 2022.


Pomelo fintech launches with $20m seed capital
Published: 17-08-2022 | 15:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Pomelo announced a Series Seed of $20 million in venture capital and $50m in warehouse facility for a total of $70m in seed financing, and is the first company to combine credit and international money transfer.


Customer experience startup Hark raises >$1.5m to build a new video-focused support channel
Published: 17-08-2022 | 14:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Hark, a New York-based customer experience startup, has raised more than $1.5 million to launch a new, video-based customer experience channel aimed at helping companies deliver a best-in-class experience while decreasing costs.


Explo raises $12m Series A funding to build customer-facing analytics, releases self-serve onboarding
Published: 17-08-2022 | 13:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Explo, a customer-facing analytics solution for sharing data across any platform, announced $12 million in Series A funding, bringing the company's total amount raised to $15 million.


South African gaming startup Skrmiish secures $2.5m seed round to speed growth
Published: 17-08-2022 | 13:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cape Town-based Skrmiish, a mobile “play-to-earn” app that enables gamers of every level to earn cash in every match they play across the AAA+ games they love, has raised a $2.5 million seed round to speed its global growth.


AI gaming and Esports startup Regression Games exits stealth with $4.2m seed funding from NEA and a16z
Published: 16-08-2022 | 17:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Regression Games, the AI gaming and esports company announced it has closed $4.2 million in seed funding led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA).


Bush Foundation invests $1.5m in Brown Venture Group to widen investment door for Black, Indigenous and Latinx entrepreneurs
Published: 16-08-2022 | 17:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Brown Venture Group announced it will receive an investment of up to $1.5 million from the Bush Foundation.


Budmail announces partnership with Canadian AI startup Lil Durk
Published: 16-08-2022 | 16:40:53 | By: Pie Kamau
Lil Durk (LilDurk.com), a Canadian news & technology company enhanced by AI-driven neural networks, has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Budmail, a retail-focused cannabis company.


Agya Ventures closes $32m fund to back early-stage startups shaping the future of real estate and metaverse
Published: 16-08-2022 | 16:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Agya Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage real estate and construction technology, announced the close of its $32 million fund ('Fund I').


Equinor Ventures joins climatetech startup incubator Greentown Labs as newest Terawatt Partner
Published: 16-08-2022 | 16:16:54 | By: Pie Kamau
Greentown Labs, the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America, announced that Equinor Ventures has joined as its newest Terawatt Partner, the highest level of partnership with the incubator and its community of climatetech startups.


Philadelphia-based startup Stimulus raises $2.5m oversubscribed seed round to help companies build better supplier relationships
Published: 15-08-2022 | 13:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Stimulus, a Philadelphia-based relationship intelligence (SaaS) startup in the supply chain space, raised an oversubscribed $2.5 million seed round led by Black Ops VC.


Dropbase raises $1.75m round to help import, manage, and query messy CSVs and Excel files in analytical databases
Published: 15-08-2022 | 12:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dropbase, the collaborative data import and data management platform, raised a $1.75 million round led by Gradient Ventures (Google's AI-focused venture fund).


South African agritech disruptor AgriKool drives down food costs for consumers, increases profits for farmers
Published: 15-08-2022 | 12:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
AgriKool, a South African e-trading platform, is connecting agricultural producers to buyers to facilitate the sale of products between retailers and farmers.


SaaS startup Klavi raises $15m to grow open finance solution, develop new B2B products
Published: 15-08-2022 | 12:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Klavi, a SaaS platform in data aggregation, analytics, and API services, who aims to empower companies with its Open Finance solutions , has just received an investment of $15 million.


Las Vegas startup Boxabl raises capital to continue disrupting the housing market
Published: 15-08-2022 | 11:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Las Vegas based startup Boxabl announced an undisclosed capital raise to continue disrupting the housing market.


UK-based Conversational intelligence startup Jiminny raises €16.5m to fuel international expansion
Published: 12-08-2022 | 12:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Jiminny, a UK headquartered conversation intelligence provider supporting sales teams across the world, has closed a $16.5 million series A funding round led by Kennet Partners, a transatlantic growth equity firm.


Taiwanese martech startup Wavenet raises $3m series B round to expand in Japan and North America
Published: 12-08-2022 | 12:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Taiwanese marketing technology (martech) startup Wavenet, announced the raise of $3 million in series B round, to expand its operations to Japan and North America, and hire more international talents to join the team.


West makes minority investment in Dublin-based vaccine and biologics startup Latch Medical
Published: 12-08-2022 | 11:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
West Pharmaceutical Services, a global player in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration, announced it has made a strategic investment in Latch Medical, a Dublin-based startup leading in next-generation vaccine and biologics delivery technology.


Crowdfunding platforms StartEngine and Indiegogo team up to help startups raise capital from ideation to Series C
Published: 12-08-2022 | 11:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Crowdfunding platforms Indiegogo and StartEngine have teamed up to ensure that startups have continuous access to the capital they need.


Modern intranet startup Haystack announces Connect, a tool to foster deeper relationships among colleagues
Published: 12-08-2022 | 11:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Haystack, the modern intranet company making big companies feel smaller, rolled out Connect - a feature that uses first-party employee-profile data to intelligently pair employees.


T-Mobile accelerator startup Krikey brings NFT puppies to the Flow blockchain
Published: 12-08-2022 | 11:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Krikey, a gaming studio with more than 5 million users, announced the launch of SolarPups on the Flow blockchain.


German tech startup Cyanite announces new investors to support vision of universal music translation
Published: 10-08-2022 | 12:42:42 | By: Pie Kamau
Cyanite, a German tech company with various solutions in AI-powered music tagging and search, has closed an investment round with leading entrepreneurs from the music and technology industries.


Chinese Grand Pharma backs Dutch medtech Xeltis with €15m
Published: 10-08-2022 | 12:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Xeltis, a medtech company developing the most advanced polymer-based restorative cardiovascular devices, announced that a Chinese company, Grand Pharmaceutical Group, has committed to invest €15 million in equity and license fees.


Income verification startup Truework raises $50m Series C funding to accelerate growth
Published: 10-08-2022 | 12:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Truework, a fintech startup that provides income and employment verification for the nation's largest mortgage, auto, and consumer lenders to approve more borrowers in a fraction of the time, announced it raised $50 million in Series C funding.


Web3 infrastructure firm Fortress Blockchain Technologies announces $22.5m seed funding
Published: 10-08-2022 | 12:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Fortress Blockchain Technologies announced it has raised Seed funding of $22.5 million led by Ayon Capital. The round also included Soaring Investment Management, Fortress' founder Scott Purcell.


Bain Capital leads $12m seed round for scalable blockchain startup RISC Zero
Published: 10-08-2022 | 11:35:00 | By: Pie Kamau
RISC Zero announced a $12 million seed round led by Bain Capital Crypto. Follow-on investors include Geometry, D1 Ventures and Cota Capital among others.


Canadian AI startup Proto raises $5.6m Series A funding to accelerate global expansion
Published: 10-08-2022 | 10:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Canadian startup Proto announced it has raised $5.6 million Series A round led by Mucker Capital with participation from Yolo Investments for the global expansion of its AI Customer Experience (AICX) solutions.


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.


German space tech startup LiveEO secures €19m to bring space data insights to Industry 4.0
Published: 08-08-2022 | 10:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Israeli AI mobility Nexar acquires Portuguese startup Veniam to open unlimited possibilities for data-rich mobility applications
Published: 08-08-2022 | 10:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nexar, an AI mobility company, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Veniam, the provider of intelligent networking for the internet of moving things.


Kenyan mobile commerce startup Copia unveils manufacturing unit for sugar and rice production
Published: 08-08-2022 | 09:48:39 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Involta partners with tech startup HacWare to expand enterprise cybersecurity awareness services
Published: 08-08-2022 | 09:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Involta, a data center, hybrid IT, and cloud-forward consulting firm, announced a partnership with HacWare, an AI-driven cybersecurity awareness and training SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) product that combines threat intelligence with user behavior.


Israeli cybersecurity startup Canonic Security launches AppTotal API to streamline app-vetting for security teams
Published: 08-08-2022 | 09:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Canonic Security, a Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity startup providing a platform controlling third-party applications and integrations, announced the launch of the AppTotal API.


London-based VC firm Flashpoint unveils $102m close of its VCIII fund, secures first institutional investment partner
Published: 05-08-2022 | 13:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Venture capital firm JVP expands operations in New York, welcomes new partners and investors
Published: 05-08-2022 | 13:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Venture capital firm JVP announced it is expanding its activities in New York. Along with new investments in Fintech, Blockchain, Cyber, Climatech, Foodtech, and Digital Health, the fund has focused on growth.


