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MainMoney introduced palm-vein biometric payments that eliminate the need for cards or mobile phones.
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The system targets over 29 million mobile money users while addressing persistent cash dominance.
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The solution aims to expand financial inclusion and improve transaction security across sectors.
MainMoney has introduced palm biometric technology into the Congolese financial market through the deployment of its payment terminal. The company officially launched the device on April 29. It aims to facilitate transactions and expand financial inclusion across the country.
The solution allows users to make payments without a bank card or mobile phone. It uses biometric authentication based on the palm of the hand. The system relies on “Palm Vein” technology, which analyzes the internal vein pattern of the hand to identify each user.
This method offers higher security than traditional fingerprint systems because it uses unique biological characteristics that are difficult to replicate. As a result, it strengthens transaction reliability. Users must first register their biometric data to link their physical identity to their payment profile.
“This is what we want to explain behind the MainMoney concept: your hand becomes your wallet. We created MainMoney because we know that at least 29 million Congolese have a mobile money account, and some also have a bank account, but cash still dominates in our community. We wanted to expand financial inclusion,” said Sylvain Mubenga, Chief Executive Officer of MainMoney.
The device targets both individuals and organizations. It serves civil servants, students, and everyday service users, including those in supermarkets, fuel stations, and healthcare facilities.
For businesses, the platform centralizes payments and improves payroll management. It enables use cases such as wage payments based on actual working days, which can streamline administrative processes.
In a country where cash usage remains widespread despite mobile money adoption, the solution addresses persistent barriers to financial inclusion. It aims to secure transactions, reduce risks associated with cash circulation, and simplify access to digital financial services for a population still heavily reliant on physical currency.
Therefore, MainMoney positions its biometric payment system as a tool to accelerate the transition toward a more inclusive and secure digital financial ecosystem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Bobson Rugambwa co-founded MVend Group in 2013 to expand access to financial services.
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MVend Group enables payments, fund distribution, and large-scale financial transfers across multiple channels.
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The platform operates without requiring smartphones or internet access, using USSD and SMS systems.
Bobson Rugambwa, a Rwandan entrepreneur, co-founded and leads MVend Group. The company supports organizations in deploying and managing scalable financial solutions.
Founded in 2013, MVend Group targets businesses, institutions, organizations, and savings groups. The company aims to reduce inequalities in financial access, particularly for populations excluded from traditional banking systems.
The company develops a range of tools that enable multiple financial operations. These solutions include payment collection, fund distribution, and integration of financial services into existing systems.
As a result, organizations can process payments for invoices, subscriptions, and services. In addition, they can execute large-scale transfers, including salary payments, supplier settlements, and social assistance distribution.
MVend also connects multiple channels, including mobile platforms, banking systems, and messaging services. Therefore, the company centralizes operations on a single platform to improve efficiency.
At the same time, the company prioritizes accessibility. It enables users to access services without smartphones or continuous internet connectivity by relying on USSD menus and text messaging systems.
Bobson Rugambwa graduated from Makerere University in 2010 with a degree in computer science. He later obtained a master’s degree in information technology in 2018 from Carnegie Mellon University Africa.
He also worked as a technical manager at Imaginet between 2012 and 2015. His experience in technology development supported his later work in building scalable financial infrastructure.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Jamora Technologie launched Sendon to link blood donors with hospitals in real time.
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The platform uses targeted alerts based on blood type and location to speed up emergency response.
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The solution aims to reduce shortages and structure blood donation systems in Senegal.
Jamora Technologie has developed Sendon, an e-health platform designed to connect blood donors and hospitals through mobile technology. Ousmane Ndieguene founded the startup behind the solution.
The platform operates as an intelligent network. When an urgent need arises, healthcare facilities can issue targeted alerts based on the required blood type and geographic location. Registered donors receive notifications and can go to the nearest donation center.
As a result, the system significantly reduces mobilization time, which remains a critical factor in medical emergencies.
In addition, Sendon provides a structured and regularly updated database of voluntary donors. This feature allows healthcare providers to anticipate demand and organize donation campaigns more effectively.
Therefore, the platform reduces reliance on informal calls for donations, which often circulate on social media without coordination.
The initiative aligns with broader efforts to digitize the healthcare sector in Senegal, where startups increasingly contribute to service improvements. By addressing a concrete public health issue, Sendon demonstrates the potential of local solutions to enhance system efficiency.
Over time, authorities could integrate the platform into national blood management systems. The startup could also expand to other countries facing similar challenges.
If stakeholders support its deployment, the solution could help structure blood donation chains sustainably and save more lives by ensuring that blood becomes available at the right time and in the right place.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Nigeria-based Siiqo allows SMEs and freelancers to create online shops without technical skills.
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The platform combines storefront creation, business management tools, and escrow-based payments.
