Joel Nwankwo

Writer, TECHist and Data analyst.

South African TallOrder receives Additional $3M Series A Funding

South African developer of advanced cloud-based point of sale (POS) solutions for the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market, TallOrder Solutions Pty Ltd (TallOrder), has raised $3m in additional Series A funding. This takes the total funds raised by TallOrder to $5m since its founding in late 2014. The round

South African, Wamly Secures Funding From Knife Capital

South African one-way video interview software startup, Wamly, has secured an undisclosed second round of investment from local venture capital firm Knife Capital to power its international expansion plans. As part of the deal, Knife Capital partner, Davey Gant will join the Wamly Board of Directors. Founded in 2018 by

Talabat Achieves Highest Level of PCI-DSS Certification for Transactional Security1

Talabat, Egypt’s leading food delivery and q-commerce platform is proud to announce their achievement of a Level 1 Certification in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), a set of security standards formed in 2004 that aim to safely secure online credit and debit card transactions against data

South Africa’s Orderin raises $4.7m in Pre-series B Funding Round

Orderin, a South African Delivery-as-a-Service (DaaS) business with 100pc proprietary technology, has announced it raised $4.7m in a pre-series B funding round. The latest funding for the start-up comes as e-commerce is flourishing in the country and beyond. According to a recent report by World Wide Worx, South Africa’

Morocco’s Chari valued at $100M in bridge Funding Round

Moroccan B2B e-commerce and retail startup, Chari, has announced it hit a $100m valuation after securing an undisclosed amount in a bridge round. The bridge round welcomed new investors including Khwarizmi Ventures, Air Angels, and Afri Mobility, the venture capital arm of AKWA Group. Recall that late last year, Chari

Egyptian ExpandCart closes $2.7m pre-Series B round

Cairo-based e-Commerce startup builder ExpandCart has announced it raised $2.7m in a pre-Series B bridge funding round, led by Hong Kong-based Betatron Venture Group with participation from existing investors: Sawari Ventures from Egypt, and Agility Ventures from Kuwait. ExpandCart is the fastest growing Arabic eCommerce platform in the Middle

Egyptian Edtech Orcas raises $2.1 million

Cairo-based live learning Edtech startup, Orcas, has raised $2.1m in a pre-series A funding round from CIRA’s NFX Ventures and Access Bridge Ventures. Algebra Ventures, Launch Africa Ventures, Cairo Angels Syndicate Fund, and Seedstars International also participated in the round. Co-founded by Hossam Taher and Amira El Gharib

Features

Africa’s Funding Gap: The case of Anglophone and Francophone Africa

Unwanted Attention Was Wave’s $200 million Series A financing in September last year unwanted attention to Francophone Africa? With African startups being particularly hyped for global funding and investment over the past years, much of this funding has been skewed particularly towards Anglophone Africa and this is a huge

Startup

Egyptian Foodtech 3attar raises Seed investment

Cairo-based Foodtech startup, 3attar, has secured an undisclosed seed investment to expand its user base and develop its tech stack. AUC Angels, UI Investment, and a group of angel investors all participated in the round. 3attar was launched in 2019 by Mohamed Ali, as a B2C online platform with its

Tunisia Launches InnovaTech to High Growth Startups

Tunisia has announced the launch of its “InnovaTech,” initiative aimed at stimulating growth for innovative small businesses. The initiative involves a $43m investment fund for Tunisian startups. The fund also intends to mobilize private savings, leveraging co-investment to promote the startup ecosystem in the country. Private-sector actors will be able

Orange Ventures invites Egyptian Fintechs to apply for its Seed Challenge

Early-stage VC firm, Orange Ventures, has announced the launch of its Seed Challenge, which will see the VC firm grant $570k in capital to one Egyptian fintech startup. This comes less than a month after the VC launched its Orange Digital Centre in Cairo, Egypt. Applications are invited from seed-stage

Startup

Startups in Benin Republic Exempted from Corporate Tax for First 2 Years Under the General Tax Code Act

Any government can benefit from the growth of its startup ecosystem. The ability of a government to create a peaceful dialogue between itself and startups in the locality will go a long way in determining the existence and growth pattern of the startup and the economic development of the country.

