| Google has officially launched its first developer space in Africa. Located in Lagos, Nigeria, the space will host Google’s Launchpad Accelerator Africa programme as well as developer meet-ups, trainings, experts office hours, women-in-tech events, and startup programmes (outside of Launchpad). The space is open to developers, entrepreneurs and startups on the continent at no cost. Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, In 2017 had promised a developer space to house the company’s efforts to support the ecosystem in Africa. |
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| Tanda, a Kenyan micro-retail company has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from South African VC firm, HAVAÍC. Tanda was founded to provide access to digital financial services and affordable agency banking for the underbanked population in Kenya and the rest of East Africa. Tanda offers its platform to micro-retailers who in turn help customers purchase airtime, pay bills and other such services. So far, the company has reached over over 350,000 Kenyan’s through 7,000 micro-retailers and intends to expand its distribution and it service offering to customers in the region. |
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| Co-founder of Kenyan Twig Foods, Grant Brooke has announced he is stepping down from active management in the company. He will henceforth serve in the company’s board of directors. Brooke, last year, stepped down as CEO handing over the reins to co-founder Peter Njonjo. Last October, the company closed a $30 million Series B funding round led by Goldman Sachs. This came after a US$11 million raise in 2018 led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and co-led by TLCom Capital. |
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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
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| Pan African banking institution, Ecobank Group has launched a fintech sandbox. The Pan-African Banking Sandbox will allow partners and fintechs across 33 African countries gain access to its Application Programming Interface (API) to develop innovative financial solutions. Flutterwave (Nigeria), Africa’s Talking (Kenya), Callme2Work (Kenya), and Esicia ltd (Rwanda) are among the fintech companies selected to take part in the pilot launch. |
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| Sub-Saharan Africa-focused venture capital firm, Lateral Capital, has exceeded its initial closing target of US$20 million to reach a final close target of US$50 million for its Lateral Investment Partners I fund. Institutional investors and leading family offices across the United States (US), Europe, Middle East and Africa participated in the fund. The fund invests between US$250,000 and US$5 million in early and growth stage companies across fintech, education, health services and real assets. In Q4 2019, Lateral made its 10th portfolio investment in Nairobi-based Lipalater, and has so far made three new and two follow-on investments in 2020. |
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| Join Judith Okonkwo, Founder, Imisi3D at the TC Townhall: Emerging Tech, a forum that will help businesses, big corporations and governments understand blockchain and artificial intelligence, and how to take advantage of them to secure their future.
Judith Okonkwo is a Technology Evangelist, Business Psychologist and Organisation Development Consultant with experience working in Africa, Asia and Europe.
She sits on the Board of the European Organisation Design Forum, advises startups, not-for-profits and SMEs on emerging technologies and is a guest lecturer at the Lagos Business School and University of Westminster.
Tickets to TC Townhall: Emerging Tech are now available for purchase and a 15% early bird discount is available for readers who buy their tickets by January 31st with the code TCEM15%OFF.
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.
– Kay
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