Tosin Agboola

A reporter from byOuut with an interest in covering emerging markets and highlighting underrepresented founders. When not writing, I am on the internet reading other publications, and all your tweets.

Press Release

Mastercard Partners with EMIS to Boost the Digital Economy in Angola

The partnership will enable Angolan citizens to gain access to both physical and virtual cards that can be used for cross-border payments, thereby aiding in the creation of an interoperable payment system. Financial institutions to also benefit as they will have cost synergies and access to Mastercard’s world-class technology

Daily

TikTok blocked in Senegal amidst crackdown on dissent

The Senegalese government has suspended the use of TikTok until further notice. The reason for this decision is the spreading of "hateful and subversive" messages that followed the recent protests against the detention of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on Monday. They had already cut off internet access on

Press Release

Materials Nexus raises £2m to accelerate the world’s change to net-zero materials

Deep tech company Materials Nexus has raised £2 million to roll out its ground-breaking AI and quantum mechanics technology which fast-tracks the discovery and development of sustainable, cheaper, higher performing materials. The round was led by Ada Ventures, with further investment from High-Tech Gründerfonds, The University of Cambridge, National Security

Members only

Mental Health

Dear Founders, Mental Health Care is Important.

As a startup founder, your mental health is of utmost importance. Starting and running a new business can be an incredibly challenging and demanding endeavor, both emotionally and psychologically. Here are some key points to consider

Press Release

SquadTrip Raises $1.3M in Funding, Led by Atento Capital, to Expand Services to 50,000 Travel Professionals

Tech startup achieves milestone as one of the few, Black-led travel brands to secure $1 million-plus investment deal Tulsa, Okla. – July 12, 2023 – SquadTrip, an automated payment solution for large and small group trips, announced today a $1.3M funding round led by Atento Capital. The investment will support the

Press Release

Women Who Build Africa announces call for founders, partners to join the first annual WWBA Assembly

Women Who Build Africa (WWBA), a community created to convene and support women working in tech across Africa, today announced an open call for women founders, as well as investors and ecosystem partners, to express interest in joining the first annual WWBA Assembly, taking place in Nairobi, September 13th-14th. A

Members only

Techstars Featured

The Rise of Techstars: Igniting the Global Startup Ecosystem

The impact of startups on economic growth and societal progress is undeniable in the constantly evolving landscape of technology and innovation. The impact of Techstars on the growth and development of startups, as well as its influence on the global entrepreneurial landscape,

Press Release

Growdash, UAE based restaurant startup secures $750,000 in pre-seed funding

Growdash hyper-competitive, a UAE-based startup that empowers restaurants to build and execute profitable online growth strategies, today announced the closing of a US$750,000 pre-seed round of funding led by Flat6Labs. The round also included participation from Plus Venture Capital (+VC), Judah VC, TPN Investments as well as a

Funding

YC-Backed KASO Raises $10.5 Million and Launches F&B Fintech Vertical, Aiming to Reach $1 Billion GMV Target by 2024

KASO, the leading B2B platform digitizing & automating procurement between restaurants and food suppliers in the Middle East, has announced it has raised $10.5 million in seed funding to fuel its mission of disrupting the food supply

Funding

Dubia-based refurbished-electronics startup, Revibe, raises $2.3m for expansion

Revibe, a Dubai-based refurbished-electronics startup, announced it has raised US$2.3 million in order to accelerate its growth within the US$6 billion refurbished consumer electronics market in the MENA region — which is expected to reach US$20 billion within the next decade.

Funding

Egyptian fintech Menthum raises pre-Seed funding

Menthum was founded in 2021 by Himanshu Shrimali and Ismail Sarhank. This innovative digital platform serves both B2B and B2C customers, enabling them to invest in secure treasury bills (T-bills) through a reliable money market fund.

Alfii

Alfii, an HRtech company based in the UAE, has successfully raised $2.5 million in a pre-seed round

Alfii’s mission is to be the most comprehensive fintech-powered people platform that helps companies thrive by caring for their people.

Funding

NOMU Group Raises $5 Million in Seed Round

NOMU, a Saudi-Arabia-based food-tech startup, founded in 2022 as a result of the merger between Jumlaty and Appetito announced it has raised $5M in a seed round to expand its technology offering.

