Author: Kaluka wanjala

Gozem, the Super App in Francophone Africa, has announced the close of a $30 million series B funding round. This round comprised both equity and debt and was led by SAS Shipping Agencies Services Sàrl (a subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA) and Al Mada Ventures. In a press statement, Gozem said, “These strategic investors, whose expertise and affiliated companies, Africa Global Logistics, Medlog, and many others, will be key in enhancing our logistics and financial services offerings.”  Gozem launched in 2018 as a moto-taxi service and is now operational in Togo, Benin, Gabon and Cameroon. It integrates diverse…

Huawei Cloud has announced the launch of new Availability Zones (AZ) in Africa in Egypt and Nigeria. These should help reduce latency, improve reliability and support Africa’s data sovereignty.  The company has added four availability zones in the two countries, 3 in Egypt and one in Nigeria. This brings the total number of Huawei Cloud data centres in Africa to 6 with the other 2 in South Africa.  Huawei has also introduced its Arabic Large Language Model (LLM) at the launch of the Cairo zone. This automatic speech recognition service can support over 20 Arabic-speaking countries with a 96% accuracy…

Halcyon has announced its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) highlighting their shared commitment to combat food insecurity and accelerate transformative change in Africa through innovation in agricultural technology. This collaboration has already identified 10 visionary African startup founders who are developing impactful solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges in food insecurity. The Climate Resilience and Food Security in Africa Fellowship program will kick off with a one-week in-person residency in Nairobi, Kenya. Following this, participants will engage in several months of virtual programming. The program will culminate with a second residency, which will involve another immersive, in-person experience for this…

The Epson EcoTank L3250 is the perfect solution for home and office printing needs by combining convenience with efficiency. This compact all-in-one printer provides excellent printing alongside scanning and copying functions while removing the expense of traditional ink cartridges. The L3250 printer meets the needs of contemporary users who prioritize both cost efficiency and environmental awareness while offering uninterrupted connectivity capabilities. The Epson EcoTank L3250’s compact dimensions (375 x 347 x 179 mm) make it ideal for small home office spaces and study desks. The printer weighs 3.9 kg which allows for effortless relocation and repositioning whenever necessary. Epson’s key-lock…

Crypto platform, Cardex, has announced the launch of a new crypto debit card in Nigeria, aiming to curb fraud and enhance security for digital asset transactions. The company said the card would allow users to spend cryptocurrency directly while reducing risks associated with peer-to-peer trading. “Cardex offers a secure and user-friendly solution to these challenges,” the company said in a statement. “By facilitating direct transactions, we eliminate the need for intermediaries, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring fair exchange rates.” Nigeria has one of the highest rates of cryptocurrency adoption globally, but P2P platforms—widely used for trading—have exposed users…

Absa Bank has announced the launch of an enhanced Prestige Banking solution designed for salaried professionals and entrepreneurs. It serves as as the entry point to the broader affluent segment and is tailored for salaried professionals and entrepreneurs, preparing them for the next level of financial freedom. It is designed for professionals with a monthly income ranging between KES 150,000 and KES 500,000. Speaking about this, Seema de Souza, Absa Bank Kenya Director for Affluent Banking, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to empowering middle-income earners with the right financial tools and guidance to elevate their ambitions. She emphasised Absa’s dedication to…

A mentoring programme has been launched to empower girls by equipping them with skills to enhance their career prospects and entrepreneurship in digital marketplace. The programme dubbed Spark is part of the Tech Women Festival to be held in March to honor top female digital practitioners, innovators and industry leaders. It is skewed towards innovation and entrepreneurship in technology. Spark Mentoring Programme targets more than 10,000 girls in 2025 from universities and organized youth groups across all counties. They will be impacted with appropriate skills and knowledge to help them identify the right career, establish tech start-ups and connect with…

Last week, TikTok announced the rollout of its STEM feed to users in Kenya. The feed launched in Europe and the US last year and it has finally made its way to Kenya. TikTok STEM Feed is a dedicated feed for educational and inspiring STEM content. TikTok says the launch of this feed will empower discovery  on TikTok and connect a dynamic community of people over shared interests. The STEM feed, which features alongside the For You feed, opens up a world of knowledge from respected experts in their fields. The feed, which has so far, included English-speaking content with…

Dream VC, a venture capital education platform in Africa, has announced the official opening for applications for its 2025 fellowship programs. Through this initiative, Dream VC hopes to equip aspiring investors with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to succeed in Africa’s rapidly changing venture capital landscape. Dream VC’s 2025 Programs Dream VC has revealed it will offer two programs that are designed for individuals at different levels of their venture capital journey. These are: Both these programs provide hands-on training, mentorship, and access to a network of investors, startup founders, and industry leaders across Africa. Value Offered As Africa’s…

Infinix is set to launch its next Note device, the Infinix Note 50 early next month. The company hasn’t revealed much about this phone but from the teasers surfacing online, the phone will be about 9mm thick, have NFC support, dual-band WiFi and support 45W charging. A triple-camera setup is also expected at the back. We are also expecting about 4 variants in the Infinix Note 50 series, the Note 50X, Note 50, Note 50 Pro, and Note 50 Pro+ 5G. Out of all that has been revealed so far, the integration with DeepSeek R1 caught my eye. The company…