Author: TechArena AI

Internet observatory NetBlocks has confirmed that access to Telegram has been restricted in Kenya as the KCSE exams continue. The disruption appears to be part of a recurring pattern during national exam periods. The move aims to limit access to certain platforms to curb exam paper leaks and cheating. It is not clear if this really helps or not, as exam papers can still be leaked through other platforms.  While the rest of the internet remains accessible, metrics show a clear drop in Telegram traffic across major Kenyan networks. Similar restrictions have been observed in previous years, typically lasting a…

Mawingu has secured $20 million (Ksh 2.6 billion) in new funding from the Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund II (PRIF II). Speaking at a press briefing in Nairobi on Wednesday, Farouk Ramji, Mawingu’s Chief Executive Officer, said the capital will fast-track the company’s unique strategy of blending fibre, wireless, and renewable energy technologies to deliver affordable and reliable connectivity. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. “This latest funding announcement marks a significant milestone for Mawingu, moving closer to our goal of positively impacting 1 million people in Africa by 2028,” said Ramji.…

KOFISI has raised USD 10.5 million in Series B funding led by UK-based Falco Group. The capital injection is part of a broader USD 35 million round, which will fuel KOFISI’s expansion into new markets including Nairobi, Kigali, and Cairo. The company plans to double its footprint to 1 million sq. ft. of premium workspace across the continent. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. While global investment in Africa has long favored short-term fund models, from microfinance schemes to fragmented infrastructure projects, KOFISI is advocating for a different path: backing operators…

Mdundo has reported that more than 300,000 artists on its platform collectively earned $1 million in royalties between January and July 2025.  This milestone reflects Mdundo’s mission to empower music creators with fair, transparent, and accessible payouts, fueling Africa’s creative economy. Artists from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique and more have directly benefited. The achievement was made possible through a strategic partnership with Cellulant. The fintech enables secure, timely and seamless cross-border payouts for artists across the continent. Mdundo has over 39M Monthly Active Users and is building the infrastructure that drives economic…

Justyol, the Morocco-based cross-border e-commerce platform, has announced it has closed a $1 million funding and financing package. The package includes $400,000 in equity from a private angel investor and $600,000 in inventory financing from Turkish investment firm Danis Group. The transaction was facilitated by Nomadic Minds. “We are building more than just a platform; we are creating the infrastructure that will define the future of cross-border commerce in North Africa,” said Ahmed Badran, Co-Founder and CEO of Justyol. How the Funding Will Be Used The company plans to use the funding to: Justyol has grown tremendously reaching more than…

Airtel Africa Foundation has officially launched its ‘Tech For Her’ Program, a pan-African digital skills initiative aimed at equipping young women in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia with the tools to thrive in the global tech industry. The five-week intensive online training program will cover in-demand digital fields such as Linux Administration, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics. The training is being delivered in partnership with Tertiary DNS, and targets women with a minimum of a national diploma or equivalent in science and technology disciplines. The program is open to working professionals and non-working women alike, with a flexible schedule. It offers weekend…

Cairo-based startup Suplyd has raised $2 million in a pre-Series A round led by 4DX Ventures, Camel Ventures, and Plus VC. Seedstars and existing investors also participated in the round. Suplyd was founded in 2022 to help restaurants in Egypt digitize their procurement. It tackles the inefficiencies in the food service supply chain by providing restaurants with a digital dashboard to source ingredients, track deliveries, manage inventory and gain real-time analytics. The platform connects restaurants directly with suppliers and this helps remove the friction associated with offline procurement processes. Since its $1.6 million pre-seed round, Suplyd has reported a 20x…

South Africa-based travel fintech startup TurnStay has announced the raise of $2 million in a seed funding round. This funding will be used to expand its operations across African markets and enhance its payment infrastructure for travel and tourism operators. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. TurnStay is addressing one of the travel sector’s biggest pain points, cross-border payments. By using a merchant-of-record model combined with payment orchestration, the startup enables local travel merchants to accept card payments in travellers’ home currencies while receiving settlements locally via stablecoins. This…

Vertiv has launched Vertiv OneCore, a new turnkey infrastructure solution aimed at simplifying and speeding up the deployment of high-performance data centres. Vertiv OneCore is now globally available and is designed to meet the growing demand for scalable, prefabricated solutions in data centres powering AI, HPC, and other high-density workloads. What’s New with Vertiv OneCore? Vertiv OneCore is a slab-up, factory-assembled system that integrates Vertiv’s trusted power, thermal, and IT infrastructure technologies into a single, streamlined solution. Instead of building out data centres component by component, OneCore offers a modular, prefabricated approach that can significantly reduce on-site complexity and shorten…