Digital government and payments startup PayIt closes $90m growth investment fund
Published: 05-08-2022 | 12:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
PayIt, the company modernizing interactions between governments and residents, has closed a $90 million investment from Macquarie Capital Principal Finance.


Data collaboration startup Sympatic raises pre-seed round to revolutionize zero-copy data use
Published: 05-08-2022 | 12:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Sympatic, a data collaboration platform that allows users to create and manage safe data sandboxes in their cloud of choice, announced it has raised a pre-seed round of funding led by Saltagen Ventures with participation from ScaleGood Fund.


Top Tier Capital Partners raises $925m to invest in its Velocity strategy
Published: 05-08-2022 | 11:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Top Tier Capital Partners (TTCP) announced it has closed on $925 million in new capital commitments for Top Tier Venture Velocity Fund 4 (VVF4), as well as a collection of separate accounts, one of which focuses on late-stage climate tech co-investments.


Kenyan insurtech startup Lami Technologies raises $3.7m to expand across Africa
Published: 05-08-2022 | 11:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenya-based insurtech startup Lami Technologies has raised a $ 3.7 million seed extension to expand its insurtech product across Africa.


Canadian news and technology startup startup Lil Durk raises $20m to reduce misinformation
Published: 03-08-2022 | 15:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Lil Durk (LilDurk.com), a Canadian news and technology startup enhanced by A.I.-driven neural networks, announced it has raised an additional $20 million in equity through a private funding round led by Alexander Elder.


Product search engine startup Vetted raises $15m to vet trustworthy product data for consumers
Published: 03-08-2022 | 15:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Boston-based crypto fund startup Triblock emerges out of stealth
Published: 03-08-2022 | 14:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Triblock, a Boston-based investment and advisory firm co-founded in 2019 by Matt Batsinelas and Bennett Collen, announced the startup has emerged out of stealth, after making over 20 investments while operating in stealth.


Autonomous robotics delivery startup Ottonomy closes $3.3m seed financing round
Published: 03-08-2022 | 14:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ottonomy.IO, the autonomous robotics delivery startup, announced the close of its seed funding round of $3.3 million bringing its total funding to date to $4.9 million, supporting the scale of Ottobots for fully autonomous airport, retail and restaurant deliveries.


Israel Natural Gas Lines invests in monitoring infrastructure startup Prisma Photonics
Published: 03-08-2022 | 13:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Israel Natural Gas Lines (INGL), announced a strategic investment in Prisma Photonics, a startup that develops advanced system for monitoring critical infrastructure in real time.


VMG Catalyst closes $400m Fund II to scale commerce venture capital space
Published: 03-08-2022 | 13:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Kenyan-based startup FaidiHR secures funding, eyes expansion
Published: 02-08-2022 | 15:48:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The startup, which offers digital human resource solutions to African companies, said they would use the investment to expand their business in East Africa, eyeing entry into Uganda, Tanzania and DRC.


Dutch home sustainability startup Woon Duurzaam receives €2.2m financing for further scaling up
Published: 02-08-2022 | 14:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
EIT InnoEnergy supported Woon Duurzaam has received €2.2 million in a second investment round. The money will come from new investors Oneplanetcrowd and ROM InWest, and from existing shareholders EIT InnoEnergy and DOEN Participaties.


Madrid-based healthtech startup Idoven raises €18.5m to develop its AI platform
Published: 02-08-2022 | 14:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
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.


Israeli startup Frontegg raises $40m to solve user management for B2B SaaS
Published: 02-08-2022 | 13:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Frontegg, the user management platform for B2B apps, announced a $40 million in series B funding co-led by Stripes and global software investor Insight Partners.


Taiwanese tech startup Cubo Ai launches new sleep sensor pad to boost AI baby monitoring system
Published: 02-08-2022 | 13:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
To further boost the safety of newborn babies as well as the peace of mind of parents, Taiwanese tech startup Cubo Ai has launched a new product to augment its award-winning Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monitor - the AI Sleep Sensor Pad.


Taiwanese startup PrecisemAb announces progress towards vision of safest antibody treatment with no side effects
Published: 02-08-2022 | 13:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
PrecisemAb Biotech, a biotechnology research company based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, announced it has continued to stay true to its vision of enhancing antibody drugs by reducing side effects.


Francisco-based foodtech startup Lypid partners with Louisa Coffee to bring plant based burger patties
Published: 02-08-2022 | 12:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Lypid, a global leader in alternative fat, announced its partnership with Louisa Coffee, the largest coffeehouse company in Taiwan, to serve juicy, meaty plant-based burger patties to over 500 shops nationwide.


Battery tech startup Britishvolt confirms UK Government funding boost for its battery cell gigaplant
Published: 01-08-2022 | 11:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Battery technology pioneer Britishvolt confirmed funding from the UK Government through its Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) run by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK following a confirmation letter.


Kenyan wealth-tech startup Ndovu partners with Tulix to empower Africa’s diaspora to invest back home
Published: 01-08-2022 | 11:04:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Africa’s wealth management platform Ndovu has announced a strategic partnership withTulix, an Antler & Catalyst Fund portfolio company.


Biotech startup Novasenta completes $40m Series A to advance novel cancer therapeutics
Published: 01-08-2022 | 10:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Novasenta, a biotechnology startup focused on the discovery and validation of novel targets to develop cancer therapies, today announced the completion of $40 million in Series A financing led by UPMC Enterprises.


Golden Gate Ventures announces new hires to bolster startup golden triangle growth
Published: 01-08-2022 | 09:54:47 | By: Pie Kamau
Golden Gate Ventures, a venture capital fund in Southeast Asia (SEA) founded by Silicon Valley natives, announced the expansion of its Vietnam and Indonesia teams.


Taiwanese Startup Mindtronic AI opens way to the future of mobility with Meta-Service ecosystem
Published: 01-08-2022 | 09:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mindtronic AI, a Taiwan-based startup, unveiled the world's first Meta-Service, a biometric sensing technology that provides instant access to any visible object in the real world.


U.S.-based compliance startup Kompliant closes $14m seed round to accelerate growth
Published: 01-08-2022 | 09:33:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kompliant, the U.S.-based compliance startup closed a $14 million seed round led by Level One Fund. Kompliant solves for end-to-end compliance lifecycle management through leading-edge technology and innovative workflows.


TDK Ventures invests in XCOM Labs' vision for a high-speed wireless future
Published: 25-05-2022 | 14:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
TDK Corporation announced that subsidiary TDK Ventures, has invested in wireless communications disruptor XCOM Labs to expedite the development of their 5G and wireless communications solutions.


A5G Networks startup announces funding from Bharat Innovation Fund to accelerate growth
Published: 24-05-2022 | 16:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
A5G Networks, a player in Distributed and Autonomous 5G Core Network Software for private and public networks, announced an investment by Bharat Innovation Fund, a deeptech focused venture capital fund in India.


[Column] Berenice Chassagne: Engaged Employee Experience: Balancing human and technology
Published: 09-05-2022 | 13:34:07 | By: Bob Koigi
​​​​​​​Employee engagement is a key driver of the overall performance of a business.


IFC invests in Algebra Ventures to support Egyptian tech startups, drive innovation
Published: 21-04-2022 | 11:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
To support tech startups with access to finance and drive innovation and job creation primarily in Egypt, IFC announced an investment in the second fund from venture capital firm Algebra Ventures.


AT&T joins Ericsson's 5G Startup Program to develop new consumer technology
Published: 22-02-2022 | 11:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
AT&T has joined Ericsson's Startup 5G program, a 5G innovation collaboration driven by Ericsson's ConsumerLab that assists communications service providers (CSPs) with commercialization and monetization of 5G.


Online platforms lift the fortunes of Kenyan artists
Published: 21-01-2022 | 14:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Kenyan artists have not been left behind and are embracing digital platforms with impressive results.


Swedish-Kenyan electric vehicle tech startup Opibus launches first electric bus designed and developed in Africa
Published: 21-01-2022 | 13:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Swedish-Kenyan electric vehicle technology startup Opibus has introduced the first all-electric bus in Kenya as well as the first African designed electric bus ever.


Tech startups key to Africa’s digital transformation but urgently need investment, report
Published: 21-01-2022 | 13:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The World Economic Forum’s latest report, “Attracting Investment and Accelerating Adoption for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa” analyses the challenges Africa faces in joining the global knowledge-based digital economy.


Kenya's Poa Internet announces first close of $28m financing round by Africa50
Published: 18-01-2022 | 15:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Poa Internet and Africa50 announced the completion of Africa50’s equity investment into Poa. This funding is part of the $28 million financing round led by Africa50.


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.


