Author: TA Insights Hub

Tether has announced a strategic investment in Kenya’s Kotani Pay. Kotani Pay is a Kenyan-based fintech building Web3 on-ramp and off-ramp infrastructure across Africa. This partnership will help expand access to digital assets, enhance financial inclusion and lower barriers to participation in the global economy. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. Kotani Pay has quickly emerged as a leading player in Africa’s blockchain ecosystem. It provides the technological rails that connect Web3 users to traditional financial systems. Its infrastructure allows individuals and businesses to easily convert between local currencies and digital…

Wireless earbuds have become essential everyday gadgets from listening to music, calls,or content on the go. The good news is that you no longer have to spend a fortune to get quality sound, decent battery life, and useful features like noise cancellation or water resistance. If your budget is not more than KSh 10,000, there are solid choices from established brands that won’t feel like a compromise. We have rounded up five earbuds, each from a different brand, released in 2024 and 2025 and available in Kenya today. Redmi Buds 6 Pro – Great ANC for the Price Xiaomi has…

Cairo-based artificial intelligence startup Nanovate has raised $1 million in a pre-seed funding round. The raise comes just nine months after the company officially began operations. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. Nanovate was founded by Nancy Madbouly and Ahmed Gamal, and is building Arabic-native voice and chat AI systems that help businesses automate customer engagement and internal workflows. The company’s technology supports 22 Arabic dialects. This makes it one of the few startups in the region developing end-to-end Arabic AI models. Nanovate’s work has already attracted backing from MINT Incubator…

Kenya has launched the drafting process for a National Data Governance Policy. The initiative is led by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, in partnership with the European Union (EU) and Germany’s GIZ Digital Transformation Centre. The drafting process was officially launched by Dr. Boniface Makokha, Principal Secretary for Economic Planning, alongside Eng. John Tanui, Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy. In his keynote, Dr. Makokha said that data is the “lifeblood of modern planning and decision making.” He stressed how data flows across ministries, counties and both the public and private sectors. Eng. Tanui…

Acumen, the impact investor focused on solving poverty, has announced the launch of its second KawiSafi fund. This is a $90 million fund will be used to accelerate climate solutions in Africa. $40 million of this is already committed with backing from the African Development Bank, Green Climate Fund and other partners. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. The fund builds on the success of the first KawiSafi fund. This was a $67 million clean energy initiative that was launched in 2016. Fund I focused on expanding access to…

Co-operative Bank of Kenya has announced the transition to the updated ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard. The bank received the certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI). Co-operative Bank was the first bank in East Africa to achieve ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification in 2014. The ISO/IEC 27001 standard is recognised as the most trusted framework for information security management systems (ISMS). The 2022 update added a more comprehensive approach to managing modern cyber risks, addressing issues such as cloud-based operations, digital transformation and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. According to Co-operative Bank’s Director of ICT & Innovations, Charles Washika, the certification demonstrates the bank’s…

TikTok has long been the app where unknown songs go viral overnight, catapulting artists into stardom. From dance challenges to viral sound bites, the platform has shaped global music charts  and now it’s making things a little more structured for musicians in Kenya. The newly launched TikTok for Artists is an all-in-one insights hub designed for musicians, labels, and managers. Key Features Kenyan creators no longer have to fly blind as they get access to hard numbers and actionable insights with TikTok for Artists. Musicians can now see in real time which songs spark engagement and which ones flop instead…

Football fans don’t have to miss a single game of CHAN Africa 2025. Here’s a guide to the official platforms showing the tournament: KBC Plus Kenya’s national broadcaster, KBC, is streaming matches on KBC Plus in addition to the live TV available across the country. The platform is free to access and works on mobile and desktop, making it the most accessible option for local fans. DStv & GOtv (SuperSport Africa) For pay-TV users across Africa, SuperSport Africa is carrying the tournament. In Kenya, you can watch through DStv or GOtv, depending on your subscription package. If you are on…

OPPO has announced the availability of the OPPO Reno14 Series. The devices come pre-integrated with Google Gemini AI and this allows users to execute complex tasks across multiple apps through natural language prompts. “By integrating Gemini into our core apps, we’re unlocking the next level of AI convenience. Users can perform actions effortlessly across apps like Notes, Calendar, and Clock,” said Fredrique Achieng, PR Manager at OPPO Kenya. The Gemini assistant is activated by pressing and holding the side button, and allows users to summarize documents, save recipe steps, manage their schedules, and much more, all from within chat interfaces…

As Africa races ahead in its digital transformation, mobile devices have become the primary access point for banking, health services, education, and even identity. In countries like Kenya, where nearly every adult is within reach of mobile banking and where authorities are implementing compulsory digital IDs, cybersecurity has shifted from a “nice-to-have” to an essential foundation for trust, resilience, and economic growth. The explosive growth of platforms like M‑Pesa demonstrates the power of mobile-led innovation. First launched in Kenya in 2007, by 2011, it had banked 17 million users, extending formal financial services to vast rural communities. Today, M-Pesa and…