Latest from Tage Kene-Okafor
Paymob has evolved into an omnichannel gateway offering over 50 methods for offline and online payments to more than 350,000+ merchants.
The Dubai-based startup, which now counts 50,000 retail and business customers in the UAE, has netted $22 million led by Altos Ventures.
Payroll startup Cercli inks $4M to build the ‘Rippling for the Middle East and North Africa’
The potential of Cercli’s payroll platform has attracted investor interest, leading to $4 million in seed funding.
From InstaDeep to Paystack: Here are Africa’s biggest startup exits and how much they raised
As we continue to monitor the growth of Africa’s tech ecosystem, it’s essential to highlight and analyze the biggest disclosed acquisitions.
African B2B e-commerce startups Wasoko and MaxAB complete merger: Interview with co-CEO Daniel Yu
Two of Africa’s largest B2B e-commerce platforms, Wasoko and MaxAB, have finally completed the continent’s much-talked-about merger.
Workpay provides cloud-based HR, payroll, and benefits solutions for businesses with employees across Africa.
In May, the African fintech processed up to $70 million in monthly payment volume.
Almost two weeks ago, TechCrunch reported that African e-commerce giant Jumia was planning to sell 20 million American depositary shares (ADSs) and raise more than $100 million, given its share…
Cross-border payments for businesses in emerging markets remain significantly untapped, despite small to large businesses using banks and legacy fintechs to transact trillions of dollars in transaction volume annually. A…
Jumia plans to raise more than $100 million in secondary shares to drive stalled user growth
African e-commerce company Jumia is selling 20 million American depositary shares over the next couple of weeks, TechCrunch has learned. The at-the-market transaction is to take advantage of strong results…
When Egyptian B2B e-commerce platform Cartona last raised money in 2022, global and local investors were eager to invest in African startups solving the supply chain and operational challenges for…
MNT-Halan, a fintech unicorn out of Egypt, is on a consolidation march. The microfinance and payments startup has raised $157.5 million in funding and is using the money in part…
Featured Article
Endeavor CEO says long-term capital needs to be prioritized in emerging ecosystems
Venture capital has become a more global industry as the tech sector slowly decentralizes. In 2022, more than 50% of VC deployed globally was invested in startups outside the U.S., according to data available from the National Science Foundation (NSF) — a stark contrast to 20 years ago, when nearly…
Digital banking startup Mercury abruptly shuttered service for startups in Ukraine, Nigeria, other countries
Digital banking startup Mercury informed some founders that it is no longer serving customers in certain countries, including Ukraine.
When the war between Israel and Hamas broke out last October, we examined its potential impact on the tech ecosystems in Israel and Palestine. Nine months later, the prevailing sentiment…
Cadana, an emerging markets payroll services provider for global hiring platforms, banks $7.1M seed
The global freelancer market, a $1.3 trillion industry fueled by more than 200 million knowledge workers, drives demand for solutions that automate payroll and streamline employment and tax regulations worldwide.…
Paris-based VC Breega hits first close of $75M Africa fund to back pre-seed and seed startups
Paris-based VC firm Breega has observed Africa’s tech ecosystem mature over the years. From receiving less than a billion dollars in venture capital per year to a record-high $6 billion,…
Ilya Sutskever, one of OpenAI’s co-founders, launches Safe Superintelligence (SSI), just a month after leaving OpenAI.
Featured Article
Black founders are creating tailored ChatGPTs for a more personalized experience
ChatGPT, one of the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence tools, struggles with cultural nuance.
The merger has yet to close due to extended due diligence amid ongoing restructuring and macroeconomic headwinds across multiple countries.
Inflation and currency devaluation have always been a growing concern for Africans with bank accounts.
YoLa Fresh works with over a thousand retailers across Morocco and records up to $1 million in gross merchandise volume.
Agritech company Iyris helps growers across eleven countries globally increase crop yields, reduce input costs, and extend growing seasons.
OpenseedVC, which backs operators in Africa and Europe starting their companies, reaches first close of $10M fund
Founder-market fit is one of the most crucial factors in a startup’s success, and operators (someone involved in the day-to-day operations of a startup) turned founders have an almost unfair advantage…
Accion’s new $152.5M fund will back financial institutions serving small businesses globally
For over six decades, the nonprofit has been active in the financial services sector.
Jumia’s revenue and gross merchandise volume showed growth despite a decrease in quarterly active customers, according to its Q1 2024 report. Revenue increased by 19% year-over-year (57% in constant currency)…
Two years after announcing plans, Amazon’s highly awaited e-commerce entry into sub-Saharan Africa has finally come to pass. On Tuesday, the tech giant launched its marketplace in South Africa. South…
Cards are gaining ground in Egypt, with over 30 million in circulation (prepaid cards, particularly, are seeing more use than debit and credit cards combined). This surge in card usage,…
The logistics industry in Nigeria, like any informal sector, struggles with poor infrastructure and other inefficiencies, making it difficult for businesses — both large and small — to move and…
Nigeria’s YC-backed Chowdeck hopes to scale food delivery, a notoriously tough market, with $2.5M funding
Food is significant to Nigerians, with households spending nearly 60% of their income on it, the highest globally, according to official reports. This strong affinity for food, coupled with the…