Nigeria tech startups raised $1.7billion in 2021, report
Published: 20-12-2021 | 14:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Since the beginning of 2021, Africa-based tech startups have raised more than $2.9 billion with Nigerian startups which are creating new products, services, and platforms raising $1.7 billion of this total or about 60% of it, a new report has found.


[Startup Interview] Dave Withers, CEO, Vertis, USA
Published: 30-11-2021 | 13:53:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Vertis is a US-based startup that leverages billions of data points and proprietary data science to help business leaders implement data-driven talent and location strategies.


Tony Elumelu Foundation targets 5,000 African SMEs with entrepreneurship training and funding
Published: 17-11-2021 | 19:02:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the philanthropy empowering African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, has selected 4,949 entrepreneurs from across Africa for its 2021 Entrepreneurship Programme.


Compliance startup Laika raises $35m Series B to help companies ace security audits
Published: 03-11-2021 | 12:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Laika, the industry's first unified compliance-as-a-service platform, announced it has closed $35 million in Series B funding led by J.P. Morgan Growth Equity Partners with participation from PayPal Ventures.


Walden Catalyst Ventures closes $550 million fund to target deep tech investments
Published: 02-11-2021 | 15:33:33 | By: Bob Koigi
Investors in the fund include leading institutional LPs, as well as the CEOs of some of the world’s largest tech corporations.


Digital postage stamp startup Stamp Free launches AI-based postal tracking app
Published: 02-11-2021 | 15:29:29 | By: Bob Koigi
Stamp Free Limited, the digital postage stamp company, has launched its new Digitrack app, an AI-based postal validation and tracking app for carriers.


Berlin-based investment platform Moonfare raises $125m Series C to accelerate global growth
Published: 02-11-2021 | 13:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Moonfare, the digital private equity investment platform for individual investors, raised $125 million in Series C funding, led by New York-based Insight Partners, to continue to develop innovative investment solutions and accelerate its international expansion.


Kenyan fintech startup Kwara partners with Lami Technologies to give SACCO members access to insurance products
Published: 02-11-2021 | 12:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan digital banking fintech startup Kwara has partnered with insurance technology company, Lami Technologies, to provide SACCO members with affordable and transformational insurance products.


Kenyan-based payroll startup Workpay expands to Nigeria
Published: 02-11-2021 | 11:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Workpay, a Nairobi-based YC graduate, is expanding its operations to Nigeria. The cloud-based workforce management startup will now offer Core HR, Payroll, and employee record services to organizations in the country.


Israeli mobile app startup Bites raises $5m seed funding for next-gen employee-communications and training application
Published: 22-10-2021 | 14:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bites, a game-changing player in the employee communications and training industry, announced the completion of its seed funding round, raising $5 million.


Nortal acquires minority stake in cybersecurity startup Talgen
Published: 20-10-2021 | 15:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Digital transformation company Nortal has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire minority stake in the cybersecurity startup Talgen to bolster cybersecurity capabilities and unlock new opportunities in Europe, North America, and the GCC countries.


Israeli deep learning development startup Deci raises $21m to accelerate commercial growth
Published: 20-10-2021 | 15:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Deci, the deep learning development company that helps enterprises build, optimize, and deploy AI to production, announced it has raised a $21 million Series A round led by New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners.


Google selects nine Kenyan startups to receive equity-free funding via its Africa Investment Fund
Published: 19-10-2021 | 07:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
During its very first “Google for Africa” event held early this month, Google announced it will be investing up to $50 million in African early- and growth-stage startups via its Africa Investment Fund.


Google to invest $50m equity-based fund in African startups
Published: 15-10-2021 | 10:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Tech giant Google announced it plans to invest up to $50 million in African early- and growth-stage startups via its Africa Investment Fund.


[Startup Interview] Femi Apesin, OnePipe Growth & Marketing Lead, Nigeria
Published: 08-10-2021 | 14:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Femi Apesin is the Head of Growth and Marketing at OnePipe, a Nigerian startup that has raised almost US$1 million in a pre-seed round with a plan to make API integration seamless for banks and fintech companies.


Delivery startup Glovo expands its African footprints
Published: 23-09-2021 | 16:02:01 | By: Pie Kamau
Leading multi-category delivery platform Glovo recently announced the expansion of its operations in Africa, to include Ghana and Tunisia, bringing its current operations to a total of seven countries on the continent.


[Column] Patrick Ndegwa: Growing a successful tech startup in Kenya, 4 key elements
Published: 23-09-2021 | 15:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The tech scene in Kenya is thriving. Even amid a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and election fever, our dynamic African country has found a way to cut through the clutter and establish itself as the world’s ‘Silicon Savannah’.


UCLG Africa and 01Talent Africa target over 500,000 youth with digital training
Published: 23-09-2021 | 13:00:00 | By: Bob Koigi
The UCLG Africa - 01Talent partnership aims to train more than 500,000 talents on the continent free of charge and according to the best global standards over the next 10 years.


Rose Technology startup raises $5.5m seed round to change the way companies generate revenue from data
Published: 22-09-2021 | 16:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Rose Technology, founded by data scientist and former global macro investor Alexander Campbell, raised $5.5 million to change the way data-driven companies collect, analyze, and generate revenue from data.


Employee wellness early-stage tech startup Three Good announces seed round to fuel growth
Published: 22-09-2021 | 16:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
A new employee wellness technology startup based in Los Angeles, Three Good, announced its seed round of funding. The employee well-being platform leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) and traditional Psychology best practices to beat employee burnout.


Berlin-based Workist exits stealth to create global AI business connectivity layer
Published: 17-09-2021 | 11:39:10 | By: Pie Kamau
Workist, the company applying cutting-edge, deep-learning technology to automate business transactions, exited stealth and introduced its flagship product WorKI, an intelligent document processing tool that leverages advanced artificial intelligence.


Canadian machine learning startup Private AI secures $3.15m seed round to streamline privacy compliance for enterprises
Published: 16-09-2021 | 12:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Private AI, a developer of privacy-preserving machine learning and natural language processing tools, announced it has secured $3.15 million in seed funding to improve its product offering.


ITRI partners with Arm to provide resources for innovative IC design startups in Taiwan
Published: 15-09-2021 | 16:49:37 | By: Pie Kamau
To promote Taiwanese local IC design startups, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is supporting the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Arm, in providing critical resources.


Canadian machine learning startup CruxOCM raises $6m venture financing to accelerate growth
Published: 15-09-2021 | 16:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
CruxOCM, the pioneer of robotic industrial process automation (RIPA) for control room operations, announced it has raised $6 million in venture financing to fuel growth.


Tech startup KUDO launches live captioning for multilingual meetings
Published: 14-09-2021 | 16:23:01 | By: Pie Kamau
KUDO Inc., the multilingual meeting SaaS company built around a B2B managed marketplace powered by the largest network of professional conference interpreters, announced the addition of live captioning to its list of platform features.


Huobi Ventures launches $10m fund to accelerate innovative GameFi projects
Published: 14-09-2021 | 15:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Huobi Ventures, the global investment arm of Huobi Group, announced the launch of a new $10 million fund to invest in emerging GameFi projects around the world.


Next-gen research platform Litmaps closes $125K seed-stage investment from Quidnet Ventures
Published: 02-09-2021 | 12:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Litmaps, a Science software company based in Wellington, New Zealand has received NZ$125,000 in funding from Quidnet Ventures, a New Zealand-based venture capital fund with operations in Auckland, NZ, San Francisco and New York.


Egyptian B2B e-commerce startup MaxAB acquires distribution platform WaystoCap
Published: 25-08-2021 | 13:05:58 | By: Bob Koigi
MaxAB, Egyptian B2B e-commerce platform that serves food and grocery retailers, has acquired WaystoCap, the Morocco-based B2B e-commerce and distribution platform that connects retailers with suppliers across Africa.


Four Southern Africa’s innovative legal startups proceed to HiiL Justice Accelerator
Published: 17-08-2021 | 12:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) has announced the four startups that will go on to the prestigious HiiL Justice Accelerator. The four innovators are part of a global cohort of 18 organisations who will receive €10 000 funding and business development support.


Ghanaian startup Plendify launches B2B e-Commerce marketplace
Published: 17-08-2021 | 12:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Ghanaian startup Plendify has launched a B2B e-Commerce marketplace to connect customers with small and large African wholesalers, manufacturers, exporters, and importers.


Ecobank launches 2021 edition of its fintech challenge for African startups
Published: 11-08-2021 | 12:59:14 | By: Pie Kamau
The pan-African banking group, Ecobank group, is inviting African fintech entrepreneurs to join the 4th edition of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge.


Naspers Foundry leads $8.3m Series A investment in South African insurtech startup Naked
Published: 06-08-2021 | 14:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Naspers, through its early-stage tech investment vehicle Naspers Foundry, invested $8.3 million (R120 million) in Naked, the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven insurtech startup that offers full digital insurance to cars, homes, and valuables.


