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South African logistics startup GoMetro announced on Wednesday, November 29, the successful completion of an $11.4 million Series A funding round. According to Justin Coetzee (photo), GoMetro founder and CEO, the funding will be used to accelerate the company's growth and expansion plans, with a focus on developing its engineering teams, distribution, and partner management teams as well as enhancing the management of electric buses and trucks.
Digify Africa, a leading South African provider of digital skills training, has launched its Digify Pro program in Nairobi, Kenya. This initiative is undertaken in collaboration with Meta, the American technology giant that owns the Facebook social network. The program aims to foster digital literacy and equip young Kenyans with the skills they need to thrive in the digital era.
African tech ventures can apply for the Africa Tech Summit (ATS) Investment Showcase to be held in Nairobi on February 14th-15th, 2024. The showcase is a key element of the annual Africa Tech Summit, providing selected ventures with the chance to present innovative ideas to a diverse audience of local and international investors.
Ventures must be African-based, with an innovative, scalable product, and at least one African co-founder. Applications are open until December 19th, 2023.
Kenyan platform Twiga Foods, which connects farmers with vendors, recently secured undisclosed funding during a refinancing effort following a KES 40 million debt collection lawsuit.
Investors, including Creadev, Juven, TLcom Capital Partners, and DOB Equity, who participated in Twiga's 2021 $50 million Series C, provided the funding. In a deleted Medium article, CEO Peter Njonjo announced the completion of the restructuring, ensuring suppliers that overdue payments would be settled, reversing Twiga's initial dispute over the debt collection.
Tunisian retail tech startup Winshot has announced the successful completion of a funding round for an undisclosed amount. The investment was led by 216 Capital, a venture capital firm based in Tunis. The capital will fuel Winshot's expansion efforts, with a focus on enhancing its technology platform and refining the customer experience for its partnered brands and retail chains.
WayUp Sports, an Egyptian online sports equipment e-commerce platform, announced on Wednesday, November 22, the successful completion of a funding round of an undisclosed amount. The round was led by Beltone Venture Capital and Index Sports Fund. The startup, founded in 2021, will use the funds to accelerate its brand rollout, fuel its regional expansion, and improve the user experience on its web and mobile platforms.
Burkina Faso's Minister of the Economy Aboubakar Nacanabo (photo center), officially unveiled e-TIMBRE, the country’s digital stamp platform, in Ouagadougou last Monday.
The new platform aims to end tax stamp shortages, optimize production costs, and deliver a seamless user experience anytime, anywhere.
Moroccan e-commerce platform Chari has completed an undisclosed round of financing with UM6P Ventures, the investment fund of Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P). The startup's co-founder Ismael Belkhayat, who unveiled the news last week, said the newly secured funds will empower Chari to position itself as a frontrunner in business-to-business e-commerce, particularly focusing on integrated financing solutions.
Last week, Nigerian social e-commerce platform Pricepally successfully completed a $1.3 million funding round, Techcrunch reveals.
The financial resources will fund the platform’s expansion to Nigerian cities other than its current markets: Abuja, Lagos, and Port-Harcourt.
South African proptech startup Neighbourgood announced, last week, the acquisition of Local Knowledge, another South African startup operating in the travel technology industry. The deal is worth $1.5 million.
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South African insurtech Pineapple announced on Thursday, November 16, via its social networks, the successful completion of a 400 million rand (approx. $21.9 million) Series B funding round. "This funding round stands as a testament to our tech and AI-powered operating model, enabling our mission to offer affordable and comprehensive insurance to all South Africans," said Pineapple co-founder Marnus van Heerden.
Accra will host the first edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B) from November 29 to 30.
The GC3B, organized under the theme "Cyber Resilience for Development", aims to build a bridge between politicians and cybersecurity industry leaders. The aim is to contribute to the advancement of cyber capacity building on a global scale. Over 800 cybersecurity experts are expected at the conference.
On Thursday, November 9, the Somali Ministry of Communications and Technology announced the approval by the Council of Ministers of a draft law on cybersecurity. The aim is to strengthen cybersecurity measures, promote online safety, and protect critical infrastructure.
Nigerian fintech startup Chipper Cash announced on Thursday, November 2 a new partnership with the American company Visa. The new agreement will enable the two entities to continue collaborating on card issuance, and the Nigerian unicorn will be able to leverage Visa's licenses and capabilities.
“Today’s announcement means we can deliver on our priorities at a faster pace than we could do alone; harnessing Visa’s global reach to enable us to continue to bring the very best products and services to customers,” said Brett Magrath, Chief Product Officer at Chipper Cash.