Author: Kaluka wanjala

NCBA has launched the third cohort of its Go-Getter Internship Programme. This welcomes a fresh group of 50 graduates into a year-long journey to shape the next generation of corporate leaders. The programme, which has become a key part of NCBA’s talent development efforts, provides young graduates with more than just work experience. Over the next 12 months, the selected interns will gain hands-on exposure to the fast-paced banking world, guided by industry professionals. The most outstanding performers may also find themselves at the top of the list for full-time roles within the bank. Speaking during the launch, NCBA Group…

Onafriq and Circle, stablecoin market leader and issuer of USDC, have announced their strategic partnership aimed at transforming cross-border payments and digital financial services. Currently, over 80 percent of intra-African payments are routed through correspondent banks outside the continent and settled in foreign currencies such as the US dollar or Euro. This results in a staggering US$5 billion in transaction fees annually and undermines economic integration efforts. Onafriq and Circle are working together to change this paradigm by piloting the use of USDC-powered settlement solutions into Onafriq’s network, which connects over 500 wallets and 200 million bank accounts in more than…

MYDAWA has secured $9.6 million ((~KES 1.3 billion)) from Denmark’s Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU) to help expand its footprint across Kenya and Uganda. With this funding, MYDAWA plans to open 30 new pharmacies in Uganda (half of them outside Kampala) and 10 more in Kenya. The company also plans to scale its online pharmacy platform. The end goal is to reach over 8 million patients annually by 2032. The funding round saw participation of IFU, Alta Semper, AAIC Investment, Creadev and Japan-based Ohara Pharmaceutical. With MYDAWA’s track record of offering high-quality, affordable healthcare and certified products through both…

Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) has announced its 3rd cohort of 7 growth-stage companies working to transform pharmacy services on the continent. Sponsored by the Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics (a subsidiary of the Kühne Foundation), Sanofi’s Global Health Unit and Chemonics, the three-year program will empower innovators to improve patient access to healthcare across Africa and scale their impact.  The selected startups offer powerful, tech-enabled solutions that strengthen pharmacy services across Africa, ranging from inventory management, product protection, last-mile delivery, AI-powered prescription refills, embedded financing, and cloud-based pharmacy systems. These companies are reimagining how medicines…

Kofa, the tech energy company and end-to-end ecosystem enabler, has announced the close of an $8.1 million pre-Series A funding round. The investment, comprising $3.25 million in equity, $4.315 million in debt, and $590,000 in grants, will fuel the company’s expansion and supercharge its AI-powered battery-swapping network, delivering reliable, clean energy solutions to urban Africa, starting in Ghana and Kenya. The round was co-led by E3 Capital, one of Africa’s largest early-stage climate-tech venture capital funds, and Injaro Investment Adrvisors. ShellFoundation contributed to the raise through catalytic debt and grant, co-funded with the UK Government through its Transforming Energy Access…

At the launch event for Cohort 8 of the Women in Tech programmme, a collaboration between Standard Chartered Bank and iBizAfrica at Strathmore University, there was no shortage of inspiration. Held earlier today at Standard Chartered’s head office in Nairobi, the event brought together founders, mentors, and partners with a shared goal: empowering women-led startups that are using technology to create real, measurable impact. Dr. Joseph Sevilla, Director at iLabAfrica and iBizAfrica, reflected on the journey so far. He recalled how the idea of the incubator emerged from a simple, pressing need to give young innovators, often overlooked due to…

Kijani Supplies, a sustainable logistics and supply chain tech company, has been awarded a Silver Badge in the “Local Sourcing” category at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards 2025, held in Cape Town. This award recognizes Kijani’s leadership in local sourcing, one of the critical pillars of responsible tourism. Being a venture of Purple Elephant Ventures (PEV), Kijani is part of an ecosystem of regenerative tourism startups that are reimagining the future of travel and hospitality across Africa. “This recognition is a powerful validation of the mission that drives us every day,” said Mwangi Muriuki, CEO, at Kijani Supplies. “We…

OmniRetail, the Nigerian B2B commerce platform, has raised $20 million in a Series A equity round. This round was led by Norwegian development finance institution Norfund and Timon Capital with the participation of Ventures Platform, Aruwa Capital, Goodwell Investments (via Alitheia Capital), and Flour Mills of Nigeria. OmniRetail will use part of the funding to expand its operations across Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast. “This investment validates our asset-light, technology-driven approach to transforming Africa’s FMCG sector during challenging economic times. Our team is ready to accelerate innovation that delivers real value to customers while reshaping industry standards,” the company said. …

Nairobi-based EV distributor, MojaEV Kenya, has announced plans to start assembling its electric vehicles locally from August according to Bloomberg. At the moment, MojaEV imports fully built units from China. Initially, the company plans to assemble the vehicles at Mombasa-based Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd. before building its own factory that will also put together battery and solar components. With the factory in Kenya, MojaEV will be able to export its vehicles to several African Markets. “We have contracts in place. All the original equipment manufacturers are in agreement with us, they will give us the expertise we need to build…

At the recent Safaricom Spark Accelerator Demo Day, Kenyan startup Nobuk took the stage sharing their mission to bring order to the chaos of community finances across Africa. Co-founded by Elvis Bando, Nobuk is a payments reconciliation platform made to help groups from apartment associations to chamas and welfare clubs automate their collections, manage records and generate shareable reports. “We’re building the financial operating system for Africa’s 50 million communities,” said Bando during his presentation. “Today, record-keeping for these groups is messy and unreliable. Nobuk wants to fix that.” The Problem: Community Finances Are a Mess Across Africa, millions of…