Tech executive Mark Bregman launches Quidnet Ventures, a venture capital fund based in New Zealand
Published: 03-08-2021 | 12:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Mark Bregman, a successful tech executive and entrepreneur, has launched Quidnet Ventures, a venture capital fund based in New Zealand and operated out of New Zealand, San Francisco and New York City.


Philadelphia Eagles Rookie Wide Receiver Devonta Smith joins tech startup LifeBrand
Published: 03-08-2021 | 12:24:40 | By: Pie Kamau
LifeBrand, a tech startup that offers solutions to help build and protect personal and corporate brands on social media, has teamed up with Philadelphia Eagles Rookie Wide Receiver DeVonta Smith to take their game to the next level.


Confluera named top cybersecurity startup in 2021 Black Unicorn Awards
Published: 03-08-2021 | 11:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Confluera, the provider of next-generation cloud detection and response, has been named a winner in the "Top 10 Cybersecurity Startups" category of this year's 2021 Black Unicorn Awards, by Cyber Defense Magazine.


Expert DOJO commits $5m to invest in female-founded African startups
Published: 30-07-2021 | 15:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Expert DOJO is committing $5 million fund to invest in early-stage African startups over the next 6-months. Expert DOJO will host the Africa-only cohort this September, marking the beginning of a long-term commitment.


Nigerian healthtech startup Field Intelligence expands into eleven new cities across East and West Africa
Published: 29-07-2021 | 14:26:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian healthtech startup Field Intelligence announced its expansion into Rivers, Edo, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Delta and Kwara States in Nigeria, and Eldoret, Mombasa, Kisumu and Naivasha in Kenya.


Middle East startup Workfam joins disruptive tech portfolio of GELLIFY and Azimut
Published: 27-07-2021 | 12:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
UAE based startup, Workfam, the employee engagement SaaS platform that supports organizations with their mission to create a happy, healthy, and highly engaged workforce, has joined the portfolio of GELLIFY.


Workflow startup Symbolic Frameworks launches from stealth to debut Protagonist, a visual and collaborative decision-making app
Published: 23-07-2021 | 16:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Symbolic Frameworks (Symbolic), a provider of workflow applications that help make idea generation, decision making, and prioritization more collaborative, faster and higher quality, is launching from stealth.


Oxford Foundry partners with FMDQ Private Markets to accelerate Nigeria’s startup ecosystem
Published: 23-07-2021 | 15:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Oxford Foundry and FMDQ Private Markets have launched a global partnership to accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem.


BIND 4.0 opens sixth call for innovative tech startups around the world
Published: 21-07-2021 | 13:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Open Innovation & Acceleration Program, BIND 4.0, has just launched its sixth edition open call to search for the most innovative technology startups around the world.


Israeli Start-Up Nation Central appoints Avi Hasson as new CEO
Published: 16-07-2021 | 14:45:52 | By: Pie Kamau
Start-Up Nation Central, the independent not-for-profit organization connecting global corporations, investors, and governments to the Israeli tech innovation ecosystem, announced the appointment of Avi Hasson as its next Chief Executive Officer.


Frisco-based startup Apty raises $7.5m Series A funding to grow its DAP software
Published: 14-07-2021 | 13:03:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) Apty secured $7.5 million in Series A funding. Apty develops DAP software catering to Enterprises with complex business processes, enabling them to maximize the adoption of software and processes.


Banque Misr partners with Microsoft to support fintech startups in Egypt
Published: 14-07-2021 | 12:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Banque Misr signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with Microsoft Egypt to launch the first open innovation program in the Egyptian market, enabling a spurt in fintech startup growth.


Kenyan startup Marketforce appoints Ore Omolaja as Country Manager, Head of Business for Nigeria
Published: 14-07-2021 | 12:06:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Marketforce, the Kenyan-based B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods and digital financial services in Africa, announced the appointment of Ore Omolaja as the Nigeria Country Manager and Head of Business, effective 15th July 2021.


South African startup Omnisient raises $1.4m for global expansion
Published: 14-07-2021 | 11:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Omnisient, a secure data collaboration platform, has achieved its second raise this year totalling $1.4 million. The investments will be used to expand the Omnisient team, accelerate product development and drive international expansion.


Miami-based startup GathR Virtual Studios raises $2.7m to evolutionize hybrid working
Published: 12-07-2021 | 16:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Miami-based startup, GathR Virtual Studios completed a pre-seed round to fund its innovative take on the widely used two-dimensional home-office meeting "apps" made popular during the COVID-19 shutdown.


Hypersonic tech startup Velontra names Retired Major General Craig Whelden as its Inaugural President
Published: 12-07-2021 | 15:10:54 | By: Pie Kamau
Retired Major General Craig Whelden has been named the Inaugural President of Velontra, a startup with the mind power to accelerate America's development of hypersonic technology.


IFC invests in Vantage Capital’s mezzanine fund to support fast-growing companies in Africa
Published: 12-07-2021 | 14:56:00 | By: Pie Kamau
IFC announced an investment in a new mezzanine fund managed by Vantage Capital, a mezzanine funding provider on the continent, which will provide capital to fast-growing companies in Africa.


Customer experience startup Officium Labs launches WorkForward brand
Published: 08-07-2021 | 11:24:59 | By: Pie Kamau
Officium Labs, a unique customer experience startup, has launched a new suite of enhanced workforce management (WFM) tools under the brand "WorkForward."


Kameo startup launches vaccine passport for the entertainment production industry
Published: 02-07-2021 | 13:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kameo, the provider of flexible mobile COVID-19 testing services for the entertainment production industry, announced the launch of its vaccine passport, an additional feature on its digital platform.


Tech startup Drata raises $25m Series A to accelerate rapid growth of its security and compliance automation platform
Published: 24-06-2021 | 13:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Drata, a next-gen security and compliance automation company, announced $25 million in Series A funding led by GGV Capital. The new financing comes six months after the company's initial seed round and launch out of stealth.


Cybersecurity startup Hive Pro secures $3m in seed funding
Published: 23-06-2021 | 14:27:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Silicon Valley-based Hive Pro, creator of Predictive Vulnerability Analytics (PVA), announced it has closed $3 million in seed financing led by Simpra Holdings.


Ethiopian-based startup Gabeya launches its revamped marketplace
Published: 22-06-2021 | 12:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Gabeya, the Pan-African source for freelance professional talent, has expanded its revamped marketplace, the first of its kind in terms of reach in Africa.


SynFutures startup raises $14m Series A funding to democratize derivative markets
Published: 18-06-2021 | 12:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Decentralized derivatives exchange SynFutures, announced the close of a $14 million Series A round of financing led by Polychain Capital with participation from Framework, Pantera Capital, Bybit, Wintermute, CMS, Kronos, and IOSG Ventures.


Farmtech startup Iron Ox hires first CFO, Head of Marketing as company prepares for growth
Published: 18-06-2021 | 12:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Iron Ox, a farming innovation company with deep expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence, hired its first Chief Financial Officer and its first Head of Marketing as the company accelerates growth and expands its commercial footprint.


IFC launches program to support startups expand across the Maghreb region
Published: 08-06-2021 | 12:24:00 | By: Pie Kamau
IFC launched a new advisory program aimed at making it easier for startups in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, expand their operations across North Africa.


Moroccan Digital Development Agency, GrowIN Portugal launch initiative to support startups internationalization
Published: 07-06-2021 | 14:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Moroccan Digital Development Agency (ADD) and GrowIN Portugal have launched an initiative to support Moroccan and Portuguese startups internationalization by signing a strategic agreement.


Kenya's Industrialization Ministry launches Startup Savanna, a business acceleration programme for early-stage startups
Published: 04-06-2021 | 08:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Kenyan Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development (MoITED), launched Startup Savanna, an international business acceleration programme that will link Kenyan startups to global angel investors.


Cloud startup Golioth announces private beta launch and $2.5m seed round
Published: 03-06-2021 | 14:13:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Golioth, the cloud platform for hardware developers, announced a $2.5 million seed round in conjunction with a private beta launch for developers.


Networking startup Linq completes $2.5m seed round fundraise to accelerate growth
Published: 28-05-2021 | 13:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Linq, a networking tech startup, announced the successful completion of a $2.5 million seed round fundraise led by Mucker Capital. The investment will largely be used to grow the Linq team.


Aussie legaltech startup goes global wiith COVID-19 diagnosis tool
Published: 26-05-2021 | 16:15:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Australian legaltech startup Rulestar is demonstrating how its software, built to automate complex legal documents, can improve COVID-19 decision-making.


