| The Mastercard Foundation has selected 12 African edtech startups that will receive $40,000 grant funding each to scale their solutions. They include Kenya’s M-Shule, Kytabu, Eneza Education and Litemore; South Africa’s Siyavula, Instill Education and Zibuza; Ghana’s Chalkboard Education and translation service AkooBooks; and three other startups from Nigeria, Ethiopia and Rwanda. The startups were chosen after the Foundation put out a request for proposals last year for solutions that enhance professional development for in-service teachers. In addition to funding, the selected startups will receive mentorship, idea validation and support to expand their operations. |
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| Are you a female founder, manager, engineer or practitioner interested in participating in intimate B2B networking sessions focused on helping you enhance your skills portfolio, build and work with the right team or pitch your product to investors? Apply to participate in the B2B: Women in Tech Clinics which is a series of business and personal growth sessions open for women working in the tech industry. Application closes by 26th February 2020. The initiative is powered by Make-IT in Africa, a programme implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in partnership with Made Culture, a project management consultancy. |
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Econet Global has joined the race to acquire a telecommunications licence in Ethiopia, Africa’s second largest country by population. The government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed wants to liberalise the industry and sell as much as 49% stake in the state-owned monopoly, Ethio Telecom. It also plans to issue two spectrum licences to new players. The move has attracted the interest of a number of telcos including MTN, Vodacom and Orange. Econet is the latest entrant. However, the government hasn’t issued a firm timeline or guidance to interested parties.
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Budding African entrepreneurs are faced with a myriad of business challenges,
like raising capital, accessing markets and finding mentorship. Come, discover how to tackle these challenges plus more, at the Harvesters Entrepreneurs Forum on Saturday, February 29, 2020. Click here to register free. ( www.hef.harvestersng.org)
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| Carpooling is an everyday reality in Lagos, Nigeria. Carpooling is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car. It’s a popular practice because the state’s transport system is inadequate to meet the demands of residents. Most times they’re more convenient than public buses. A few years ago, two startups developed app-based carpooling services that made it easy for drivers to find people going their way. But with competition from Uber, Bolt and later bike hailing services, their services didn’t gain enough traction. However with the Lagos ban on motorcycles and tricycles, Muyiwa Olowogboyega writes that carpoolling is back on the rise, opening an opportunity for startups. |
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| AI and robotics are two important tech trends presently. There are serious conversations around how both technologies will impact lives and usher in the future of work. But in Nigeria, the educational system has been slow to keep up with the conversation. This Techpoint article attempts to explain why. |
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| JUMO, the South African fintech startup, has raised $55 million in both debt and equity funding. Investors who participated in the round include Goldman Sachs, Odey Asset Management and Leapfrog Investments. Using Crunchbase data, the company has now raised over $146 million since it was founded in 2014. With the new investment, JUMO plans to launch new products and expand to new markets across Africa and Asia. |
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| Dan Holdings, a Blockchain & Fintech investment firm and headline sponsor of TC Townhall Emerging Tech is giving away a limited amount of tickets to members of the TechCabal community. Please fill this form for a chance to get one.
Dan Holdings’ mission is to act as a powerhouse for widespread blockchain and fintech adoption and innovation, creating a sustainable legacy by devising technology-based solutions. Its portfolio includes: Telechat – a chat application with an integrated wallet for global digital currencies called Coins App which will be available both inside Telechat and as a standalone application; a cryptocurrency exchange BlockFinex, which is a crypto to crypto and Fiat to Crypto Exchange and Dan Ventures – which acts as the venture investment arm of Dan Holdings.
TC Townhall: Emerging Tech will convene entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and corporate organizations including telcos and financial institutions to examine how businesses, individuals and countries across the continent can maximize the benefits of emerging technologies, specifically AI and Blockchain. Learn more above the event here. Further discounts apply for companies/individuals buying at least 5 tickets. Click here to redeem our 20% corporate discount. |
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That’s it for today,
See you tomorrow.
– Abubakar
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