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The startup targets informal businesses seeking visibility and trust in a growing digital commerce market.
Siiqo, a Nigerian startup, has launched a digital commerce platform designed as a “local commerce operating system.” The company is based in Abuja and was founded in 2026 by Okerere Innocent Chinweokwu and Linda Kolapa Ogochukwu.
The platform allows small and medium-sized enterprises and independent sellers to create customized online stores in just a few clicks. It does not require technical expertise. Unlike traditional marketplaces, Siiqo focuses on branded storefronts. As a result, sellers can build a full digital identity rather than list isolated products.
At the same time, the platform integrates a hyperlocal discovery system. Users can identify sellers located in their neighborhood or city. Therefore, the system facilitates proximity-based commerce while expanding seller visibility.
In addition, the solution incorporates an escrow payment mechanism. The system holds funds until the buyer confirms delivery. This approach strengthens trust in online transactions, which remains a major barrier to e-commerce adoption across the continent.
Beyond sales, Siiqo provides integrated management tools, including invoicing, order tracking, and inventory management. Consequently, the platform positions itself as an all-in-one solution for running a commercial activity.
The startup remains in its early stages. However, it aligns with a broader trend of building digital infrastructure adapted to African market realities. Over time, Siiqo aims to structure informal commerce by providing entrepreneurs with tools to improve visibility, credibility, and operational efficiency within a still-developing digital ecosystem.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Boniface Wainaina launched Constantnople to modernize aquaculture operations and improve yields.
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The company combines durable fish cages with digital monitoring of water quality, fish health, and feeding.
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The solution targets small and mid-sized fish farmers facing high losses and limited resources.
Boniface Wainaina, a Kenyan entrepreneur, founded and leads Constantnople. He aims to improve production conditions and make fish farming more profitable and sustainable.
Constantnople builds its offering on the design and manufacture of modern fish cages. The company replaces traditional wooden or metal structures, which operators often consider inefficient and short-lived.
The company uses durable materials that withstand prolonged immersion. As a result, it reduces degradation, maintenance costs, and replacement frequency. Consequently, farmers can secure their operations and improve long-term productivity.
Beyond hardware, Constantnople provides an integrated monitoring system that allows fish farmers to track production in real time. The platform continuously monitors key parameters such as water quality, fish health, and feeding.
This system enables farmers to detect anomalies early. Therefore, it helps reduce losses and optimize yields. In addition, it supports better decision-making across the production cycle.
The company primarily targets small and medium-sized fish farmers, who often face financial constraints and significant production losses. Although the solution remains in its deployment phase, Constantnople has already started equipping its first users, mainly independent fish farmers.
Boniface Wainaina trained as an accountant. He graduated from KCA University and obtained a degree in business administration and management in 2023 from the European Business Institute of Luxembourg.
He began his career in 2016 as an accountant at Infotech Management. He then joined Kirvam International in 2017 in a similar role. From 2019 to 2024, he worked as an accountant at Danco Capital, a manufacturer and supplier of pipes and fittings in East Africa.
Therefore, Wainaina leverages his financial background and industry experience to build solutions that address structural challenges in aquaculture while supporting income stability for fish farmers.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Tanzania is building a Kiswahili-based AI language model as part of its 2026/2027 digital transformation strategy.
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Kiswahili is spoken by over 100 million people across East Africa and the Great Lakes region.
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Mobile subscriptions reached 111.9 million and internet users rose to 58.9 million by March 2026.
The Government of Tanzania has accelerated the development of a Kiswahili-based language model under its national digital transformation strategy. Angellah Kairuki, Minister of Communication and Information Technology, announced the initiative on April 30 during the presentation of her ministry’s 2026/2027 budget framework.
The Tanzania ICT Commission is leading the project. The commission aims to adapt AI tools to local linguistic realities to make them accessible to a broader population. The model will allow users to interact with digital systems in Kiswahili, a language spoken by more than 100 million people across East Africa and the Great Lakes region.
Authorities expect this approach to expand access to digital services, particularly in rural areas where language barriers continue to limit technology adoption. The future model will also support the production and distribution of educational and informational content in an accessible language. At the same time, it will foster the development of local digital tools.
Beyond accessibility, the project aims to structure a Kiswahili-language data ecosystem to strengthen the capabilities of local developers and innovators. It also seeks to improve the representation of African languages in AI systems, which remain largely dominated by Western languages.
This initiative comes amid strong growth in Tanzania’s digital sector. Official data show that mobile subscriptions reached 111.9 million in March 2026, up from 90.4 million a year earlier. Over the same period, the number of internet users increased to 58.9 million.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Douala signs a strategic agreement with Huawei to support its digital transformation.
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The project targets smart traffic systems, surveillance, and fiber-optic infrastructure expansion.
