Author: Kaluka wanjala

The African startup funding scene is quite dynamic. In a conversation with Efayomi Carr, Principal at Flourish Ventures, I wanted to understand the state of funding in Africa and what we can expect this year. Flourish backing mission-driven entrepreneurs who are working towards a fair financial system. As we explore key insights drawn from our interview, discover the perspectives that paint a picture of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and the strategic initiatives undertaken by Flourish Ventures to navigate the dynamic ecosystem. TechArena: How would you describe the current state of the startup and funding landscape in Africa, especially in the…

Last month, Flourish Ventures launched the first-of-its-kind “African Founder Well-being Survey”. This was launched in partnership with local partners and research partner Startup Snapshot. Flourish plans to survey VC-backed startups in Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt. It seeks to uncover some of the unique challenges tech founders in the continent face. Through this, they can raise awareness and supports for their needs. VC-backed founders in Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria can participate by completing this brief survey. All survey respondents will remain anonymous. Sharing experiences can shed light on the critical challenges founders face and pave the way for positive change. “They’re going…

Last week, Safaricom announced the launch of the “Grow with Safaricom Business” engagement platform. This is a platform for small and medium sized businesses in Kenya. It is perfect for those looking for knowledge-sharing and collaboration to scale their businesses.  Series of Workshops The engagement forums will be held through a series of workshops and seminars throughout the year. MSMEs will then exchange ideas on how they can leverage digital technologies to expand their market reach, streamline operations, and create a strong brand presence online. The experts will provide guidance on navigating regulatory requirements to ensure compliance and sustainable growth.…

Summary: Kenya’s EcoCloud has signed an MOU with UAE’s G42 to accelerate the development of a 1 Gigawatt data center at Olkaria powered by geothermal energy. Kenya has about 10 gigawatts of untapped geothermal energy, a cleaner form of energy compared to what currently powers most data centers in the country and across the world. This sets a new standard for sustainable data centers. By using geothermal, the project dramatically cuts reliance on fossil fuels hence reducing carbon emissions. The EcoCloud-G42 Mega Data Center will be located at Olkaria, Kenya’s geothermal-rich regions, and is expected to have a capacity of…

Equity Bank has announced a number of open positions for the Equity Technology Group. 5 of these are Managing Director positions for a number of divisions with different qualifications. The open positions indicate that Equity may be expanding into the ever evolving tech sector. Finserve has been Equity’s main technology division and is best known for the Equitel MVNO. Equitel recently launched its 5G services in Kenya in partnership with Airtel. The current open positions are:  To apply, please follow this link https://equitybank.taleo.net/careersection/ext_new/jobsearch.ftl Check out Equity’s  X’s (formerly Twitter) page for other jobs and how to apply.  Also Read: What…

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is the company’s latest flagship series and is available in Kenya starting from Ksh 124,500. The price will vary depending on where you get it from. I have had the Galaxy S24 for a few days and thought I should write a short post highlighting what you get with this phone. This is the successor to the Galaxy S23 from last year. You can read my thoughts on that phone here. While at it, you should also read my post on the Galaxy S23 FE. Back to the Galaxy S24, I have the 128GB variant that…

Check Point has introduced Harmony SaaS, one of the most advanced solutions for safeguarding against SaaS-based threats. Designed to revolutionize Software as a Service (SaaS) security, Harmony SaaS offers protection by seamlessly integrating into customers’ existing infrastructure and providing real-time threat prevention. “With the exponential rise in SaaS adoption, organizations face unprecedented challenges in maintaining robust security and regulatory compliance. Check Point Harmony SaaS represents a pivotal advancement in our mission to provide cutting-edge cyber security solutions,” said Eyal Manor, VP of Product Management at Check Point Software Technologies. “By seamlessly integrating AI-powered threat prevention and continuous attack surface reduction, Harmony SaaS empowers organizations to stay…

Yesterday, Uber announced the addition of Uber Comfort in Kenya. This is in addition to UberX, Uber ChapChap, UberXL, Uber ChapChap shape, Uber Boda and package options. In Africa, Uber Comfort is available in Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast and now kenya. Commenting on the addition of Uber Comfort in Kenya, Imran Manji, Head of East Africa, Uber said, “Uber aims to reimagine how the world moves for the better. With the launch of Uber Comfort in Nairobi, we are providing our most discerning passengers with a modern, spacious and personalizable method of moving around our city, while also introducing…

Summary Shamba Records, a Kenyan  AgTech startup, has been selected to be part of CV Labs Acceleration Batch_06. The startups selected operate across traditional industries and web3 infrastructure. They intend to impact global challenges across agriculture, intellectual property, and creative industries. Many of these startups are at the forefront of building data analytics, open source, and prediction solutions infrastructure for Web3. Shamba Records provides a real-time data collection tool to facilitate credit access to farmers. It also has a farmers wallet to ensure seamless credit processing and payments. Founded by Geroge Maina, Shamba Records is a distributed ledger that runs…

Deel, the global HR company has announced the acquisition of South African-based payroll and HR solution company PaySpace for an undisclosed amount. PaySpace has more than 14,000 customers and is operational in 44 countries across Africa, Middle East, Europe and Latin America. It is known for its proprietary cloud native framework that is built as a single engine. Its platform allows easy configuration of additional countries through localization. These localization projects normally take years to complete, but with PaySpace’s innovative technology, it can localize much faster than any other payroll provider. This acquisition makes Deel the first payroll and Employer…