Riches Attai is the Co-Founder & CEO of Winich Farms. And he just goes straight to the point: You know how there are at least three layers of middlemen between the smallholder farmers and the informal processors and retailers, leaving the smallholder farmers largely marginalised and the informal processors/ retailers struggling to access inventory when and how they want them, and at the best price. Well here is what we have done, via a hybrid (offline-online) approach, using technology (USSD and mobile application) – we have provided a platform that allows the informal processor and retailer to get access to…
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Isah Dahiru (Founder, SpecxsCare – Jigawa State) Innovator of the smart bladder device, Isah Dahiru, founded Specxs Care Limited as an indigenous pioneering digital healthcare and innovation company that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge biomedical technology to design advanced medical devices and develop transformative healthcare systems. The smart bladder device is an AI-powered product used in the treatment of urinary incontinence in Seniors. Proudly rooted in Jigawa State, Isah says Specxs Care was born from a deep desire to revolutionise healthcare, expand universal health coverage, and ensure affordable healthcare services in the state and across Nigeria.
🎥 Travis Adkins Two weeks ago, the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) was thrilled to announce its latest Request for Applications for African agricultural cooperatives, producers, or enterprises to receive up to $250,000 in grant funding. Eligible countries are: Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. While the video above gives some background and insight, more details on eligibility, proposal submission, and deadlines for each country can be found on the USADF website. Nigeria, for example, has a submission deadline of June 30, 2024. This applies to entities operating in the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa,…
(R) Chinwe Okoli (Special Adviser to the Anambra State Governor on Innovation and Business Incubation) 📸Solution Innovation District All over the globe, Techstars Startup Weekend plays out as an exciting and immersive foray into the world of startups. Over an action-packed three days, Founders across various sectors meet the very best mentors, investors, co-founders and sponsors who show the business owners (current and potential) how start that business or get an existing one grow faster, organically. Over the weekend, an iteration of Techstars Startup Weekend took place in Onitsha, Anambra State, with the startup team from ‘Electrify’ securing the top prize…
Kelechi Nwaozozu (2nd L) – General Manager, CafĂ© One by Sterling Bank On May 24, 2024, combined co-working space and coffee shop, CafĂ© One, announced the opening of a new service point in Ikeja (Lagos State), bringing its service locations to a total of seven across Nigeria. Housed within the premises of Sterling Bank, CafĂ© One also plays host to Sterling Bank’s digital products, offering premium banking services and one of the best coffees in Lagos while at it. 📸CafĂ© One The Ikeja centre, similar to all other CafĂ© One locations, is pleasantly ambient, offering a variety of working options…
📸 Affiong Williams Affiong Williams (Founder & CEO of technology food startup, ReelFruit Nigeria) is attending her first major expo in the United States, and says it’s been a huge eye-opener for her. According to Williams: I marveled at the scale of trade in the U.S, the innovation in snack products and the opportunity that lay ahead for ReelFruit in the U.S. I returned energized to continue in my mission to take the best of Nigeria to the world. It is more than possible!I was also very fortunate to meet with the co-founder of Martie, Kari Morris. Martie has been…
Team E-Doc Online (L-R) Babatunde Ogundipe (Co-Founder & CEO): Adam Bisi (Co-Founder) – E-Doc Online is one of 20 startups selected for Visa’s second accelerator program cohort 2024 📸 NumerisMedia/ Anne Agbakoba Visa has announced the startups shortlisted from across Africa to participate in the second cohort of its Africa Fintech Accelerator program. The Sub-Saharan African startups shortlisted for the second cohort of the Visa Fintech Accelerator program for Africa are: Chapa (Ethiopia) CheckUps Medical Hub (Kenya) AzamPay (Tanzania) Beem (Tanzania) Bizao | Payment hub in Africa (Ivory Coast) HUB2 (Ivory Coast) IWOMI TECHNOLOGIES LTD (Cameroun) PROBOUTIK (Cameroun) VaultPay (Democratic…
One of 10 entrepreneurs: Nora Majero’s Drop Access (Kenya) manufactures and supplies solar-powered cold chain solutions to rural communities Meet the 10 local leaders who make up the 2024 Acumen Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator. They are consistently unbundling barriers to clean and affordable energy for all: Amein Eskinder (Fiberkiosk, Ethiopia) Fiberkiosk (Ethiopia) tackles the pressing issues of energy access and economic disparity in underserved Ethiopian communities. Through a network of micro-entrepreneurs running solar kiosks, they provide access to charging and refrigeration to communities, and income for the operators. Celeste Tchetgen Vogel (eWAKA Mobility, Kenya) eWAKA Mobility (Kenya) provides eco-friendly, electric…
Yesterday, we presented MaaD, (read here), one of the mission-driven founders backed by the Ventures Platform Fund. And there’s more. Here’s a recap of some of of the Fund’s recent investments in companies building the future of Africa, through innovative market-creating solutions: 🇪🇬 Karcel (formerly known as Voom)Founders: Abobakr Elmashtoly, Mohammed KamelOn a mission to digitize used car transactions in Egypt, Karcel offers a secure platform for seamless transactions, advanced technical inspection procedures, a transparent online pricing system and financing options for both users and merchants. The company aims to be the go-to digital automotive platform, empowering individuals and businesses at any phase of their…
The Ventures Platform fund is thrilled to announce its lead in the $3.2 million seed round investment in Maad, a tech and logistics platform transforming the retail landscape in Francophone Africa.Launched in 2021, the platform reduces the barriers to access and cost of delivering goods, aligning perfectly with the Fund’s thesis of backing market-creating innovations that solve for non-consumption. Kola AIna (Founding Partner, Ventures Platform Fund) Unsurprisingly, Maad has quickly become a key solution for informal retailers in Senegal, providing a one-stop shop for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Says the Ventures Platform Fund: Their innovative approach connects small retailers directly…