Daily

Acasia Ventures Opens Lagos Office

Acasia Ventures, Acasia Group's venture capital investment arm, has opened a new office in Lagos, Nigeria, with the intention of expanding its reach across Africa and establishing relationships with local founders and stakeholders. The new location increases Acasia Ventures' presence in West Africa, bolstering the company'

Venture Capital

Venture Forward Awards Scholarship To 40 Underrepresented Aspiring VCs

Venture Forward, recently awarded scholarships to 40 recipients as part of the VC University Cohort 13 class. The scholarship comes with full tuition, dedicated house hours, and 3months of a curated mentorship program. According to the organization, the scholarship recipients were competitively selected from hundreds of candidates who went through

Features Featured

The VC Funding Gap: Why Northern Nigerian Start-Ups Are Being Left Behind -Surayyah Ahmed

Nigeria’s startup ecosystem is booming, with a growing number of innovative companies emerging across the country. However, there is a stark divide between startups in the northern and southern regions of Nigeria when it comes to securing venture capital (VC) funding. Northern Nigerian startups are being left behind, and

Press Release

Google Launches Accelerator For Cleantech In Middle East, Africa

Google has announced the launch of Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change. This 10-week, equity-free program is specifically designed for Seed to Series A startups that are working hard to tackle Climate Change with technology. This amazing opportunity is being offered in partnership with Google Cloud and is specifically targeted

Saudi Arabian Game Publisher Sandsoft Commits $3.25 M Funding In Game Developer, The Tiny Digital Factory (TDF)

Saudi Arabian game maker Sandsoft Games has invested $3.25 million in mobile racing and motorsport game developer, The Tiny Digital Factory (TDF). This backing adds weight to Sandsoft’s portfolio and will facilitate the company’s partnership on player-first mobile experiences in 2023 and beyond. This collaboration will enable

Israel's Playtika Proposes Higher Bid To Acquire Angry Birds Developer, Rovio

The Israeli-based mobile gaming company, Playtika has proposed an increased price to acquire Angry Birds developer Rovio. In an announcement, Playtika said it would now purchase the shares for a 55% premium of 9.05 Euros which is an increment of the initial offer of 8.50 Euros per share.

Jumiapay Joins Forces With Contact Creditech To Expand Financial Offerings In Egypt

Jumia’s digital payments platform JumiaPay and Contact Creditech, the consumer financing arm of Contact Financial Holding have entered a new partnership to launch a new group of financial services for its consumers in Egypt. This partnership will allow Jumia to provide different payment methods to simplify the buying process

Moroccan e-logistics startup,  Cathedis receives $735K in pre- series A round

Cathedis, a Moroccan delivery, and e-logistics startup has received its second funding worth $735K in a pre-series A round. The new financing was jointly raised from AKWA Group’s Venture Capital, Afrimobility and CDG Invest who provided 5 million and 2.5 million Moroccan Dirhams (MDH) respectively, making a total

Lazerpay is driving the growth of businesses in Africa with its blockchain- enabled payment gateway

Commerce across Africa is fragmented because currencies are different. According to the World Bank, approximately 41 currencies are serving Africa’s 54 countries. This fragmentation has made moving money across borders over time, effectively preventing businesses from expanding their reach. Lazerpay is driving the growth of businesses in Africa with

Startup

$1.2million Worth of Funding Launched by The African Enterprise Challenge Fund

The African Enterprise Challenge Fund(AECF) recently launched a USD1.2 million worth of innovation fund. The AECF is a development institution that helps businesses and startups alike to be more creative with their ideas. They aim to make available sustainable incomes in Africa, especially in the rural and marginalized

Egyptian Fintech, Dayra secures $3M in pre-seed round.

Egyptian fintech, Dayra has secured $3 million in a pre-seed round which is a combination of equity and debt financing. In addition to the funding, Dayra has joined Y Combinator’s winter 2021 (YC W21). Investors that participated in the round were EFG EV, EFG Hermes, Tanmiya Capital Ventures, and

Egypt-based Startup, Koinz, Raises $4.8million Seed Round

Koinz, an Egypt-based restaurant aggregator startup, recently raised a $4.8million seed round. The round was led by Justin Mateen who has been actively involved in investing in startups since his departure from Tinder in 2014. According to Mateen, the main attraction to Koinz for him is their ability to