TechCabal Daily – Want $10,000 in grant funding?

“I had a year to kill, and that’s where I stumbled on a course that combines business and technology (Business Information Technology) and that got me intrigued,”

– Roger Gichuhi

This week, My Life In Tech spoke with Roger Gichuhi, the former Chief Operating Officer of one of Kenya’s most popular video-on-demand services Buni.tv.

Any excerpts?

“They [early stage startups] couldn’t find good interns and there wasn’t a public database of who they were and what they were doing,” he says.

So he embarked on a project, Startup Kenya, a crowdsourced platform to enable early-stage technology companies showcase their products and services and be matched with interns who required placements.”

Read all about it here.

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What African startups are you watching in 2020?

VentureBurn looked into their crystal ball and made a list of “movers and shakers that will define this year”

Here are a few companies which made the list…

Kobo360 (Nigeria), Trella (Egypt), Max.Ng (Nigeria)…

Take a look at the full list here. 

Safaricom’s customers are being targeted by fraudsters

“’I got a call from this number 0722 000 000? An outright conman trying to extort info from me about my M-Pesa, M-Shwari and KCB M-Pesa? ‘’ A Twitter user by the name Stevo Muturi (@stevomuturi) posted.“

What’s the scoop?

Safaricom’s customers are reporting several incidents of calls from fraudsters on social media. The calls are apparently from Safaricom’s official customer service number and it has fooled some people into giving away their details.

Any word from Safaricom?

Not a peep. Safaricom is yet to give an official response to the complaints. 

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Want to win $10,000 in grant funding?

Then you should be applying to the Tony Elumelu  Entrepreneurship Programme

Who can apply?

It is open to startup entrepreneurs, with innovative business ideas or businesses that have been in existence for less than 3 years, in any sector, from across Africa.

Apply here

How far along is the AfCFTA?

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is chugging along nicely with yet another African country ratifying the agreement.

Cameroon becomes the 29th country to ratify the agreement and trading in AfCFTA is expected to begin in July 2020.

Here’s a refresher article on what AfCFTA will mean for Africa. 

The countdown to Afrobytes 2020 continues. Afrobytes is the premier event that brings together entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and more to explore business opportunities between the African tech ecosystem and players in the global tech world. Here are key reasons why you should attend Afrobytes 2020:

• Finance: pitch world-leading Africa-focused tech funds
• Network: connect with global companies and African tech leaders
• Scale: find tech partners at the largest startup campus
• Feature: talk to international media covering African markets

Get your early bird ticket here

Come February 28, 2020 the next TechCabal townhall will focus on:
Emerging technologies including 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, Cryptocurrencies, Robotics and 3D Printing. TC Townhall: Emerging Tech will examine how these technologies are changing (and will change) how Africans live and do business.

Want to attend?
Indicate interest by filling this form. Are you a member of the press, fill this form to qualify for a pass. Do you have a startup or project with any of these technologies at the core? Tell us about your project or startup here. 

Have any ideas about the event or suggestions about speakers? Send us an email via team@techcabal.com and we just might make your wish come true. For sponsorship inquiries, please email Chidi via chidi@bigcabal.com.