Newsletters

Twitter does not exist anymore

By Ngozi Chukwu Apr 15, 2023

Image source: Techcabal

Lire en français

Read this email in French.

Editor’s Note

Week 15, 2023
Read time: 5 minutes

In this edition, we curated crucial news from across Africa, such as Nigeria’s burgeoning carbon market, Swvl’s third delisting warning, Kenya’s data abuse crackdown, and more!

Enjoy!

Pamela Tetteh Editor, TechCabal.

Editor’s Picks

	Twitter does not exist anymore Twitter Inc, the company, has ceased to exist as a standalone company and has been merged into an entity called “X Corp”. #plottwist Learn more.
	Meet the OPay Mafia OPay ex-employes have been on a startup spree, cooking up not one, not two, but about seven tech ventures in Nigeria, all within a mere five years since OPay touched down in the country. Learn more.
	Cassava to invest $250 million into SA’s economy Cassava Technologies pledges to invest $250 million to contribute towards positioning South Africa as an attractive investment destination. Learn more.
	Kenya fines two companies for data abuse Kenyan loan company, WhitePath Company Limited and workspace provider Regus Kenya are feeling the heat for not playing by the data protection rules. Learn more.
	Lazerpay shuts down Lazerpay, a web3 and crypto payment company, is shutting down months after the startup’s founder shared that the company was having trouble raising money. Now, its IP is up for sale. Learn more.
	World Bank invests $390 million in Kenya’s Digital Economy Kenya believe it? The World Bank Group Board of Directors just gave Kenya a digital high-five with a whopping $390 million in financing for its Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project. Learn more.

TC Daily

Get the most comprehensive insights and stories about Africa’s tech and business ecosystem. TC Daily goes out every week at 7 AM (WAT).

	Mastercard’s Fellowship admits 12 SA edtech startups Mastercard’s Edtech Fellowship has handpicked 12 game-changing startups. The startups will get equity-free funding worth over R1,000,000 (~ $540 000), product quality evaluation and certification, skills development, coaching and mentorship, market research and access. Learn more.
	AstraZeneca supports MedSol’s AI cancer detection Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has announced that it is partnering with South African healthtech firm MedSol. MedSol’s AI technology can detect breast cancer in seconds. Learn more.
	Swvl’s fresh problems Low on cash and high on losses, Egypt-born mass transit startup Swvl has received its third delisting warning from Nasdaq. Per the warning, dated March 31, Swvl has 180 days—or until September 25—to raise the value of its publicly held shares above $15 million. Learn more.
	Healthlane switches lanes Following its six-month operational pause, Healthlane is changing its business model and discontinuing usage of its on-site laboratories. The company is seeking to reinvent itself after a phase of operational struggles and allegations against its founder. Read more.

Who brought the money this week?

Victory Farms, a Kenya-based aquaculture startup, raised $35 million in a Series B round led by Creadev. Other participants in the round include Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF), DOB Equity, Endeavor Catalyst Fund, and Hesabu Capital. The company’s founders and angel investors, including Joseph Rehmann, Steve Moran, Kamran Ahmad, and Hans den Bieman, also invested.
South African agri-tech startup, FarmTrace, also closed an undisclosed amount of funding from Secha Capital and Hassium Capital to expand its operations as a cloud-based management solution for farmers.