Canadian startup OpenUnit closes $1m seed round for expansion
Published: 24-05-2021 | 14:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
OpenUnit, a Y Combinator-backed all-in-one commerce platform for self-storage facilities, announced that it has raised a $1 million seed investment round with participation from luminaries in the real estate and technology industries.


Chinese AI robotics startup Mech-Mind completes Series C funding
Published: 24-05-2021 | 14:31:35 | By: Pie Kamau
Chinese AI industrial robotics startup, Mech-Mind Robotics (Mech-Mind), completed Series C funding led by tech giant Meituan, bringing Mech-Mind's total funding to over $100 million, making Mech-Mind one of the world's most funded AI+ industrial robotics startups.


Five women-led tech startups awarded $10k funding by Standard Chartered Women in Tech Incubator in Kenya
Published: 20-05-2021 | 14:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Standard Chartered Bank has awarded 5 women-led businesses with KES 1,000,000 each. The businesses were picked from the 4th cohort of the Standard Chartered Bank Women in Tech incubation program.


Canadian startup Agnostiq secures $2m seed round to further develop SaaS-based quantum solutions
Published: 14-05-2021 | 12:16:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Agnostiq, Inc., the quantum computing SaaS startup, has raised $2 million in seed funding to support the continued development of its software platform.


[Column] Achare Takor: Incentives for promoting innovative ICT start-ups in Cameroon
Published: 13-05-2021 | 13:56:31 | By: Bob Koigi
With ICT set to become the engine of development in Cameroon in its role as a hub in the Central Africa sub-region, the 2021 tax scheme has been updated to promote innovative ICT start-ups.


Israeli AI-powered identity and security management startup Authomize secures $16m to accelerate growth
Published: 13-05-2021 | 12:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Authomize, the Identity and Security Management Platform (IDSM), announced the close of $16 million in Series A funding. Innovation Endeavors led the round with participation from return investors Blumberg Capital, Entree Capital and M12.


Venture capital firm TampaBay.Ventures launches $20m seed fund to support regional tech startups
Published: 12-05-2021 | 11:19:00 | By: Pie Kamau
New venture capital firm TampaBay.Ventures, has launched its first $20 million seed fund in order to support the growing tech scene in the Tampa Bay region.


Robotics startup ViaBot announces public launch with $6.1m in funding
Published: 11-05-2021 | 11:11:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ViaBot, a robotics startup bringing maintenance and management automation to large properties, announced its public launch with $6.1 million in funding.


The Batchery introduces next wave of innovative startups in Berkeley, California
Published: 06-05-2021 | 11:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Batchery announced its 12th Demo Day featuring eleven early-stage startups from the Berkeley-based incubator's intensive Deep Dive program.


Asset management startup JupiterOne raises $30m Series B funding to accelerate growth
Published: 05-05-2021 | 13:05:00 | By: Pie Kamau
JupiterOne, the provider of cyber asset management and governance solutions, announced a $30-million Series B funding round led by Sapphire Ventures to support the company's rapid growth in revenue, customers, and employees.


interviewIA secures $2m seed round to expand HR tech product offerings
Published: 04-05-2021 | 12:17:00 | By: Pie Kamau
interviewIA, a technology platform that manages all aspects of the job interview workflow to enable the coexistence of equitable and efficient hiring, has raised $2 million in its seed round.


South Korean Government attracts global startups with its acceleration program K-Startup Grand Challenge 2021
Published: 30-04-2021 | 12:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Startups from around the world are now able to apply to K-Startup Grand Challenge 2021, South Korea's government-backed global acceleration program.


Lacuna Fund announces second round of funding to projects supporting Natural Language Processing technologies Across Africa
Published: 29-04-2021 | 16:13:59 | By: Pie Kamau
The partner organisations behind Lacuna Fund implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, announced the second cohort of supported projects.


Israeli enterprise AI startup BeyondMinds joins NVIDIA Inception
Published: 28-04-2021 | 17:00:12 | By: Pie Kamau
BeyondMinds, the enterprise AI startup that has built the first universally applicable and easily adaptable AI platform providing production-grade AI solutions at rapid speed, announced it has joined NVIDIA Inception.


Suntory America, Runway partner to scout, engage and invest in startups
Published: 28-04-2021 | 16:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Runway Innovation Hub, a Silicon Valley innovation consulting company, announced its partnership with Suntory America, one of the world's consumer products companies.


Accenture invests in Nigerian fintech startup Okra
Published: 27-04-2021 | 15:47:20 | By: Pie Kamau
Accenture announced an investment, through Accenture Ventures, in Nigeria-based fintech company Okra, an open finance data infrastructure startup serving the rapidly expanding African financial services market.


Data transformation startup Veryfi raises Series A to unlock unstructured data power
Published: 27-04-2021 | 10:38:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Veryfi, an AI-based data transformation platform for enterprise and technology corporations, announced a $12 million Series A financing round led by NewView Capital.


Fact.MR redefines the way startups access market research
Published: 21-04-2021 | 12:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The number one reason for startup failure isn't lack of funding or stiff competition. The main reason is 'misreading market demand'. Therefore, it becomes important for startups to thoroughly research the market.


Nigerian last-mile delivery startup Kwik Delivery releases Prestashop plugin
Published: 20-04-2021 | 10:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
After the release of its plugins for Shopify and Magento, Kwik Delivery has released its plugin for Prestashop.


Twenty-two startups join second cohort of UNICEF StartUp Lab in Ghana
Published: 20-04-2021 | 10:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
UNICEF announced the launch of the 2021 cohort of the UNICEF StartUp Lab, a co-creation space and accelerator, that engages young startups in the development of innovative, open-source, market-driven products and solutions.


New York-based startup Andela announces global engineering talent expansion
Published: 20-04-2021 | 09:53:34 | By: Pie Kamau
New York-based startup Andela, the global talent network that helps companies build remote engineering teams, announced the global expansion of its engineering talent.


Kenyan logistics startup Amitruck and Sky.Garden announce last mile goods pick-up and deliveries partnership
Published: 20-04-2021 | 09:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Logistics platform Amitruck and e-Commerce platform Sky.Garden have partnered to form an end-to-end digital chain for goods pick-up and deliveries to the last mile.


Grindstone accelerator programme opens applications for South African startups
Published: 20-04-2021 | 09:36:42 | By: Pie Kamau
Applications for this year’s Grindstone’s accelerator programme are now open. Grindstone is an equity-free structured entrepreneurship development programme that assists high-growth innovation-driven SMEs in South Africa.


InnovoEdge joins Microsoft for Startups program
Published: 16-04-2021 | 09:43:00 | By: Pie Kamau
InnovoEdge, an AI-powered multi-cloud and edge application orchestration company, announced it has joined the Microsoft for Startups program, which is designed to help business to business (B2B) startups scale with access to technology.


SWARM Engineering startup raises $2.7m in seed funding led by S2G Ventures and Serra Ventures
Published: 16-04-2021 | 08:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SWARM Engineering, the next generation of cognitive software for the food supply chain, announced it closed funding for a $2.7 million seed round.


HawkEye 360 secures $55m Series C funding round to support expansion of satellite startup's infrastructure
Published: 13-04-2021 | 14:45:00 | By: Pie Kamau
HawkEye 360, the global commercial provider of space-based radio frequency (RF) data and analytics, announced it has secured $55 million in additional funding, bringing its total raised to over $155 million.


Berkeley-based incubator Batchery announces new cohort of startups, "Batch 12"
Published: 12-04-2021 | 14:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Eleven early-stage startups have joined the Batchery's three-month Deep Dive program for entrepreneurs. The program focuses on helping startups get over their first set of growth hurdles.


Cyber security startup Calamu raises $2.4m seed to pioneer auto-healing data protection
Published: 09-04-2021 | 09:48:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Calamu, a data protection and resiliency trailblazer, announced it has emerged from stealth after closing $2.4 million in an oversubscribed seed round.


QBE seeks entrepreneurs and start-ups to create more resilient cities
Published: 02-04-2021 | 10:43:54 | By: Bob Koigi
QBE North America has partnered with non-profit organization Leading Cities to launch the QBE AcceliCITY Urban Resilience Challenge for the third consecutive year.


Nigerian tech start-up Newwaves Ecosystems launches Africa’s first virtual meeting solution
Published: 02-04-2021 | 08:14:17 | By: Bob Koigi
Known as Konn3ct, the new App was developed by a young company, called Newwaves Ecosystems, led by former Chams Nigeria executive, Femi Williams.


OpenBots startup secures $5m of capital in seed funding to democratize automation technologies
Published: 31-03-2021 | 14:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
OpenBots, the enterprise RPA platform with its innovative zero-cost bot licensing model, announced the raise of $5 million from undisclosed private investors in its capital seed round.


