Author: Kaluka wanjala

The 2024 Huawei Seeds for the Future program kicked off today admitting 25 excellent students from different local universities into the program. This is the tenth cohort of students to go through the program since it started in 2014 and the first cohort to be trained in the program after its resumption to being a physical program after 4 years of it being done virtually. The program aims to cultivate local ICT talent by enhancing knowledge transfer at a local and international level, promoting a greater understanding of and interest in the technology field and encouraging participation in the country’s…

ICP Hub Kenya has announced a new partnership with Kotani Pay that will see the two organizations use their unique strengths and resources to drive the adoption of blockchain technology and empower aspiring and existing Web3 developers in East Africa. By combining their expertise and networks, the two entities aim to ensure the Olympus Accelerator attains its desired mission, as well as catalyze the growth of the blockchain ecosystem in the region and beyond. Kotani Pay plays a major role in promoting the success of the Olympus Accelerator Programme as it adds to the wealth of resources and mentorship opportunities…

Africa Data Centres has secured over $109 Million funding that will assist it expand its data centre capacity in South Africa. This was facilitated through a bespoke financing solution arranged by RMB. “This funding is a significant milestone in the growth of Africa Data Centres,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President & Group CEO of Cassava Technologies. “It underscores our commitment to growth and our confidence in the future of the South African data centre market. The additional funding will allow us to support the digital transformation journeys of our customers. Data Centres are key to delivering on our vision of a…

Africa has a unique opportunity to influence what the future of work looks like in these early days as large language learning models (LLMs) are evolving, and the environment for applications is still new. This is according to the AI and the Future of Work in Africa whitepaper produced by Microsoft and a collective of industry experts from across the continent. Nearly one billion people in Africa are currently under the age of 35 with the continent projected to be home to almost half of the world’s youth population by the turn of the century, in effect making up half…

Visa has announced a partnership with ThriveAgric, an innovative start-up that champions technology to transform the payments landscape for smallholder farmers, to support their expansion into Kenya. ThriveAgric, the global winner of the 2022 Visa Everywhere Initiative, an open innovation program that helps start-ups unlock new opportunities, will set up local hubs to support farmers in five counties, namely Busia, Homabay, Migori, Nandi & Narok. The hubs, located in Homabay and Busia counties, will serve as learning centres where farmers can gather for training sessions and facilitate the distribution of inputs. The project aims to reach up to 10,000 farmers.…

For agriculture in East Africa to sustainably feed a growing population, farmers must adopt AI tools to enhance productivity, increase yields, protect environments and reduce costs. Sama has seen the potential improvements firsthand with deployments for customers in Europe, North America and the Middle East. Drawing on that experience, Sama will continue partnering with companies to support initiatives to revolutionize agricultural sustainability in Africa, such as the East African Community’s Vision 2050 plan.  Speaking during the launch of a report on precision agriculture and the challenges AgTech models face, Annepeace Alwala, Sama Vice President, Global Service Delivery, said there is…

The digital identity and verification landscape is changing and pawaPass stands out as a key player pushing innovation. I had the opportunity to talk to Sylvia Brune, CEO of pawaPass, to discuss the company’s start, challenges they address and future plans.pawaPass helps businesses understand their options for verifying new users and reducing fraud, especially in cases where traditional IDs are not available. History of pawaPass The idea for pawaPass came about from a need identified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the team aimed to launch a financial service in the UK for the African diaspora, facilitating the gifting of credit…

Visa is giving 3 NCBA Visa cardholders an exclusive experience to be part of this year’s Olympic Games. The spend and win campaign will send the lucky winners and their plus ones to Paris for The Olympic Games, courtesy of Visa. Through the campaign, current and potential customers stand a chance to win the grand prize of a fully paid trip valued at over Kes. 400,000 for each winner and their companion to watch the Olympics Games. Additionally, customers shopping with their NCBA Visa cards also stand to win NCBA Visa branded merchandise. Commenting on the partnership, Tirus Mwithiga, Group…

While artificial intelligence (AI) use cases are growing at an unprecedented rate, expert information is scarce for pioneering data centres. Vertiv recognises this knowledge gap and the urgency of accessing this information, leading to the launch of their AI Hub. Partners, customers, and other website visitors will have access to expert information, reference designs and resources to successfully plan their AI-ready infrastructure. The Vertiv AI Hub features white papers, industry research, tools, and power and cooling portfolios for retrofit and greenfield applications. The new reference design library demonstrates scalable liquid cooling and power infrastructure to support current and future chip sets from…

By now, you have probably heard the news that Copia is in administration after failing to raise funding. The startup has not had difficulties raising funding before and has so far raised a total of over $123 Million. The most recent round was December 2023 when it raised $20 Million so it is strange to see it face difficulties 6 months later.  Context Copia is a ecommerce startup founded in 2013 by Tracey Turner and Jonathan Lewis. Through the platform, customers could order goods and have them delivered to remote areas that may not be the main target of most…