This Week in African Tech 🌍

Hey 👋🏽, 

Elon just sold X to xAI—basically shifting it from one of his companies to another. And Amazon’s making moves to buy TikTok from ByteDance to keep it alive in the US.

In African tech: MTN made a satellite call using a regular smartphone, Chpter spun out a new product, and Spiro launched an all-women EV assembly line.

We’ll get to the roundup in a sec.

But before we do, we have an announcement.

Now, on to this week’s roundup….

Tech Roundup

• MTN South Africa and US-based Lynk Global have completed Africa’s first satellite phone call using a regular smartphone, marking a major step toward improving connectivity in remote and underserved areas.

• Nigerian mobility startup Shuttlers has added Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to its fleet to reduce its carbon footprint.

• Kenyan social commerce start-up Chpter has launched Pluto, a WhatsApp API suite to help businesses automate customer interactions and transactions. Andrew Bosson, Chpter’s former chief growth officer, now leads Pluto.

• Ethiopian Airlines has partnered with US-based Archer Aviation to launch an electric air taxi service in Ethiopia, aiming to build the country's first all-electric air mobility network.

• A dispute between Growth Studio Ventures and Kenyan startup Lipa Later has been sent to arbitration after the High Court paused the proceedings. Growth Studio sued for unpaid sums, but Lipa Later disputed the figures.

• Nigerian fintech Cleva has received an International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) license from the Central Bank of Nigeria, allowing it to process inbound international transfers directly to recipients in Nigeria.

• Mobility startup Spiro has launched Africa’s first all-women EV assembly line in Togo, aiming to empower women in tech manufacturing and push for greater gender parity across the continent’s tech sector.

Deal Roundup

• US-based Eargo and South African healthtech hearX have merged to create LXE Hearing, with $100 million in funding from Patient Square Capital. The merger aims to improve global access to affordable, high-quality hearing solutions.

• Ivorian fintech Djamo has raised $17 million, the largest ever for an Ivorian startup. The funding will support its expansion and help it offer better financial services to more unbanked people in Francophone Africa.

• Tanzanian logistics startup Sumet Technologies has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed round led by ABAN and Catalytic Africa. The funding will support Sumet’s expansion, enhance its tech stack, improve operations, and drive product development and team growth.

• Egyptian AI startup Stakpak has raised $500,000 in a pre-seed round led by P1 Ventures. The funding will support the expansion of its team in both the US and Egypt.

• South African AI startup NOSIBLE has raised $1 million in a pre-seed round led by Atlantica Ventures. The funding will help launch marketing efforts, scale sales operations, and accelerate its go-to-market strategy.

• Egyptian semiconductor startup InfiniLink has raised $10 million in a seed funding round led by MediaTek and Sukna Ventures. The funds will help the company improve high-speed connections while reducing energy use in AI data centers.

• South African fintech Trade Shield has secured $820,000 in funding from Vumela Enterprise Development Fund, in partnership with Edge Growth. The funds will support growth opportunities in South Africa and globally

Other Events and Opportunities

• Applications are open for Phase 2 of the Spark Accelerator by Safaricom, M-Pesa Africa, and Sumitomo Corporation, designed to scale high-impact, commercially viable businesses driving societal change. Apply for the second cohort between April 1 and May 15.

• Thinking of expanding to Africa? Itana is hosting a Business Exploration Trip to Nigeria from April 29 to May 4. Meet government leaders, top investors, and tech founders while touring key hubs like Flutterwave HQ, and the Nigeria Stock Exchange. Only 15 spots available. Apply here.

• Applications are now open for the 15th Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Africa and the Middle East, which supports social innovation and entrepreneurship. Apply here before May 18^th.

• Dakar Network Angels is hosting a virtual pitch session this April, showcasing innovative founders across Africa. Whether you're an investor or just curious, join to support the next wave of startups. Get more info at dakarnetworkangels.com.

And that's a wrap!

That’s it for this week. See you on Wednesday 😃 

Cheers,

The Tech Safari Team

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