Author: Kaluka wanjala

Saad Kassis Mohamed, leading WeCare, proudly announces a milestone achievement with the successful raise of $350,000 dedicated to accelerating innovation in the lab- grown diamond sector. This significant funding marks a pivotal moment in the foundation’s commitment to fostering sustainability and advancement within the industry.  Building upon the success of pioneering funding models in natural diamonds and coloured gemstones, Saad Kassis Mohamed spearheads WeCare’s latest initiative aimed at bolstering research and development in lab-grown diamonds. Through strategic collaborations with esteemed research institutions and industry leaders, this innovative funding model is meticulously tailored to empower emerging researchers, startups, and mid-sized players…

Bolt has selected 120 participants for its Accelerator Program in Kenya. They were selected after an intensive evaluation process as they have innovative ideas and commitment to shaping sustainable transportation solutions making the cut. The next phase of the program is the Bolt Academy where the applicants will go through a comprehensive one-month online business training in partnership with Alison, a leading online training platform. The training is designed to equip them with the skills needed to seize future career opportunities. Participants will be trained in a number of courses from Digital Marketing to Leadership Skills, Project Management, Customer Relationship…

Glovo successfully hosted the third cohort of its Learning and Development Training as part of the Glovo Academy program for partners in Kenya. This initiative, organized in collaboration with the Ongoza Institute—an accelerator for early-stage, high-growth young entrepreneurs in Kenya—aims to equip small businesses with essential skills, fostering digital transformation and expertise in critical business domains such as innovation and digital marketing.  See: Glovo is the Most Preferred App for Grocery and Food Delivery in Kenya The training was conducted at the Ongoza Campus. The Glovo Academy project is designed to help Glovo partners stay current with changes in customer…

Twiga Foods has today announced the appointment of Charles Ballard as its new CEO. Charles was previously the CEO of Jumia Kenya, a position he has held for just one year. He has over 15 years of experience with 9 of those in the Kenyan market. Hein Pretorius, Chairman of Twiga’s board of directors, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Charles as our new Chief Executive. His deep understanding of the Kenyan e-commerce and retail landscape, his proven operational grip, his entrepreneurial drive, and his passion for the Twiga Foods opportunity make him the ideal leader to steer Twiga into…

A collaboration between Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, and South Africa-based IT services and solutions company, TechAccess, is growing the presence of both companies in the region, and providing needed support for data centre-colocation, enterprise, financial sector and mining customers across sub-Saharan Africa. This is the view of TechAccess managing director Jaxon Martin, who says thatin collaboration with Vertiv, TechAccess is rapidly expanding its reach within sub-Saharan Africa, with projects and delivery across the continent. “Our focus is on the delivery of data centre fit-out infrastructure solutions, as well as advanced structured cabling solutions and data centre…

Chowdeck, a Nigerian on-demand delivery service has secured $2.5 million in seed funding from a number of investors. Founded in October 2021, Chowdeck currently has more than 3,000 riders and 500,000 users on its platform. It operates in 8 cities in the country including Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port-Harcourt, Ilorin, Benin City, Abeokuta and Asaba.  Chowdeck plans to use the fresh funding to expand presence in the cities it currently operates in. The startup also plans to lay the groundwork for expansion to other Nigerian cities. Chowdeck last raised $500,000 in a pre-seed round in 2022 that helped with its initial…

Jumia has announced the availability of Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency satellite internet on its platform in Kenya. Starlink services have been available in Kenya since 2023. Those interested could buy the kits directly from Starlink or from local resellers.  Jumia comes in as a reseller to help drive growth not only in Kenya but also in Nigeria. Starlink recently hired a Growth Manager for Africa. The Starlink Residential Kit is available on Jumia for Ksh 39,500. You can get the Kit directly on Jumia’s website right now. “This agreement aligns perfectly with our mission of using technology to improve lives across…

Kubik has announced the completion of $5.2 million seed funding round. The seed round makes Kubik the first Ethiopian company to raise a multi-million dollar investment in climate and sustainability solutions. Investors in the round include leading East African venture capital firm African Renaissance Partners; net-zero focused; Endgame Capital, investor in technologies addressing climate change; and climate and extreme poverty investor King Philanthropies. Kubik is an environmental technology company using plastic waste to make low-carbon, durable, and affordable buildings, removing plastic waste from the environment and promoting greener, cleaner development across Africa. Kubik’s products cost at least 40% less per square metre…

The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has published a report of the food and grocery delivery platforms in Kenya. The report reveals that Glovo is the most preferred app for online food delivery at 33%. The report indicates that 23% of consumers prefer Jumia Food which ceased operations back in December 2023.  Glovo is also the most preferred platform for grocery delivery at 46%. 35% of online platform consumers preferred Jumia while the other platforms were preferred by 20% of the consumers. CAK attributes the rise in usage of online food and grocery delivery platforms to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Kenya…

Africa Data Centres, a division of the Cassava Technologies group, has announced the launch of its exclusive channel partner programme, ADC Channel. This programme is designed to establish colocation and ecosystem partnerships, empowering members to expand their product portfolio & offerings alongside their market presence including an expanded data centre footprint. ADC Channel presents a unique opportunity for global carriers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), system integrators, Data Centres, Mobile Network, Content Developer, telecommunications companies, network infrastructure operators, hyperscalers and others to deliver state-of-the-art, sustainable and cost-effective digital solutions to their clients. The primary objective of ADC Channel is to foster…