Author: Kaluka wanjala

 LG has unveiled its 2025 OLED evo lineup including the world’s first true wireless OLED evo M5, and OLED evo G5 models. With LG’s latest α (Alpha) 11 AI processor Gen2 at its core, the latest OLED evo models present unparalleled OLED picture quality with impeccable blacks, exceptional brightness and advanced processing capabilities. Powered by AI-driven personalization, the LG OLED evo offers a customized experience tailored to each user and showcases the pinnacle of OLED innovation for an elevated home entertainment experience. The latest OLED evo TVs feature LG’s upgraded Brightness Booster Ultimate technology, which enhances light control architecture and light-boosting…

M-Pesa is the most popular mobile money service in Kenya. It has been the leading service for years but Airtel Money now wants a share of that pie. M-Pesa has over 34 million users according to Safaricom while Airtel Money has about 3.5 million customers. At some point, you may have wanted to send money to someone using a different mobile money service and found the process a bit complicated.  With mobile money interoperability, it is now easier to send money between different services like Safaricom’s M-Pesa and Airtel Money. Mobile money interoperability also makes it easier to make payments…

Network International (Network) has partnered with Money Fellows, the leading money circles app, to power a new solution that will leverage its best-in-class payment functionality. Under the partnership, Network will provide Money Fellows with its ‘Digital Payments as a Service’ platform with value added services including advanced fraud prevention, fully secure payment functionality, as well as a full suite of back office managed services. This platform will enable Money Fellows to enhance the app’s versatility and user experience. Utilising its pan-regional experience, Network will support Money Fellows’ expansion across the Middle East and Africa region. Dr. Reda Helal, Group Managing…

Airtel money is the second most popular mobile money service in Kenya. Competing directly with M-Pesa, Airtel has a steep hill to climb if it is to have as many users as M-Pesa. Back in December, Safaricom revealed that M-Pesa has over 34 million users. Airtel’s mobile money service on the other hand has 3.5 million customers across the country.   With the number of users rising steadily, Airtel wants to position it as the most affordable mobile money service across the country. Airtel has also revealed that its agent network has grown from 18,000 to 90,000 agents and it has…

LG has unveiled its new audio product line of Bluetooth speakers and earbuds at CES 2025, created in partnership with multi-platinum musician and tech entrepreneur, will.i.am. This marks the debut of the “xboom by will.i.am” line, following the partnership announcement in early December. LG recently appointed will.i.am as the “Experiential Architect” of the LG xboom brand, aiming to establish it as a culture-forward brand that elevates the listening experience to new heights through completely new sound and design values. All “xboom by will.i.am” audio products are professionally tuned by will.i.am, delivering the xboom signature sound – characterized by a more balanced audio profile with warmer tones. The product…

Vertiv has announced the acquisition by its Chinese subsidiary of certain assets and technologies of BiXin Energy Technology (Suzhou), a manufacturer of chillers, heat pumps, heat-recovery solutions and air-handling units. Focused on expanding the Vertiv chiller family, the acquisition strengthens Vertiv’s portfolio of critical technologies and solutions in support of high-performance compute and AI applications globally. Founded in 2010, BSE brings to Vertiv an established and field-proven presence in the China market and other Asian regions, along with industry patents, advanced technology solutions and strong research and development capabilities that will reinforce Vertiv’s global offering. BSE’s core product offerings include…

Visa has officially opened applications for the 4th edition of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator. This is its biannual program that seeks to offer startups access to all the necessary tools, industry connections and mentorship to scale their solutions across the continent.  The program was launched back in 2023 and is part of  Visa’s $1 billion commitment to advancing financial inclusion across Africa by 2027. Visa Fintech Accelerator’s last cohort concluded in December in South Africa with a Demo day. The program has supported over 64 startups so far resulting in 15 active partnerships. Some of the notable startups from…

PayMint, a leading financial technology company, has announced the approval from the Central Bank of Egypt to launch its first prepaid “Meeza” card in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) Egypt. This move is part of PayMint’s ongoing effort to enhance its offerings and expand its services in line with Egypt’s vision of fostering a cashless society. The prepaid card comes as a solution aimed at addressing the growing demand for flexible, secure, and efficient digital payment methods. By enabling PayMint customers to access a wide range of services, the new card allows for daily transactions, including cash withdrawals,…

Village Capital has announced the investment of $150,000 in two women-led startups, Rhea Soil Health Management (Rhea) and Regxta. This is facilitated through Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech Financing Facility that seeks to support alumni of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered initiative. Rhea is a Kenyan agritech startup founded in 2022 that provides affordable and accessible soil testing solutions for farmers. The aim of this is to help smallholder farmers improve yields while also promoting soil health.  “Building a science-driven hardware-software business in Africa’s agritech sector is challenging, especially with the need for continuous R&D and market-driven innovation. Village Capital’s investment…

Safaricom has announced the revised M-Pesa charges for sending and withdrawing money in 2025. With the updated rates, you will notice that Safaricom has harmonized them across all networks. This means that sending money to Airtel Money or Telkom’s T-Kash will attract the same charges as sending to an M-Pesa user. With Airtel Money maturing so fast, this is the right step for Safaricom to take with its mobile money service. Safaricom has also discontinued money transfers to unregistered users as most were associated with fraud. I was not expecting this but I do appreciate the changes, I hope it…