Weekly news roundup including MTN, Salient Advisory, OceanHub Africa, BasiGo, Mastercard + Alerzo

Watch: Tech Funding in 2023 – the year of valuations, M&A and exits from Africa Tech Summit Nairobi

Insights and expert views from the panel session looking at what to expect for Tech Funding in 2023 – featuring Enza Capital, 4DX Ventures, Proparco, TLcom Capital LLP and EAVCA. Pre-registration for ATSNBO is open now - register to get access to lowest priced tickets when they are launched. Watch Here

Report: Innovations in digitizing health supply chains

Salient Advisory’s report features 350 innovators in the first ever pan-African landscape assessment of health chain supplies. Innovators are headquartered across 27 African countries, with a concentration in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt. Via Salient Advisory?Read More

Rwanda unlocks broadband market as MTN and Airtel unveil 4G

Rwanda’s two mobile operators, MTN and Airtel, hit a significant milestone by launching 4G LTE networks in the East African nation.The launch follows the government of Rwanda’s decision to change its earlier plan to rely on a single wholesale network for 4G, 5G, and future communications technologies.

Via Broadcast Media Africa?Read More

BasiGo to launch electric buses in Rwanda in partnership with AC Mobility

BasiGo has joined forces with AC Mobility (Tap&Go) to introduce the first fleet of electric buses in the country. The arrival of these emission-free buses is slated for October 2023.Rwanda will be the second African country for BasiGo. The company already has a presence in Kenya. Via Techarena?Read More

OceanHub Africa welcomes 8 start-ups driving change

OceanHub Africa, the non-profit ocean-impact catalyst, has revealed the selection of its fourth cohort consisting of eight promising ocean-minded start-ups. The chosen ventures were picked from a pool of 188 applications originating from 19 different countries across Africa. Via Ventureburn Read More

Beyond fintech, these African startups are proving that Africa is a hotbed for innovation

When it comes to tech in Africa, fintechs are the most prominent and talked about subsector. There are currently 573 fintechs across the different verticals of the industry. While the excitement surrounding fintech is certainly warranted, it has somewhat diverted attention from other equally promising sectors and the remarkable innovations emerging within them. Via Ventures Africa Read More

Early bird tickets are now live for Africa Money & DeFi Summit taking place in Accra, Ghana October 3rd-4th.?Register today

Mastercard partners with Alerzo to digitize SMEs in the Nigerian FMCG space

Mastercard, a global leader in financial services, has joined forces with Alerzo, Nigeria’s leading technology service provider, to address the challenges faced by SMEs in Nigeria’s FMCG sector. Via Africa Money & DeFi News Read More

Duplo report reveals Nigeria trails South Africa and Kenya in Africa’s B2B payment revolution

Africa’s B2B payment sector represents a significant, yet largely untapped opportunity. This is partly due to the complexity and larger transaction volumes associated with B2B payments. According to the World Bank, the continent’s share of the global B2B payment opportunity stands at $1.5 trillion. Via Africa Money & DeFi News?Read More

Africa-focused DeFi platform Mara releases ethereum-compatible testnet

Developers in Nigeria and across Africa can build and test their decentralized applications on the Optimism forked Mara Chain. The network comes on the back of the recent launch of the Mara Wallet, which allows users to trade and withdraw both fiat currencies and tokens. Via Coindesk Read more

Another Win For Crypto: Namibia Lifts Ban On Virtual Assets

Namibia has become the latest country to adopt virtual assets into its ecosystem by passing a law that regulates the activities of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) carrying out business in the country. Via Bitcoinist Read more

Watch - Stablecoin, Crypto & CBDC - risks & opportunities for Ghana

Watch the fireside at Africa Money & DeFi Summit 2022 featuring insights and views from Kwame Oppong – Head, Fintech and Innovation at Bank of Ghana, Viv Diwakar – Director of Technology Strategy at The HBAR Foundation and Carmelle Cadet – CEO and Founder at EMTECH. Via Africa Money & DeFi Summit Watch Here

Nigerian health-tech startup Clafiya raises $610,000 in pre-seed round

The Nigerian health-tech startup Clafiya has raised $610,000 in a pre-seed round. The round, a mix of VC funds, angel investments, and grants, saw contributions from investors like Norrsken Accelerator, Acquired Wisdom Fund (AWF), Hustle Fund, Voltron Capital, Microtraction, Ajim Capital, HoaQ, Bold Angel Fund, Shivdasani Family and other angel investors.?Via Techcabal Read More

Kenyan startup Zuri Health secures additional funding to help it scale

Last year, Zuri Health raised a US$1.3 million pre-seed round of funding, and it has now secured additional investment from Five35 Ventures in order to continue on its growth trajectory. Five35 Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in female-focused startups across multiple sectors that tackle meaningful challenges across the continent.?Via Disrupt Africa Read More

FarmWorks, raises a $4.1 million pre-Series A to use AI to improve production

Kenyan agritech startup, FarmWorks, has disclosed its $4.1 million pre-Series A round to bolster its data analytics capabilities and use AI to improve production and impact planting and lending decisions. Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund led the round with participation from Livelihood Impact Fund, Vested World, several family offices, and angel investors. Via Techpoint Africa Read More

ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator

The ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator Program invests in early-stage startups based in Africa with a focus on FinTech, Mobility, E-commerce and TalentTech. Applications for the 2023 ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator close on 9th August! Read More

Call for Applications - Young Founders Programme Autumn 2023

The Westerwelle Young Founders Programme (YFP) is a six-month fellowship for 25 leaders uplifting emerging and developing markets towards a sustainable future. We offer targeted support to scale our founders' ventures and develop their leadership abilities. Read More

WWBA announces open call for women founders, investors

Women Who Build Africa (WWBA), a vibrant community that caters to the needs and growth of women in technology across the African continent, has put out an open invitation for female founders, investors, and ecosystem partners to participate in their inaugural annual assembly. Read More

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