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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.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 27, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reiterated its support for Ethiopia's digitization efforts. "We work in tandem with the government as the country has a national digital strategy. We work with them and then we address all of the specific requests that come to ITU and that is how we actually work in Ethiopia and the entire continent," explained Anne-Rachel Inné (pictured), ITU Regional Director for Africa.
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.
Cameroonian e-health startup Waspito has completed a $2.5 million funding round, we learn from a LinkedIn post by founder, Jean Lobe Lobe. The funds will finance tech upgrades and expansion into new markets. "We intend to continue expanding in Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire, and launch our activities in Senegal and Gabon," explained a Waspito executive.
Kenyan fish farming startup AquaRech announced last week the successful completion of a $1.7 million funding round. "The funding and partnership provided by our investors will promote the growth of our mobile-enabled platform, which is unlocking barriers faced by smallholder fish farmers and bringing the various value chain actors together while remaining farmer-centric," explained Dave Okech, who founded the startup in 2019.
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.
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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.
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.
Nigerian agritech startup UfarmX, announced on Tuesday, November 14 its expansion into Senegal. The operation was facilitated by a $1.7 million investment from the Senegalese subsidiary of United Bank for Africa.