Purple Elephant Ventures (PEV) has raised $4.5 million in seed financing, marking one of the largest tourism-tech rounds in African history. This landmark investment will accelerate PEV’s mission to transform the continent’s tourism industry into a global leader in regenerative tourism. By building cutting-edge travel technology in Africa, PEV aims to create a resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable tourism sector.The round drew an impressive roster of investors, including Clear Creek Investment B.V, Klister Corp., Fede Pirzo-Biroli (founder of Playfair Capital), Anthony Rock and Ian McCaig (former CEO of Lastminute.com). This funding milestone underscores growing confidence in African travel tech startups and their role in reshaping the…
Author: Kaluka wanjala
Editor at TechArena. I cover all things technology and review new gadgets as I get them. You can reach me on email: [email protected]
Sistema.bio, a global leader in the delivery of biogas technology, financing, and services for family farmers worldwide, announces Novastar Ventures as its newest investor. Novastar has joined Sistema.bio’s recent internal financing round of USD 7.75 million with a USD 3.5 million investment. This will accelerate Sistema.bio’s expansion into new African markets, new agricultural and energy products and its overall growth. “Novastar Ventures’ investment strengthens Sistema.bio’s mission to empower low-resourced farmers with sustainable solutions that drive economic growth, climate resilience, and regenerative agriculture. Together, we are scaling impactful technologies that benefit both people and the planet,” said Joyce Cacho, Board Chairman of Sistema.bio.…
Techstars and Merce Anders Equity Group announced today the launch of Techstars Startup Community Catalyst Africa Botswana. Over the next two years, Techstars Startup Community Catalyst Africa Botswana will run a series of pre-accelerator and startup education programs including Techstars Founder Catalyst, Techstars Community Development Lab, and Techstars Startup Weekends. These programs are designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs refine their ideas, scale their businesses and drive long-term impact in their startup communities. Empowering Entrepreneurs Across Southern Africa “Botswana is uniquely positioned to become a vibrant startup community,” says Emilie Vallauri, Program Manager at Techstars. “Through this partnership with Merce Anders Equity Group, we aim…
Vodacom and Orange have joined hands to form, a first of its kind, rural towerco partnership in Africa. Through this partnership, the companies will collaborate to build, own, and operate solar-powered mobile base stations in underserved areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The initiative will extend network coverage and enable access to telecommunications and mobile financial services to up to 19 million people in less densely populated rural communities, reinforcing their commitment to bridging the digital divide and driving inclusive growth. Deploying and operating networks, particularly in deep rural areas, continues to be a significant challenge in the…
Xiaomi is planning to unveil the Redmi Note 14 Series in Kenya. The company promises to redefine expectations with groundbreaking features and cutting-edge technology. This phone is meant to appeal to photography enthusiasts with stunning photography innovations and unmatched durability with a sleek and modern design. “Whether you’re a content creator, a tech enthusiast, or someone who simply wants a phone that can keep up with your lifestyle, the Redmi Note 14 Series is crafted with you in mind,” said Xiaomi. Redmi Note 14 Specifications While we can’t spill all the secrets just yet, here’s a sneak peek: I will…
In 2024, the cryptocurrency landscape continued to grow, offering vast opportunities and transformative financial freedom. Yet, as innovation surged, so did the sophistication of financial scams throughout both the crypto and traditional financial landscape. At Binance, trust isn’t just earned—it’s safeguarded. Our commitment to user security remains at the forefront of everything we do, ensuring that the crypto journey is as safe as it is empowering. This report highlights Binance’s achievements in tackling scams, recovering funds, and raising awareness to protect our community. It demonstrates how Binance sets the gold standard in the crypto industry for risk management, user education,…
Servercore has announced a successful migration of GoDeliveries cloud infrastructure from an offshore cloud provider to a robust local cloud solution, marking a significant milestone for GoDeliveries cloud strategy. GoDeliveries, an innovative food delivery service targeting Nairobi area communities, previously faced several challenges with its previous cloud infrastructure. These included high operational costs, extended response times, limited server efficiency, and increased network latency that hindered the startup’s service quality and growth potential. To overcome these challenges, GoDeliveries partnered with Servercore to implement reliable cloud products while ensuring a smooth migration. The partnership leveraged advanced cloud migration tools and methodologies, enabling…
OPPO debuted at the 2025 Google Cloud Shenzhen Summit, announcing further expansion of its collaboration with Google Cloud in AI productivity applications and cloud security, unveiling a series of new features. Kai Tang, President of OPPO’s Software Engineering, said: “OPPO collaborates with top global technology companies with an open mindset, striving to integrate cutting-edge AI technology into our products. Google is one of the leaders in the global AI field, and I believe that the partnership between OPPO and Google will bring users a more efficient and secure next-generation AI experience.” OPPO and Google Expand Collaboration in AI Productivity In…
Nigerian fintech, LemFi, has raised $53 million in series B funding according to TechCrunch. This funding round was led by Left Lane Capital and saw the participation of Y Combinator. “We’ve kept our fraud rate extremely low, which allows us to offer competitive prices and build trust in immigrant communities,” said LemFi CEO Ridwan Olalere. “Our user experience and reputation drive referrals, fueling faster growth in this competitive market.” Back in 2023, LemFi raised $33 million which helped it expand operations to China, India and Pakistan. With the latest funding, the company will expand to more countries including the UK and Germany.…
From thrilling dramas and captivating reality shows to groundbreaking Original productions, 2024 was a big year for Showmax. In Kenya alone, the African streamer launched a record 12 Original titles in 2024, doubling its Originals from 2023. Starting off with Single Kiasi S3 in March; The Real Housewives of Nairobi S2, Untying Kantai S1, Nilichoma S1 and Big Girl Small World S1 in May; Jiji S1 in June; Nai-Rich S1 in August; Subterranea S1 in September; Black & Blue S1 and 4Play S1 in November; The Hot Seat S1 and Nairobi Bachelor S1 in December. 2024 also marked the relaunch of Showmax in Kenya and the rest of its African markets following the partnership between MultiChoice and international media heavyweight Comcast’s NBCUniversal…