Polymer Solutions closes $1m seed round to secure SaaS platforms
Published: 31-03-2021 | 13:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Polymer Solutions, the 'virtual compliance officer' for SaaS, a next-gen data loss protection platform, announced the closing of its $1 million seed funding.


Clinical data analytics technology innovator SciMar ONE selected to join Microsoft for Startups
Published: 31-03-2021 | 13:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SciMar ONE has been selected as the newest member of Microsoft for Startups to help scale its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drug development platform, The Scientific Data Engine (SDE).


Angolan startup Manifexto creates fact-checker based on Artificial Intelligence
Published: 30-03-2021 | 10:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Manifexto, a startup from Angola, has created a fact-checker based on Artificial Intelligence. Known as Nuxo, the solution uses a machine learning algorithm that allows quick and accurate identification of fake news.


[Startup Interview] Noel Wilson, Lars Evers, Founders, Jellow, Netherlands
Published: 26-03-2021 | 15:21:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Jellow is an on-demand freelance startup that seeks to connect companies with freelancers directly eliminating the hustle that comes with using intermediaries. The startup’s founders Noel Wilson & Lars Evers explain.


[Interview] Esinam Yevu, Co-Founder, PayBox, Ghana
Published: 26-03-2021 | 12:52:09 | By: Bob Koigi
Esinam Yevu is Co-Founder and Communications Lead at Ghanaian fintech startup, PayBox


SOSA teams up with the CTA to scale Canadian cyber startups in the U.S
Published: 26-03-2021 | 10:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SOSA, the global open innovation company, announced its partnership with the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA), to launch the next CTA Cybersecurity, Privacy & Compliance Virtual Program in New York.


Tech startup Fast reopens San Francisco headquarters
Published: 25-03-2021 | 09:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
In accordance with local guidelines, Fast became one of the first companies to reopen its San Francisco headquarters at 25% capacity on March 24.


Canadian startup Arteria AI raises $11m on oversubscribed Series A to accelerate growth in global financial institutions
Published: 23-03-2021 | 14:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Arteria AI, a global player in enterprise digital contracting, announced the closing of an oversubscribed Series A funding round, led by Information Venture Partners and Illuminate Financial Management.


No-code business intelligence startup y42 raises $2.9m for scalable and affordable data stack
Published: 23-03-2021 | 12:53:00 | By: Pie Kamau
y42 (formerly Datos Intelligence), a no-code business intelligence platform, announced a seed round of $2.9 million, led by La Famiglia VC. Additional investors include the co-founders of Foodspring, Personio and Petlab.


Czech startup Tropic Square receives €4m investment to develop first open-source security chip in the world
Published: 22-03-2021 | 15:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Czech startup Tropic Square, which is part of SatoshiLabs Group, is planning to finalize development and start testing the first fully transparent and auditable security chip in the world.


UK's Cyber vulnerability startup RankedRight secures $500K in seed funding
Published: 22-03-2021 | 15:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
RankedRight, the new platform which has been predicted to supercharge the efficiency of IT security teams across the world, secured $500,000 in seed funding.


Kenyan startup Ajua, MTN Nigeria launch Customer Management mobile app for SMEs
Published: 15-03-2021 | 16:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan based startup Ajua has partnered with MTN Nigeria to launch EnGauge, a digital e-Commerce customer engagement management mobile app to support SMEs.


Boost Ghana and KudiGo selected for Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce accelerator
Published: 15-03-2021 | 15:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator announced the first cohort of digital commerce companies to be scaled, with the goal of improving the livelihoods of informal MSEs in Ghana.


Nigerian startup Kwik Delivery officially launches its just-in-time delivery service in Abuja
Published: 15-03-2021 | 15:25:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nigerian startup Kwik Delivery announced it officially made available its breakthrough, just-in time delivery service to businesses, government agencies and merchants in Abuja.


IFC invests in Savannah Fund to support Africa’s tech startups funding growth
Published: 11-03-2021 | 12:23:00 | By: Pie Kamau
IFC announced an investment in the Savannah Fund, a technology seed fund in Africa, to increase lending to startups across sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on supporting women entrepreneurs and disruptive companies in high-growth sectors.


Riviera Partners creates Riviera Ventures through Arete Partners acquisition
Published: 11-03-2021 | 09:51:44 | By: Pie Kamau
Riviera Partners, the Executive Search firm for engineering, product, and design leadership roles, announces the strategic acquisition of Arete Partners.


Three Kenyan startups among recipients of $2m African Jua fund
Published: 11-03-2021 | 09:14:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Three startups from Kenya are among the recipients of the inaugural $2 million Jua Fund, the largest African venture capital fund by a private individual.


Exabel closes $9m seed round to accelerate new data partnerships, launches alternative data insights product
Published: 10-03-2021 | 15:37:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Exabel, the simple-to-use Al, analytics and data platform for investment teams, announced it has closed a fourth seed investment round from investor AWC, bringing its total capital raised to over $21 million.


British startup QUVRY launches free iOS videocasting app for high-quality video calls
Published: 10-03-2021 | 14:57:28 | By: Pie Kamau
British startup QUVRY announced the launch of its free iOS videocasting app for high-quality video calls, to transform the video call experience.


7T launches Foundation Program to propel startups forward with innovative mobile apps & custom software
Published: 10-03-2021 | 14:41:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Cutting-edge Dallas software development company 7T, Inc. has officially re-launched its Foundation Program, designed to provide startups with an actionable implementation plan for the development of a custom mobile app or software platform.


3Lines VC invests in deep tech startup Edgetensor
Published: 09-03-2021 | 14:14:07 | By: Pie Kamau
3Lines Venture Capital announced it is leading the investment in a bridge to Series A round for Dallas,TX, based Edgetensor Technologies, an early stage company pioneering a revolutionary 'AI at the Edge' technology.


Cybersecurity startup ActZero announces its public launch with $40 million investment
Published: 09-03-2021 | 14:00:00 | By: Pie Kamau
ActZero, a cybersecurity startup whose mission is to make cybersecurity accessible and scalable to small and mid-sized businesses by complementing managed detection and response services with artificial intelligence, announced its public launch.


Digital marketing startup Rollick secures $8.5m in funding
Published: 05-03-2021 | 11:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Rollick Inc., which operates the GoRollick Powersports, RV, and Boat Buying Program Marketplace, announced the closing of $8.5 million in funding.


Companion raises $8m seed round to use machine learning and computer vision to talk to dogs
Published: 05-03-2021 | 11:30:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Companion announced $8 million in Seed funding to transform how people train, engage and communicate with their dogs. The funding comes from leading institutional investors and VCs along with some of the largest pet companies and charities in the world.


Startup Space announces two new hires to fuel growth, continue expansion
Published: 04-03-2021 | 11:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Startup Space, the innovative platform for entrepreneurship community building, announced the appointment of Reneida Leon as Head of Product and Molly King as Associate Director of Client Experience.


Indian tech startup Mokusei announces $500 Press Challenge
Published: 04-03-2021 | 10:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Social impact & education centric tech startup Mokusei Intelligence (Mokusei), which funds & sponsors up to 100% of education or travel expenses of people, is on the lookout for talented communicators for their upcoming projects.


Interlace Ventures adds new venture partners to expand strategic investments in tech-enabled commerce
Published: 03-03-2021 | 09:39:48 | By: Pie Kamau
Interlace Ventures announced it has expanded its team with two commerce technology luminaries. Vibhu Norby and Sydney Werber will join as venture partners while retaining their respective roles at b8ta and Avise.


Remote collaboration startup Parabol raises $8m in Series A funding led by Microsoft's M12
Published: 03-03-2021 | 09:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Parabol, an Agile meeting platform, secured a Series A investment of $8 million led by M12, Microsoft's venture fund, with continued participation from CRV, Haystack, Techstars, and others.


Silicon Road Ventures announces $31m close of fund
Published: 02-03-2021 | 15:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Silicon Road Ventures today announced the close of its $31 million fund focused on commerce tech. Silicon Road invests in US-based technology startups ranging from seed to series A across e-commerce, retail and CPG.


Nigerian startup Kwik Delivery expands its delivery service to 4-wheels vehicles
Published: 02-03-2021 | 15:28:39 | By: Pie Kamau
Kwik Delivery has announced today that it is expanding its app-based breakthrough delivery service to 4-wheels delivery vehicles.


African focused VC HAVAÍC announces the launch of its newest fund
Published: 02-03-2021 | 15:22:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Following a successful 2020 comprising eight new investments and three international exits, African focused venture capital (VC) investor HAVAÍC has announced the launch of its newest fund.


AI startup Roviero raises $6.6m oversubscribed Seed round to deliver full stack Native Graph AI Processor
Published: 25-02-2021 | 09:59:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Roviero, a Silicon Valley artificial intelligence startup, received $6.6 million in Series Seed funding to build a disruptive and industry first Native Graph AI Processor.


