Author: Kaluka wanjala

Absa has partnered with Visa to introduce a new Corporate Card solution for members affiliated with the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA). This will allow them to enjoy the benefits of automation, flexibility and better cash flow management. Under this partnership, travel agents under KATA will enjoy the ease of smarter payment solutions for business to business (B2B) transactions, managing working capital, achieving operational efficiency, and better supplier management. With the newly launched Visa Commercial Choice Travel Programme, Absa Bank can now support travel agents by offering them the convenience of payments in Kenyan Shillings or US Dollars, empowering…

BasiGo today announced it has secured a $3 Million equity investment from CFAO Kenya and Mobility 54. CFAO is Africa’s largest automotive distributor network operating in 40 countries across the continent. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho Corporation. Mobility54 is was founded in October 2019 under a group joint venture between Toyota Tsusho Corporation and CFAO. This latest funding round comes a little over 3 months after BasiGo raised $5 million in debt from British International Investment. This was to help scale local production of its electric buses. Mobility54 has invested in BasiGo before as they participated in a…

Summary MEST Africa has announced Koa Academy as the grand prize winner of the 2023 MEST Africa Challenge (MAC), securing a $50,000 equity investment after a competitive pitch battle among Africa’s tech innovators. Koa Academy from South Africa stood out at the MEST Africa Challenge finale in Accra, Ghana, surpassing contenders from across the continent. This startup competition, known for identifying and nurturing tech talent, saw Koa Academy clinch the top spot with its groundbreaking solution, poised to transform the Edtech industry. The Kenyan startup that took part in the competition is Letaji which is revolutionising the construction industry. Letaji…

The Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ was recently announced the winner at the prestigious Platinum MUSE Design Award 2024 in the “Product Design – Digital & Electronic Devices” category. This follows its recent French Design Award success. The MUSE Design Award, often dubbed the “Oscars of the design industry”, is held by the International Awards Association (IAA) and is esteemed as one of the most influential international awards in the creative design realm. With 51 expert judges from diverse creative disciplines, MUSE Design Awards is known for its rigorous judging system and high quality standards, with the Platinum Award being the highest…

Egypt’s healthtech startup, InCurA, has raised an undisclosed amount in a pre-seed round led by regional investors including Tiye Angels, Kaust Innovation Ventures (KIV), UI Investments, Pharos Holding, and AUC Angels. The startup was founded in 2021 by Wessam Sarhan and Moussa Salem. It specializes in the manufacture of medical products aimed at bleeding control. The funding will be used to advance InCurA’s mission of improving access to healthcare and to power its expansion. This funding round marks Tiye Angels’, Egypt angel investment network, inaugural investment. It demonstrates Tiye Angels’ commitment to Gender Lens Investing (GLI), highlights the potential of…

The United States Government is pressuring Kenya to lift the suspension of WorldCoin in the country. This is according to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki who revealed this to the National Assembly’s committee on Public Petitions. The ban on WorldCoin was imposed in August 2023 due to data privacy concerns. The US government did not comment on this but it is now clear that they have been working behind the scenes to have the ban lifted. WorldCoin is an American company but funny enough, Americans can’t use, buy or access the Worldcoin token (WLD). This includes US citizens, residents, anyone…

Back in December, the National Communication Authority of Ghana warned Ghanaians to avoid using any Starlink equipment or its services. It also directed those who were involved in the sales and service operations to cease doing so immediately. The authority cited Section 3(1) of the Electronic Communications Act 2008, Act 775 that stipulates “Except as otherwise provided under this Act, a person shall not operate a public electronic communications service or network or provide a voice telephony service without a licence granted by the Authority, any entity that offers electronic communication in Ghana without licence or authorisation from the Authority…

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…