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Nigerian agritech startup, Hello Tractor, has partnered with IBM Research to pilot an agriculture digital wallet and decision-making tool using technologies like blockchain, AI, IoT and cloud. Launched in 2014, Hello Tractor improves access to timely and affordable tractor services for small-scale farmers. The new services will be in testing phase in the first half of next year.
Elections in Osun, Ekiti and PDP Presidential Primaries top the list of trending new searches in Google’s Year In Nigeria Search, 2018. Lagos APC primaries and Atiku’s Running Mate also made the list. Google was asked the most how to check jamb result, while Manchester United footballer, Alexis Sanchez, was the most searched person in the Nigerian Google space. Check out therest of what Nigerians and the rest of the world searched for the most this year.
In Cameroon, Anglophone separatists have created their own cryptocurrency, AmbaCoin. It was conceived and built by a group of anonymous Anglophone separatist scholars, technocrats and developers.The English-speaking Ambazonians are trying to secede from the rest of the country, accusing the French-speaking government of controlling and restricting the nation’s wealth and developmental projects to the francophone region.
Matibabu, a two-minute non-invasive malaria testing kit won a spot as one of three Entrepreneurs of the Year at the Pitch at Palace Global 3.0 competition. The device, which tests for malaria parasites without drawing blood, is the brain child of Ugandan, Biran GItta. Matibabu had previously won the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation at Pitch at Palace Africa 2.0 in March.
Raising money is tough. But it could be easier if founders knew what more about the process and what to do before engaging with investors. Ask A VC (by TechCabal) is a video series where startup founders and entrepreneurs get the opportunity to ask select VCs questions that will prepare them for their next pitch. How much money should you ask for? How much is your startup worth right now? Will they sign your NDA? The first season features Nnena Nkongho, Principal at DiGAME, an investment company that invests in high-growth, technology-enabled businesses in Africa. Its portfolio companies include 10X Investments, Rhino Africa, GetSmarter and SWVL. What questions would you like us to ask Nnena? Fill this form to let us know!
Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s CFO and daughter of the company’s CEO and founder, who was arrested at the beginning of the month on suspicion of allegedly violating U.S. trade sanctions against Iran, has been released on bail for $10 million. Huawei, in a statement after the bail, has stressed it complies with regulations and laws of the countries where they operate. Meanwhile, US President, Donald Trump, has said he would “intervene if he thought it was necessary“, to extradite Wanzhou.
Apple Inc. might move production of the iPhone from China if import tariffs reach 25%. President Trump had said last month that tariffs could be slapped on smartphones and laptops made in China, in an ongoing tit-for-tat trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
In this op-ed for The Guardian, Victor Asemota traces the history of the adoption of USSD for transactions in Nigeria and argues that it “will remain the dominant transaction mechanism for digital commerce in Nigeria for a very long time” and has the potential to change the face of retail commerce in the country.
TechCabal Daily – Tariffs? not our problem