Detroit-based tech startup InvestNext raises $600K seed round to democratize real estate investing
Published: 25-02-2021 | 09:42:00 | By: Pie Kamau
InvestNext, the technology company that streamlines fundraising, communication and payout for real estate investors, announced the closing of a seed round of $600,000 to grow its team and online platform.


Fintech startup Finix exceeds $100m in funding, adds execs from Google, Tesla, and Uber to its C-Suite
Published: 25-02-2021 | 08:05:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Finix, the payments infrastructure company helping vertical SaaS companies transform their businesses through payments, surpassed $100 million in total funding, allocating 10% of its most recent funding round for Black and Latinx investors.


Greek startups put out a call for international talent
Published: 24-02-2021 | 12:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Endeavor Greece, the Greek chapter of the global organisation supporting the rise of new ecosystems, announced it will launching a new platform targeting skilled tech experts abroad, both Greek and non-Greek.


[Startup Interview] Aaron Mirck, Co-Founder, Presscloud, Netherlands
Published: 24-02-2021 | 10:09:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Dutch startup Presscloud allows companies to handle public relations without the need for an agency by training users on the ABCs of PR and connecting them to a database of journalists and an online newsroom.


Tallinn-based venture capital fund Yolo invests in digital marketing specialists eCartic
Published: 23-02-2021 | 07:47:48 | By: Pie Kamau
Venture capital fund Yolo Investments has made a significant investment into digital marketing specialists and venture hub eCartic.


Teleporter mobile app 360VUZ joins first "Google for Startups Accelerator" in the MENA region
Published: 23-02-2021 | 07:34:00 | By: Pie Kamau
360VUZ, the immersive video mobile app was selected to join the first ever "Google for Startups Accelerator" in the MENA region, that is held by Google as part of its "Grow Stronger with Google Initiative"


Async Art startup secures over $2m in seed funding
Published: 19-02-2021 | 12:20:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Async Art a Silicon Valley-based art platform revolutionizing the digital art NFT space, announced it secured its primary seed funding.


Cyber security startup SPHERE secures $10m in Series A funding for expansion
Published: 19-02-2021 | 10:57:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SPHERE, a woman-owned cybersecurity business focused on providing best-of-breed software and services for access governance across data, platforms and applications, announced a $10 million series A round led by ForgePoint Capital.


HAVAÍC predicts bumper year for African tech startups
Published: 17-02-2021 | 14:48:07 | By: Bob Koigi
As one of South Africa’s most active Venture Capital investors, HAVAÍC says 2020 saw the commercial adoption of technology increase at unprecedented rates, as illustrated by the performance of HAVAÍC and its portfolio companies.


Founders Future raises additional €50m to accelerate its Tech for Good investments
Published: 15-02-2021 | 14:40:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Founders Future, a venture studio involved in Seed and Series A, announced its new investment capital. With the objective of a new €50 million vehicle by the end of 2021, Founders Future has already raised 40% of the total amount.


Nationwide doubles down on venture capital efforts, expands investment fund to $350m
Published: 12-02-2021 | 10:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nationwide announced the expansion of its venture capital investment fund to $350 million, to be directed into high-growth potential insurance and financial services startups that directly advance Nationwide's strategy.


Data privacy tech startup WireWheel raises $20m in Series B funding for market expansion
Published: 11-02-2021 | 10:01:00 | By: Pie Kamau
WireWheel, a data privacy technology platform, announced $20 million in Series B financing led by ForgePoint Capital, with existing investors also participating in the round, bringing total capital raised by the company to $45 million.


Tech startup Bodyguard expands into the US to protect social media users from toxic online content
Published: 11-02-2021 | 09:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Bodyguard, the technology startup that protects users from cyber harassment, hate speech and toxic content online, launched a major US expansion at CES 2021, in line with its vision of creating a safer web around the world.


Software reliability startup Nobl9 secures $21m Series B funding
Published: 11-02-2021 | 09:07:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Nobl9, the software reliability platform company, secured $21 million in Series B funding and launched its flagship product to define the landscape of the next major innovation in cloud infrastructure operations.


Georgia startup BRAVE Innovations races to complete AI-powered voice screening tool to crush COVID-19
Published: 11-02-2021 | 08:47:00 | By: Pie Kamau
With innovative AI methods and algorithms, BRAVE Innovations is working tirelessly to increase the number of confidential voice samples recorded at COVIDvoice.net to launch a voice-based COVID-19 screening tool.


Venture philanthropy platform Sparo joins Microsoft for Startups program
Published: 10-02-2021 | 11:51:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Maryland-based early-stage company Sparo has joined the Microsoft for Startups program to scale its trademarked Purchase with a Purpose platform on Microsoft Azure.


[Startup Interview] Wayne Madhlangobe, Co-Founder, Intelius AI, Canada
Published: 10-02-2021 | 08:26:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Intelius AI is a Canadian startup offering an array of advanced analytics consulting services across industries and assisting businesses to leverage artificial intelligence to make confident and informed decisions. The startup's co-founder and CTO, Wayne Madhlangobe, explains.


Startup studio 1888EC partners with Mastercard Foundation to create digital solutions for tourism sector in Ethiopia
Published: 09-02-2021 | 13:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Startup studio 1888EC announced a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation to create Ethiopia's first travel and leisure platform aimed at creating digital solutions and job opportunities within the contry's tourism sector.


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.


Taiwanese blockchain startup ITM collaborates with Microsoft and MediaTek to create out-of-the box solutions for enterprises
Published: 05-02-2021 | 10:58:13 | By: Pie Kamau
Taiwanese blockchain solutions provider International Trust Machines Corporation (ITM) has collaborated with Microsoft and joined MediaTek AIoT Ecosystem to create out-of-the box solutions for enterprises to use blockchain for IoT.


Boston-based data insights startup Resultably helps businesses understand and predict workforce efficiency
Published: 04-02-2021 | 15:49:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Resultably, a data insights platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning launched publicly, integrating with business tools Google, Microsoft, Zoom, Slack, and Zenefits to help companies unlock business insights.


Israeli AI startup Datomize secures $6m seed round for enterprise grade synthetic data solution
Published: 03-02-2021 | 14:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Israeli AI startup Datomize announced the completion of its $6 million seed funding round for the commercialization of its synthetic data solution that accelerates time to market for artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) models and new products.


Healthtech startup HealthTensor raises $5m to augment medical diagnosis with AI
Published: 03-02-2021 | 13:58:00 | By: Pie Kamau
HealthTensor, an artificial intelligence company that is creating software to help augment medical decision making, announced it has raised a $5 million seed round of financing led by Calibrate Ventures, TenOneTen Ventures, and Susa Ventures.


Belgian startup Soda raises €11.5m Series A funding to bring everyone closer to data
Published: 02-02-2021 | 13:21:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Soda announced it has raised €11.5 milion Series A financing to accelerate the development of its data monitoring platform that streamlines how teams find the data worth fixing.


Second Front Systems extends seed round funding to $8.1m for immediate impact to national security
Published: 01-02-2021 | 16:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Second Front Systems (2F), a public benefit software company that equips defense and national security professionals for long-term, continuous competition for access to emerging technologies, announced an oversubscribed extension of $2.1 million.


Ohio-based geometric deep-learning startup Physna raises $20m Series B funding
Published: 01-02-2021 | 15:09:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Physna, the geometric deep-learning and 3D search solutions company, announced it raised $20 million in Series B funding.


African startup StarNews Mobile launches incubator for South African youths interested in digital film
Published: 01-02-2021 | 14:23:41 | By: Pie Kamau
StarNews Mobile launched its grassroots Youth Initiative incubator in partnership with Solutions on Point to empower young individuals interested in the digital film industry in South Africa.


Former Mastercard President launches Global PayTech Ventures
Published: 29-01-2021 | 11:28:00 | By: Pie Kamau
The former President of Mastercard Europe, Javier Perez, announced the launch of Global PayTech Ventures (GPT), the first venture capital firm focused exclusively on ground-breaking payment technology.


VentureIsrael leads $2.2m seed round in Israeli's maritime cyber security startup Cydome
Published: 28-01-2021 | 12:44:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Israeli early-stage deep tech fund VentureIsrael led Cydome's seed investment round of $2.2 million with participation of private investors from Israel and Singapore.


Canadian startup Tealbook raises $14.4m Series A funding to accelerate growth
Published: 27-01-2021 | 10:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Tealbook, the Trusted Source of Supplier Data, announced it closed $14.4 million on the heels of tremendous growth, in an A round with lead investor, RTP Global.