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Authorities plan to digitize 200,000 land records to secure transactions and reduce disputes.
The Douala Metropolitan Area signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Huawei on April 28 in China. The agreement targets the digital modernization of Douala, the country’s economic capital, which hosts more than 3.5 million residents and faces rising pressure on mobility, land management, and public services.
The partnership remains a framework agreement at this stage. However, it outlines technical support across key areas of urban management. The project includes the deployment of video surveillance systems, the implementation of intelligent traffic management solutions, and the expansion of connectivity infrastructure, particularly the municipal fiber-optic network.
A central component focuses on land management digitization. The municipality plans to digitize around 200,000 land records and introduce a digital certificate of ownership. Authorities aim to secure land transactions and reduce disputes, as land pressure continues to shape urban planning and investment dynamics.
The project also includes smart public lighting systems. These systems enable remote management of infrastructure, reduce energy costs, and improve maintenance efficiency.
In addition, the agreement integrates a skills transfer program. Huawei will train engineers and municipal officials in digital technologies through its training programs.
Authorities have not disclosed financial terms or an implementation timeline. Nevertheless, the agreement reflects a broader strategy by the Communauté urbaine de Douala to modernize urban governance through data and digital technologies.
Huawei has already implemented similar smart city projects across Africa. The company deployed solutions in Nairobi and Mombasa, where authorities integrated surveillance and urban management systems into public security frameworks.
In South Africa, the city of Ekurhuleni adopted the group’s support for digital networks, cloud solutions, and urban management applications. In Senegal, the company is implementing a project in Dakar to digitize road traffic.
These initiatives align with Huawei’s global “Safe City” strategy, which covers more than 100 cities across around 30 countries. The program combines video surveillance, traffic management, and urban data platforms.
Samira Njoya
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SOCAPHARM launched “Ivoire Health,” a prepaid card dedicated to pharmacy spending.
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The solution allows users to anticipate and manage out-of-pocket medical expenses.
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The company combines digital health tools, consulting services, and professional training.
Raymond Bleu-Lainé operates as both a pharmacist and an entrepreneur. He leads the Société Africaine de Consulting Pharmaceutique (SOCAPHARM), a company that specializes in pharmaceutical consulting, training, healthcare, and digital communication.
SOCAPHARM, founded in 2016, develops digital solutions for the healthcare sector. The company designs applications and tools that facilitate access to health services and improve the efficiency of healthcare structures.
Its flagship solution, Ivoire Health, offers a prepaid card dedicated exclusively to pharmacy expenses. The company provides this virtual card to users, who can purchase medicines, pharmaceutical products, or parapharmaceutical goods within a partner pharmacy network without using cash at the point of sale.
Moreover, Ivoire Health positions itself as a health savings solution. Users preload funds onto the card and then use the available balance to pay for pharmacy purchases. This mechanism allows users to anticipate medical expenses and manage a monthly medication budget more effectively.
In parallel, SOCAPHARM expands its operations into two additional areas. First, the company provides consulting services and supports healthcare stakeholders in solving organizational, structural, and development challenges. Second, the company delivers training programs designed for healthcare professionals.
Raymond Bleu-Lainé holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, which he obtained in 2009 from the University of Maryland in the United States. He began his professional career in 2011 as a pharmacy manager at Rite Aid, a U.S. pharmacy chain.
Subsequently, he served as an oncology manager at Servier, a France-based international pharmaceutical group, from 2017 to 2020.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
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Complete Farmer connects farmers, buyers, and suppliers through a single digital platform.
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The solution addresses fragmentation and inefficiencies in Ghana’s agricultural sector.
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The platform improves market access, transparency, and income potential for producers.
Desmond Koney operates as a Ghanaian technology entrepreneur. He co-founded and leads Complete Farmer, an agri-tech company that develops a digital platform connecting all stakeholders in the sector.
Complete Farmer, founded in 2017, positions itself as a single platform that brings together key agricultural actors. The tool connects farmers, agribusiness buyers, and suppliers of equipment and services.
Moreover, the company offers services tailored to each category of user. For farmers, the platform provides tools that organize operations, facilitate access to agricultural inputs, and connect them with reliable buyers. It also improves yields by promoting practices aligned with market requirements.
For buyers, the platform simplifies the sourcing of high-quality agricultural products. Buyers connect with verified producers, track orders, and secure products that meet their specifications, while gaining greater transparency across the process.
For suppliers, the platform acts as a digital marketplace where they offer products and services directly to farmers. As a result, suppliers expand their customer base and increase market reach.
By centralizing these services within a single platform, Complete Farmer addresses the fragmentation that characterizes rural agricultural activities. The solution leverages technology to ensure that farming practices meet international market standards. Consequently, the platform supports higher incomes for producers and consistent quality for buyers.
