Tag: africa
Google, Toyota invest in WhereIsMyTransport to map transport in emerging cities
In emerging markets, up to 80% of the population may have to rely on informally-run public transport to get around. Literally, privately-run buses and cars. But journey-planning apps that work well for commuters in developed markets like New York or London do not work well in emerging markets, which is…
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AWS partners with Kenya’s Safaricom on cloud and consulting services
Amazon Web Services has entered a partnership with Safaricom — Kenya’s largest telco, ISP and mobile payment provider — in a collaboration that could spell competition between American cloud providers in Africa. In a statement to TechCrunch, the East African company framed the arrangement as a “strategic agreement” whereby Safaricom will…
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South African fintech startup Jumo raises second $50M+ VC round
South African fintech startup Jumo closed a $55 million round from a diverse group of investors, the company confirmed. Founded in 2015 and based in Cape Town, the venture offers a full tech stack for partners to build savings, lending, and insurance products for customers in emerging markets. This week’s…
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Africa e-tailer Jumia reports first full-year results post NYSE IPO
Pan-African e-commerce company Jumia got into the black (by a small amount) on its gross profit vs. fulfillment expenses, expanded financial services and still posted losses. The online sales company, with an operations center in China, also anticipates some negative impact on 2020 growth from the coronavirus outbreak, CEO Sacha…
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Sokowatch raises $14M to digitize Africa’s informal B2B supply-chain
Kenya based B2B e-commerce startup Sokowatch has raised $14 million in Series A funding toward its mission of revamping supply-chain markets for Africa’s informal retailers. From Nairobi, the company has created a platform that connects merchants directly to local and multinational suppliers — such as Unilever and Proctor and Gamble…
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These specialized Africa VC funds are welcoming co-investors
For global venture capitalists still on the fence about entering Africa, a first move could be co-investing with a proven fund that’s already working in the region. Africa’s startup scene is performance-light — one major IPO and a handful of exits — but there could be greater returns for investors…
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