Digital-legacy startup GoodTrust raises $2.3m in seed funding round, launches new platform
Published: 27-01-2021 | 09:31:00 | By: Pie Kamau
GoodTrust, the digital-legacy platform startup, announced it closed a $2.3 million seed funding round led by Bling Capital, Synetro Ventures, Azure Capital Partners and Silicon Valley angel investors including Nikesh Arora, Bobby Lo and Christian Wiklund.


Insurtech startup Joshu raises $3.7m seed round to digitize and modernize commercial insurance
Published: 27-01-2021 | 09:08:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Joshu, an insurtech company that helps insurance carriers launch online distribution channels, announced it closed $3.7 million in seed funding led by Blumberg Capital.


British adtech startup Illuma Technology joins PwC's Raise programme
Published: 27-01-2021 | 08:39:01 | By: Pie Kamau
British adtech startup Illuma Technology, an independent contextual AI specialist, has been selected for capital fundraising through PwC's Raise programme.


Echelon Capital to invest $1 million in early-stage tech startups in Nigeria
Published: 25-01-2021 | 13:29:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Echelon Capital has announced plans to inject $1 million in funding in Nigerian tech startups beginning February 2021.


VC-backed free money transfer service Taptap Send launches in Kenya
Published: 25-01-2021 | 13:18:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Taptap Send, a venture-backed startup that lets immigrants send money back home to emerging markets instantly has launched in Kenya.


Analytics startup Quantifind secures $22m financing to accelerate market for automated financial crime and risk investigation
Published: 22-01-2021 | 14:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Quantifind, a provider of solutions that use data science to help automate financial crimes investigations announced a strategic growth funding round of $22 million.


Personio secures $125 million funding as it builds Europe’s top HR platform for SMEs
Published: 20-01-2021 | 12:44:13 | By: Bob Koigi
Personio, the all-in-one HR platform, has announced $125 million of new and preemptive Series D funding in an investment round that values the business at $1.7 billion.


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.


Investcorp acquires SaaS based e-commerce solutions provider Unilog
Published: 20-01-2021 | 12:38:04 | By: Bob Koigi
Investcorp has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Unilog, a Software as a Service (SaaS) based e-commerce solutions provider to small and medium businesses based in the United States.


Cybersecurity startup SecurityGate.io releases product update to help security leaders identify overlooked people, process risks
Published: 19-01-2021 | 14:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
SecurityGate.io, a risk management SaaS (Software as a Service) for critical infrastructure cybersecurity, announced the release of their new PPT Insight.


VentureIsrael invests in Israeli startup QuantLR, developer of affordable quantum cryptography solution
Published: 19-01-2021 | 13:55:00 | By: Pie Kamau
An Israeli deep tech fund VentureIsrael participated in QuantLR's investment round alongside equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd, as well as Jerusalem's early-stage fund and incubator Labs/02.


AI software startup Simporter raises $600K seed round, adds former Nielsen CEO to Board
Published: 18-01-2021 | 16:02:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Simporter, a SaaS startup that uses Artificial Intelligence to predict consumer demand for new products, closed a $600,000 seed round led by European accelerator Startup Wise Guys.


Rescale named to Y Combinator's top companies list
Published: 15-01-2021 | 12:00:25 | By: Pie Kamau
Rescale, the hybrid HPC cloud platform enabling intelligent computing for digital R&D, was named to Y Combinator's Top Companies list, reaffirming its position as a power player among startups.


Minna Technologies raises €15.5 million to expand open banking tech to banks globally
Published: 15-01-2021 | 11:20:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Subscription management software tool Minna Technologies has raised €15.5 million in Series B fundraising led by Element Ventures.


realme promises more products in 2021 as it cements Kenyan market share
Published: 14-01-2021 | 15:30:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Phone manufacturer realme is promising to grow its Kenyan foothold in 2021 through release of new products, riding on a successful 2020.


Tech startup Drata raises $3.2m in seed funding, launches platform to automate SOC 2 Compliance
Published: 14-01-2021 | 11:54:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Drata, a next-gen compliance and security automation company, came out of stealth and announced $3.2 million in seed funding led by Cowboy Ventures and participation from Leaders Fund, and SV Angel.


[Startup Interview] Tony Botha, Managing Director, carbonTRACK Africa, South Africa
Published: 14-01-2021 | 08:12:00 | By: Bob Koigi
carbonTRACK Africa is a South Africa technology startup that seeks to create a world where energy is consumed sustainably, shared fairly and empowers all people. The ultimate goal is establishing an energy ecosystem that will close the gap between energy supply and demand.


Delivery Hero launches venture capital fund to drive innovation in food delivery
Published: 13-01-2021 | 14:25:01 | By: Bob Koigi
Delivery Hero, the world’s delivery platform, has announced the launch of DX Ventures, an independently managed early-stage venture capital fund with a focus on investing in disruptive founder-led companies.


Ten biggest startup layoffs in 2020 hit 25,500, Uber leads with 30 per cent, report
Published: 13-01-2021 | 14:17:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Data presented by Buy Shares indicates that approximately 25,500 jobs have been lost in the top ten largest startup layoffs amid the pandemic. The layoffs were recorded between March 2020 and January 2021.


Orange launches venture capital arm, allocates €350 million
Published: 12-01-2021 | 16:29:44 | By: Bob Koigi
Orange has announced that its venture capital arm, Orange Ventures has become a separate legal entity with an increased allocation of 350 million euros.


Cybersecurity firm Trend Micro goes global to find entrepreneurs set to unlock the smart connected world
Published: 12-01-2021 | 11:07:55 | By: Pie Kamau
Cybersecurity firm Trend Micro announced it has upped the stakes for its annual tech startup pitch-off competition, the Forward Thinker Award, doubling the first-place cash prize to $20,000.


India's Z3Partners announces first close of Tech & Digital Fund, invests in Cyfirma and DealShare startups
Published: 12-01-2021 | 10:36:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Z3Partners Tech Fund announced its First Close of $14 million and its investments in Cyfirma, a Cyber Threat Intelligence Software startup and DealShare, a Social Commerce-led online grocery startup.


Kenyan AI startup Gro Intelligence raises $85m in Series B funding
Published: 12-01-2021 | 09:46:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Kenyan AI-powered insights startup Gro Intelligence announced the raise of $85 million in Series B funding, co-led by Intel Capital, Africa Internet Ventures and the family offices of Ronald Lauder and Eric Zinterhofer.


[Startup Interview] Prof.Yakubu Makeri, Founder, ICYDT, Uganda
Published: 11-01-2021 | 14:41:00 | By: Bob Koigi
International Center for Youth Development on Technopreneurship, ICYDT, is a Uganda startup working on skills development and reduction of poverty among the youth using information technology. The institution’s founder Prof. Yakubu Makeri explains the startup’s business model and plans to launch an online university.


Italy responds to pandemic with 53 innovative startups at 2021 CES
Published: 11-01-2021 | 14:39:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Against the backdrop of the worst public health crisis in more than a century, the Italian Trade Agency will introduce a new generation of technology startups at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) All Digital from January 11 to 14.


Ntuple launches Korea railroad ticketing system in Google Maps
Published: 11-01-2021 | 14:30:45 | By: Bob Koigi
Ntuple, a South Korean tech startup that focuses on backend technology has announced that it launched the Korea railroad ticketing service ‘ga-G’ in Google maps.


Hootsuite acquires digital customer engagement platform Sparkcentral
Published: 08-01-2021 | 10:13:46 | By: Bob Koigi
Hootsuite has announced its acquisition of Sparkcentral, a SaaS provider enabling the future of digital customer engagement.


Allobee secures funding to grow women-led tech platform for small businesses and startups
Published: 07-01-2021 | 09:18:52 | By: Bob Koigi
Allobee, a managed marketplace for small businesses and startups, has announced that it has secured $500K in a funding round led by Stargazer Ventures and a network of angel investors to further support the company's rapid growth.


Dallas startup mindzie secures $2.3m in seed round for expansion
Published: 06-01-2021 | 12:12:00 | By: Pie Kamau
Dallas startup mindzie, provider of business process optimization software, announced its Seed Capital raise of $2.3 million, to support the company's growth ambitions, the further development of its software platform the mindzie studio.


US job marketplace startup Ajuma Technologies set to launch in West Africa
Published: 05-01-2021 | 10:43:00 | By: Bob Koigi
American and Ghana tech startup Ajuma Technologies, Ltd. has announced their plans to launch in early 2021.


Southeast Asia logistics startup Zeek secures $10 million financing for expansion
Published: 04-01-2021 | 13:35:00 | By: Bob Koigi
Zeek, the Southeast Asia-focused logistics technology startup, announced has secured approximately $10 million in Series Pre-A financing from regional strategic investors and investment funds.