Author: Kaluka wanjala

Nigeria’s vehicle financing platform, Moove, has secured $100 million in a Series B funding round. This funding round was led by Uber with the participation of Mubadala, The Latest Ventures, AfricInvest, Palm Drive Capital, Triatlum Advisors, and Future Africa. Moove offers vehicle financing for business owners in the transport sector from  ride-hailing, logistics, mass transit, and instant delivery platforms. The company embeds its alternative credit-scoring technology onto ride-hailing, logistics, and last-mile/instant delivery platforms allowing  access to proprietary performance and revenue analytics of mobility entrepreneurs to underwrite loans. The latest funding round values the company at $750 and is the largest…

Check Point has announced it is collaborating with NVIDIA to enhance the security of AI cloud infrastructure. Integrating with NVIDIA DPUs, the new Check Point AI Cloud Protect solution will help prevent threats at both the network and host levels.  “AI provides great benefits across healthcare, education, finance and more. At the same time, the rate and sophistication of cyber attacks is increasing, with threat actors increasingly looking at ways to disrupt AI workloads in the cloud,” said Gera Dorfman, Vice President of Network Security at Check Point Software Technologies. “We are working with NVIDIA to deliver a new secure…

Yesterday, Bold announced the launch of its Accelerator program to empower Kenyan drivers and couriers or their immediate family members on an entrepreneurial journey. Bolt says it is more than just a means of transportation and being a Bolt driver or courier presents an opportunity to drive innovation and shape the future of mobility in Kenya. The Bolt Accelerator Program was first introduced in Nigeria in September 2023. The programme has now expanded to Kenya and Ghana. Ksh 2.92 Million in Seed Funding A €20,000 (about Kshs 2.92million) seed fund will be made available today to support business plans developed…

OPPO has announced the establishment of OPPO AI Center. Through dedicated research and development into AI and its applications, the new Center aims to further strengthen OPPO’s AI capabilities and explore a broader range of user-centric AI products and features that will enable OPPO to bring users the latest experiences at the forefront of AI.  OPPO has announced that, within the second quarter of 2024, the OPPO Reno11 Series will be equipped with advanced generative AI capabilities, including the innovative OPPO AI Eraser function and more. These advancements mark OPPO’s dedication to pioneering the cutting edge of AI and to…

tappi, the end-to-end digital commerce SaaS solution tailored for Africa’s micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), has announced its expansion into Côte d’Ivoire. Building on its rapidly growing operations in Kenya and Nigeria, tappi’s latest country launch will feature an extension of its existing partnership with telecom giant, MTN, marking a significant step forward for the startup’s mission to drive the digitalisation of MSMEs across Africa.  For as low as $8/month, Côte d’Ivoire’s MSMEs will receive access to tappi’s SaaS and enterprise-grade tools, empowering them to generate SEO-optimised websites in less than 2 minutes, distribute online ads and secure access to a…

Vertiv has kicked off a 2024 incentive that will see new distributors who join the Vertiv Partner Programme over February and March 2024 receiving additional benefits. This applies to new approved partners within South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Morocco who join the programme during the incentive period. The incentive will include 100 VIP bonus points for new sign-ups to both the Vertiv Partner Programme and the Vertiv Incentive Program (VIP), which focuses on rewarding these individuals for their hard work, before 31 March 2024. These points are redeemable for a wide range of rewards, ranging from leading-brand gadgets and home automation products, to…

In 2023, there was a marked drop in crypto crime, with less value being received by illicit crypto addresses and a shrinking share of illicit transactions. This was driven by increased industry-wide security and compliance efforts and better collaboration with law enforcement partners. Here’s how: As the largest digital-asset ecosystem and leader in the space, Binance’s efforts were instrumental in reducing crypto-related crime on the scale of the entire ecosystem, demonstrating its commitment to setting industry standards in tackling cybercrime. Binance invested heavily in enhancing its compliance program and expanded its collaboration with law enforcement in 2021, demonstrating significant progress and growth in various…

Summary mTek, the digital online insurance platform, has secured $1.25 million (over Ksh 168 million) in funding to power its expansion in Kenya and across East Africa. This undisclosed funding round was led by Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures and Founders Factory Africa. mTek makes it easier to purchase insurance directly from the insurer, compare insurance policies and even file claims through a smartphone. Besides that, the company also provides White Label / SaaS solutions to other industry stakeholders to improve their operations and distribution. The latest funding round is expected to help the company solidify its position as a leader in…

The Microsoft Africa Development Centre (ADC) has kicked off the second upskilling cohort, which will support university lecturers and empower them to keep in step with advancements in the tech industry. This edition introduces elements within its content and instruction that will further place participating faculty at the forefront of understanding technological progress.  Building upon the foundation laid by the first cohort, this year’s edition concentrates on intensive software development training, delving into the latest technologies, such as AI, and industry trends with a focus on practical exercises. While speaking about the programme, Catherine Muraga, the Microsoft ADC Managing Director,…

Summary Glovo has teamed with Visa to empower small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) through a series of online training courses. The collaboration is a result of Glovo and Visa’s shared belief that SMEs are the pillars of our global economy. The programme sits under Glovo’s umbrella programme, Glovo Local – an initiative to help bolster SMEs so that they can thrive in an increasingly digital world. The videos are geared towards aspiring local business owners who want to competently start a small business, as well as growth-minded owners of small and medium-sized businesses looking for ways to streamline their current practices and…