Eli Pollak (Founder & CEO, Apollo Agriculture) Leading agri-fintech startup, Apollo Agriculture, has secured a US$10 million investment from Swedfund and ImpactConnect to fuel its rapid expansion, enabling increased earnings for farmers, faster adoption of sustainable practices, and increased food security across Africa. Enthused about the partnership, CEO of Apollo Agriculture, Eli Pollak says, “This collaboration with Swedfund and ImpactConnect is a significant milestone for Apollo Agriculture. The investment positions us to rapidly scale our operations, enabling more farmers to access the essential products and financial services they need to feed their families and communities and adapt to climate change.…
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Dorothy Sokefun-Olokodana Dorothy Olokodana is the Founder of Organic Dorothy (suppliers of handcrafted ferments and nourishing wholefoods), and the brand’s Kombucha tea is making the rounds as a brew of choice. In her words: “Kombucha is a fermented beverage, and its basic ingredients are tea, sugar, a scoby (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and water. These ingredients are left for some time to ferment – the same way that all coffee and chocolate are fermented. “The Organic Dorothy Kombucha tea is a living drink whose surprisingly unique flavour comes from using traditional fermentation techniques alongside high-quality ingredients in a…
Founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has become a sensation once more, this time for playing 10 simultaneous chess matches, and winning every single one of them. Says Tunde: “On day two of the Digital Life Design (DLD) conference, I played a simultaneous chess match against 10 players at once. After an almost two-hour battle of wits, I managed to win all the games. The Chess exhibition helped us raise enough money to support the education of 100 children in our academy.” Tunde Onakoya 9Founder, Chess in Slums Africa) Chess in Slums Africa very recently signed a three-year…
When in December 2023, Burger King Nigeria opened the doors to new outlets in Lagos – the Palms Shopping Mall (Lekki) and the Agungi stores – no-one really know if anything different would be served. Rushdi Ibrahim (CEO of Burger King Nigeria) had said: “We tailor our offerings to local tastes by incorporating popular Nigerian flavours into our menu items, ensuring a blend of global standards with regional preferences. This can be seen with the launch of our Pepe Whopper, Suya Whopper, and Nigerian sides like potato cubes, plantain cubes, and yam fries”. Rushdi has since delivered on the Burger king…
Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi (Saudi Minister of Commerce) Saudi Arabia has introduced six new visa types, known as ‘Premium Residency products,’ to attract skilled professionals and investments to enhance the country’s status as a global hub. Interested parties can apply directly through the government’s online portal. The Premium Residency program has six categories, each with different requirements and durations: Entrepreneur Business Investor Property Investor Privileged Residency Established Talent Exceptional Competence All categories of applicants will reap the following benefits: Residency in Saudi Arabia, including for parents, spouses, and children under the age of 25 Freedom to move between facilities…
Bruce Nsereko Lule (General Partner, Seedstars) Seedstars Africa Ventures has received a $30 million capital commitment from EIB Global, an arm of the European Investment Bank, which becomes the first major institutional investment for its first Pan-African venture capital fund. The new commitment follows a $8 million investment from the fund’s anchor investor French private equity firm LBO France. The fund targets to close at between $80 million and $100 million to back seed and series A startups, and offer follow-on funding up to Series B, bridging an extensive capital gap, and supporting startups beyond accelerator programs. The VC firm’s…
Anchor, a Banking-as-a-Service company that provides the complete infrastructure and tools needed for African businesses to build, embed and launch compliant financial products in minutes. has released an end-of-year review highlighting its key achievements over a year after its launch. In 2023, Anchor processed over ₦400 Billion ($450 million) in transaction volume enabling 60+ live customers who depend on Anchor’s APIs to power services across fintech, HR, logistics, e-commerce and many more industries Segun Adeyemi (Founder & CEO, Anchor) Currently, Anchor offers several APIs for fintechs allowing them to operate virtual accounts, conduct seamless KYC/KYB, issue virtual cards, set up savings & credit services,…
Mohamed Gawish (Founder & CEO, iSchool) iSchool, an Egyptian startup that teaches programming to children of elementary to high school age, has secured $4.5m in a funding round led by Capital Ventures Wave, an Irish venture capital firm. The round also included UK Capital OneStop, Webit Network Investment, and Capital Oraseya, the investment arm of Dubai’s Integrated Economic Zone Authority. Team iSchool Founder & CEO of iSchool, Mohamed Gawish, said in a Facebook post that the funding will enable iSchool expand into six new markets in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as to scale up its technology…
Toluwani Precious Ogunbiyi SDG and sustainable food systems advocate, Global Youth Ambassador, and AgTech enthusiast, Toluwani Precious Ogunbiyi, has just thrown up an extremely innovative project for scrutiny. She says: “Can you imagine making paint from cow dung? 🎨🐄💩” The following video outlines the outstanding benefits of this latest eco-friendly innovation, already in use across India, from construction sites to cosmetics. 🎥 via Toluwani Precious Ogunbiyi Ms. Ogunbiyi’s lucid line of thinking goes like this: “First thing that excited me about this innovation is the fact that it offers an extra source of income for farmers! Most times, cow ding…
Ini Obinna-Onunkwo (Founder, Little Weavers) Little Weavers, the ultra-fashionable, ready-to-wear (and bespoke) Afrocentric clothing brand that serves families, has turned 10. Iniobong Obinna-Onunkwo (Founder, Little Weavers) says: “For 10 years, we have continued to preach the gospel of African print. Beyond that, every piece is a story that tells the beauty of our culture and the need for young people to embrace it with pride”. Globally-recognised education advocate and film maker, Zuriel Oduwole, recounts her amazing experience with Little Weavers.