Desmond Koney earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2013 from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He then worked as a teaching assistant at the same institution for two years.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
Ethiopian startup Gebeya, which developed the Dala Studio platform, has partnered with PROFF IT Group and Miva Open University.
The initiative aims to help entrepreneurs and more than 25,000 Nigerian students move from concept to product development. Using ideation tools and no-code platforms for app and content creation, participants will be able to launch digital businesses.
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The cryptocurrency payment platform Breet is launching a $10,000 equity-free grant for African digital finance teams. The initiative targets established projects in payments, stablecoins, and banking infrastructure. Finalists will pitch their solutions at the Africa Technology Expo 2026 before an audience of investors, regulators, and industry leaders.
Applications for the Women in Tech Accelerator program close this Friday, May 8. Tailored for female tech entrepreneurs in Nigeria, this intensive 12-week program offers $10,000 grants, hands-on training, and mentorship designed to help participants scale their businesses from the early stages to sustainable growth.
- Zambia-based ZeroAI Technologies develops offline AI and robotics learning labs for schools with limited infrastructure.
- The company combines hardware kits, offline software and teacher training to support STEM education without reliable internet or electricity.
- ZeroAI has already trained more than 10,000 students across about 40 schools in Africa and other emerging markets.
Zambia-based ZeroAI Technologies develops an education technology solution focused on a largely underserved segment: artificial intelligence and robotics education in low-resource school environments. The company offers turnkey educational laboratories that allow schools to teach STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — even without stable internet connectivity or reliable electricity infrastructure.
Founder Lottie Mukuka launched the startup in 2015. The company designs integrated ecosystems that combine hardware, software and educational content.
“We designed our solution for the schools everyone ignores: those that lack resources, operate in rural areas or do not have infrastructure. (...) Nobody was solving the offline, hardware-focused, full-lab environment problem at a price schools could actually afford,” Mukuka said.
Each deployment includes hardware kits such as Arduino boards and IoT sensors, proprietary offline simulation software, structured educational programs and teacher training modules. The company says the approach aims to help schools become autonomous in teaching artificial intelligence and robotics.
Meanwhile, ZeroAI’s positioning reflects a broader structural challenge across the African education sector. Most education technology platforms rely on stable internet access and digital equipment, which remain unavailable in many African schools. As a result, ZeroAI adopted a hardware-centered and offline-first model specifically designed for rural and under-equipped environments.
Beyond its educational offering, the company also develops broader automation, robotics and digital innovation solutions as part of a strategy that combines training with industrial applications. The startup has already deployed its solution in several countries and trained more than 10,000 students across roughly 40 schools in Africa and other emerging markets.
By addressing access to digital skills at the school level, ZeroAI Technologies reflects a growing trend among African startups that seek not only to digitize education, but also to adapt business models to infrastructure constraints in order to expand practical access to future technologies.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
- South African startup Tivvio launched a self-service ticketing platform targeting independent event organizers and creators.
- The platform combines ticketing services with social networking features designed to strengthen community engagement around events.
- Tivvio operates a commission-based business model without subscription or fixed fees to lower barriers for organizers.
South African startup Tivvio launched a digital ticketing solution aimed at independent event organizers in a market largely dominated by platforms designed for large-scale events. The platform offers a self-service ticketing system that allows creators, promoters and community builders to create and manage events within minutes.
Users can generate dedicated event pages, sell tickets and track participants through the platform, which also supports local payment options and fast payout timelines. The Durban-based startup launched in 2026 under the leadership of founder Siyabonga Ngcobo.
“In South Africa, ticketing is purely transactional. Tivvio strives to create a world where the platform itself helps people discover events, connect with other attendees and build an identity around the events they attend,” Ngcobo said.
Unlike traditional ticketing platforms, Tivvio specifically targets small and medium-sized events, many of which operate on a recurring basis and form part of the broader creator economy.
The company says this positioning addresses a gap in the market, where existing tools often fail to meet the flexibility and user experience needs of independent organizers.
“Beyond ticketing, we integrate social features directly into the platform: event feeds, attendee profiles and discovery tools that make attending events a more connected experience. The goal is to make event participation more social, and not just more transactional,” Ngcobo added.
Meanwhile, Tivvio operates a business model based on commissions charged per ticket sold, without fixed fees or subscription costs. The company says the structure lowers entry barriers for organizers, particularly smaller creators and community-led projects. Although Tivvio remains at an early stage of development, the startup currently focuses on expanding its organizer base in South Africa.
The company also plans to expand into additional cities and African markets over time. Furthermore, Tivvio designed the platform to adapt to different local payment systems across markets.
By focusing on the creator economy and adopting a “social-first” strategy, Tivvio reflects a broader shift in the ticketing industry from purely transactional tools toward community-centered platforms capable of capturing new forms of engagement around events.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum