Author: Brand Spot

Thndr has raised an additional $15.7 million, bringing its total current capital to $37.76 million. The round was led by Prosus Ventures, with participation from BECO Capital, JIMCO Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, Y Combinator, and a prominent U.S. university endowment, among other new global investors. These funds will now be strategically deployed to support Thndr’s regional expansion — with both the UAE and Saudi Arabia as key priority markets. Thndr is currently focused on deepening its operational presence in the UAE while simultaneously laying the groundwork for entry into Saudi Arabia. The goal is to replicate its success in Egypt across…

Red Hat and Oracle have announced an expanded collaboration to break down barriers to hybrid cloud adoption. This latest joint effort delivers a more consistent, cloud-native foundation that is critical for next-generation workloads including AI by bringing Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat OpenShift support to more deployment options on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), including government, sovereign, and distributed cloud services. According to Gartner: “Gartner predicts that 90% of organizations will adopt a hybrid cloud approach through 2027, and the most urgent GenAI challenge necessary to address over the next year will be data synchronization across the hybrid cloud…

Uganda has rolled out its first collaborative, shared-infrastructure broadband network. This is designed to bring fast, secure, and inclusive internet access to every corner of the country. This initiative is the product of a partnership between local telecom Sombha Solutions Store, global tech company Veea Inc., and infrastructure firm BG Titan Group (BGT). Dubbed the “Internet-for-All” network, the project marks a clear shift in how connectivity is delivered. It moves away from isolated telecom competition to a shared model that allows every licensed operator to access the same infrastructure. This results in a rapid, cost-efficient, and widespread digital access for…

A new report by SAP is sounding the alarm as African companies are not ready for the AI revolution, at least not from a skills perspective. The report, titled ‘Africa’s AI Skills Readiness Revealed’, offers a timely look into how organisations across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa are gearing up for an AI-driven future — and where the cracks are already starting to show. “The data is clear: African companies expect demand for AI skills to surge this year,” says Nazia Pillay, Interim Managing Director for SAP South Africa. “Six in ten organisations view AI skills as extremely important to…

Aleph and Spotify have announced an expanded partnership that makes Aleph Spotify’s advertising sales partner in 80+ markets, providing access to 20,000+ advertisers. Spotify Advertising has been modernising its ad tech, strengthening its partnerships and deepening its human expertise to make it easier for advertisers to buy, create, measure, and get clear results on Spotify’s ad platform. Spotify’s efforts reflect a significant step forward in automated buying and creative innovation for the ad platform and the broader digital audio industry. Most notably, Spotify is continuing to innovate its self-serve platform, Spotify Ads Manager, with more advanced targeting capabilities, new 1P…

Kaspersky has appointed Chris Norton as its new General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa. With over three decades of IT industry experience, Norton is to drive Kaspersky’s expansion across the continent. This appointment underscores Africa’s importance for Kaspersky as a high-growth market and the company’s commitment to a forward-looking cybersecurity vision. Kaspersky has been operating on the continent since 2009 and has placed a strong focus on Africa. In 2024, Kaspersky’s business in Africa achieved standout performance, with consumer (B2C) sales up 36% and enterprise (B2B) sales up 10% year-on-year. This contributed to an overall regional sales growth of 19%, outpacing…

Jasiri Growth Accelerator is inviting founders in Kenya and Rwanda to its accelerator program. This is designed for early-stage startups. It offers a blend of strategic support and funding, up to $75,000 per venture. The program is tailored to businesses that are tackling complex challenges with scalable, impactful solutions. Who It’s For The accelerator is open to startups registered in Kenya or Rwanda that are: But more than just being a business with traction, Jasiri is looking for founders who are creating new markets—making essential products or services accessible to people who couldn’t afford or access them before. What Founders…

Egyptian mobility startup Sylndr has announced the close of $15.7 million Series A funding round. This round was led by Development Partners International (DPI) Venture Capital via the Nclude Fund. It also saw the participation from Algebra Ventures, Nuwa Capital, Raed Ventures, Egyptian Gulf Holding, Uncovered Fund, Beltone Venture Capital, and Camel Ventures. Founded in 2022, Sylndr is a used car platform targeting buyers and sellers in Egypt. The startup is reimagining every touchpoint in the car ownership journey, from discovery and financing to maintenance and resale. “This new chapter gives us the fuel to scale nationally and expand our…

Equity Group has been named the prestigious Superbrand title for the fourth time. The Superbrands designation is now in its ninth edition and celebrates organizations that exemplify quality, reliability, and distinction. “We are honored to be recognized as a Superbrand,” said Dr. James Mwangi, Group Managing Director and CEO. “This recognition belongs to our customers and our staff who go the extra mile. It reflects our deep commitment to transforming lives, building wealth, and improving livelihoods across East Africa.” Equity was first named a Superbrand back in 2007, making it the first Kenyan bank to receive the distinction. This recognition…

Cassava Technologies has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sand Technologies, a leading global enterprise AI solutions company and a key player in Africa’s emerging artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. The strategic partnership, announced at the Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, aims to enhance the delivery of AI solutions and GPU-as-a-service (GPUaas) across the African continent, making AI solutions more accessible to African businesses. “As more businesses across Africa seek to harness the potential of AI, the demand for powerful GPU processing capabilities is increasing. By providing Sand Technologies with access to Cassava’s…