REEF Technologies to launch cloud kitchens across MENA

The US-based operator of delivery kitchens, logistics, and proximity hubs, REEF Technologies, has announced plans to launch cloud kitchens for its network of restaurants and brands in MENA. REEF was launched in 2013 by Ari Ojalvo, Aziz Ihsanoglu, Philippe Saint-Just, Umut Tekin. The firm currently functions as North America’s

Startup

Kenyan Money Manager App Alvin raises $740k pre-seed Funding Round

Kenyan smart money manager app, Alvin, helping people align their daily spending around savings goals, has raised $740k in a pre-seed funding round as it continues to hone its product, which is in the private beta phase. The round was led by Ingressive Capital, and featured Zephyr Acorn, Voltron Capital,

Startup

US-based Xcelerate to buy stake in Tanzanian Medical Technology Firm, AfiyaSasa Africa

Tanzanian med-tech startup, AfiyaSasa Africa (ASA), is closing in an investment from Xcelerate Inc., a medical technology services provider based in the United States, in which it will yield a majority position to the company. The deal will see Xcelerate purchase a 51% stake in the Tanzanian medical technology and

Startup

Benin-based FedaPay Secures Funding from Benin Business Angel Network

Benin-based payment aggregator, FedaPay, has announced it raised its first round of investment from Benin Business Angel Network (BBAN). FedaPay is an efficient and secure system for payment by credit cards and by mobile money launched in 2018 by Hermann Aguessy and Boris Koumondji. The platform manages merchant accounts, allowing

Startup

Egypt’s B2B eCommerce Fashion Startup Gahez Raises $2M in Pre-Seed Funding

Egyptian e-commerce startup, Gahez, has announced it raised $2m in a pre-Seed funding round to boost its inward growth and accelerate expansion. The pre-seed round was led by Disruptech Ventures with participation from Egypt Ventures, Tanmeyah (an EFG Hermes company), Afropreneur fund, and other angel investors. Headquartered in Egypt, Gahez

Startup

Three Egyptian Edtech startups close rounds from EdVentures

Three Egyptian startups, OBM Education, Super Fny, and Crafty Workshop have received an undisclosed amount of funds from EdVentures and The Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT). EdVentures is an Arabian venture capital firm with a focus on Education, Culture, and Innovative Learning Solutions, powered by the long successful

Africa and Tech 2021

It’s slow, but it’s moving An article from theouut.com in March stated thus: In a world that continues to evolve, and fast, Africa is very quickly rising in the ranks of tech innovation and evolution. At the moment, Africa has a finger in every pie in the

Startup

Nigerian data visualization startup, Mustard Insights, raises capital

In what can be described as a last-minute round, Nigerian data visualization startup, Mustard Insights has raised an undisclosed amount of capital in a pre-seed round of funding towards its goal of building Africa’s largest data repository. The round was led by Velocity Digital as well as other investors.

Startup

South African Internet Provider, Isizwe, secures $450K from the Global Innovation Fund

The Johannesburg-based internet service provider that promotes access for minimal-income communities, Isizwe, has announced it secured a $450k investment from The Global Innovation Fund. GIF is offering this funding as part of ADVANCE, a collaboration with Anglo Americans that allows private investment to grow creative business models in support of

Startup

Uganda’s Tech-enabled Asset Finance Firm Tugende Secures $17m Funding

Ugandan fintech lender, Tugende, specializing in asset lending in Kenya and Uganda, has closed a $17m investment round. The funds raised will assist the organization in meeting client demand as well as supporting other technological advancements. The Nordic Microfinance Initiative (NMI) ($5m), Symbiotics ($6m), and the Lendahand crowdfunding site ($1m)

Startup

United States’ Aumet Acquires Egyptian Healthcare Supply Chain Solution Platform One

United States’ B2B healthcare marketplace serving the Middle East and North Africa, Aumet, has announced the acquisition of Platform One, an Egypt-based healthcare supply chain solutions startup, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition will enable Platform One’s full operation across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan,

Startup

Nigerian Edtech startup, Stranerd, launches P2P learning platform

Nigerian self-funded Edtech startup Stranerd has announced the launch of its peer-to-peer learning platform where students can ask and answer homework-related questions, with the service designed to give the smartest students opportunities to offer support to others who may be less skilled in particular subjects. Stranerd which began life as

Moroccan Real Estate Valuation Startup, Agenz, Secures $540k Seed Funding

Moroccan property valuation startup, Agenz, has raised $540K in a seed funding round less than a year after its launch to accelerate the rollout of Agenz across the country. This funding came from Azur Innovation Partners. AGENZ is a Casablanca-based startup launched by brothers, Malik Belkeziz and Badr Belkeziz to