Author: Kaluka wanjala

Kenyan engineer Elly Savatia has been named the winner of the 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. He created Terp 360, an AI-powered sign language translation app that converts speech into sign language using lifelike 3D avatars. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. The announcement was made during the Africa Prize live final in Dakar, Senegal. “I’m totally grateful for this and it is a testament to the innovative assistive technology work that is coming from Africa,” said Savatia. “I’m really looking forward to the excellence that will come out of…

Microsoft has released its 2025 Digital Defense Report. The report revealed how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming cybercrime and placing Africa at the center of emerging digital threats. The report was drawn from over 100 trillion daily security signals and paints a concerning picture of evolving attacker sophistication and the continent’s growing exposure to high-value cyber incidents. According to Kerissa Varma, Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor for Africa, attackers are increasingly testing new cyber tactics on the continent. “Africa isn’t just a target, it has become a proving ground for the latest cyber threats,” said Varma. “We’re witnessing attackers harness AI…

Cassava Technologies has announced a new strategic investment from global computing powerhouse NVIDIA.  Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies, said the investment represents a pivotal milestone for the company. “Cassava is Africa’s leading technology company, driving the continent’s digital transformation with digital infrastructure and digital services. Securing this investment is an important milestone that we expect to unlock additional value and catalyze the further expansion of our digital infrastructure and services to bridge the digital divide on the continent,” he said. Cassava’s strong investor base now includes Econet Group, British International Investment, Finnfund, Fund for Export Development…

Westcon-Comstor has announced that Comstor will take part in the Cisco Connect 2025 Southern Africa as a Diamond Sponsor. As Cisco’s flagship regional technology event, Cisco Connect 2025 brings together IT leaders, decision-makers and innovators from across industries to explore how the latest networking, cloud, and security technologies are driving digital transformation in Southern Africa. “Cisco Connect is an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of our ecosystem and our commitment to enabling partners to thrive in a technology-driven market,” said Dorio Bowes, Comstor Director at Westcon-Comstor Southern Africa. “As Cisco’s go-to distributor in the region, we’re focused on empowering our…

Spiro has announced a landmark $100 million investment round. This is the largest ever investment round in Africa’s two-wheel electric mobility sector. The round includes a $75 million contribution from The Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the development impact investment arm of Afreximbank. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. According to Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro, the investment marks a pivotal moment for Africa’s clean mobility landscape. “Africa is at an inflection point in personal mobility. Riders are rapidly shifting from internal combustion motorcycles to Spiro’s more affordable and…

Kenyan mobility technology company BuuPass has been ranked among the Top 3 finalists at the Startup World Cup 2025 Grand Finale in San Francisco. This makes BuuPass the first African startup to achieve this. The event brought together more than 90 regional winners from around the globe, competing for a $1 million investment prize. BuuPass secured the No. 3 global position. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. This year’s grand finale was a milestone moment for Africa’s innovation ecosystem. Startups from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic…

Airtel Africa is calling for deeper industry collaboration to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centres emerging as key enablers of the continent’s next phase of growth. Speaking at MWC25 Kigali, Airtel Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar, said the continent is entering a new era of connectivity. This is one where data, innovation and partnerships will drive productivity and prosperity across borders. “Africa’s digital decade has begun,” said Taldar. “The continent that once leapfrogged into mobile telephony is now ready to leap again into an era where every byte of data fuels productivity and every…

Twenty startups have been named semi-finalists in the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025, announced today by MEST Africa in partnership with Absa. Now in its 7th edition, the Challenge brings to life the theme “You Build, We Scale” — inspiring founders to transform bold ideas into scalable financial solutions across Absa’s eight priority markets: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zambia. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. The selected ventures are addressing some of the continent’s most pressing financial innovation needs — spanning next-generation payments, smart credit solutions, cross-border trade,…

Malengo has announced it has secured $12.9 million in funding from The Shapiro Foundation. The funding will support the NGO’s expansion across Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. This will help low-income students and refugees access vocational and university education in Germany. The new funding is structured as an impact investment and will allow Malengo to scale its programs and support over 700 students over the next three years. Malengo’s mission is to tackle extreme poverty by connecting East African students with higher education and skilled job opportunities abroad. “International educational migration has the potential to dramatically and durably reduce extreme poverty…

As African cities continue to grapple with waste management challenges, one Kenyan startup is taking a data-driven and tech-powered approach to the problem. Founded by Eddy Gitonga, T-Bin is reimagining waste collection and recycling through the use of smart, solar-powered waste bins equipped with AI, IoT, CCTV data analytics and free Wi-Fi. The Kenyan waste management sector is not the fanciest and does not get that much publicity but I believe it is an important one that needs to be highlighted.  If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. T-Bin is short for…