This Week in African Tech 🌍

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Hello! Caleb here. Welcome to another edition of This Week in African Tech!

The African Tech Summit is coming up soon, and there are a few tech events happening in and around Nairobi during the week. Our friend Anthony Catt at Ventures 54 has put together a comprehensive guide to help you stay in the loop of all the exciting stuff coming up. Don't miss out! Take a look at the events guide here.

Now let’s get into this week’s roundup.

Tech Roundup

• Google has launched its first Africa cloud region in South Africa, giving local businesses the chance to up their game with its robust cloud services. This is a timely move, considering the recent complaints by African founders about the high costs of cloud services.

• Envisionit Deep AI made history as the first African-founded AI imaging medical device to secure FDA clearance for its RADIFY Triage software. This means their Chest X-ray AI device can now assist in spotting Pneumothorax and Pleural Effusion, critical issues in emergency rooms and intensive care units.

• Bolt is expanding to Zimbabwe, and kicking things off by waiving commissions for its first six months and 300 drivers. This move puts Bolt in direct competition with international competitors like inDrive and Rida, and local players like Vaya and Hwindi.

• French TV giant, Canal+ has offered to up its 31.67% stake in South Africa's MultiChoice, acquiring the rest of the company for $1.7 billion. If the deal goes through, the French TV company will increase its dominance across Africa.

• Auto24, an Ivorian online car marketplace, has acquired Kupatana, a Tanzanian online classifieds platform, in a bid to enter Tanzania's $38.5 million used car market.

• Nigerian startup Kippa, which started as a fintech, is pivoting to offer edtech services. The startup is launching a new platform that enables anyone to create new online courses or deliver existing ones in bite-sized formats using AI. It is unclear how Kippa will handle its existing fintech customers.

• Uganda's Centenary Bank has launched CenteWhatsApp banking to offer customers banking services through WhatsApp. Customers can now check their balances, transfer money, and pay bills on WhatsApp.

• Bboxx, a data-driven cleantech startup that provides clean energy in Africa, has moved its HQ from London to Rwanda, to show its commitment to being Africa-first. The company also plans to invest $100 million in Rwanda and train 500 Rwandans in the next 5 years.

Deal Roundup

• Carry1st, a South African game publisher, has received an undisclosed amount of funding from Sony via its $10 million Sony Innovation Fund for Africa. The partnership is still in its infancy, but Carry1st is confident that it will "bring the best games in the world to players across Africa.”

• InspiraFarms Cooling, a Kenya-based cooling solutions provider, raises $1.09 million to support its off-grid energy cold storage projects across Africa. Investors include CEI Africa, KawiSafi, and Factor[e].

• Senegal-based ProXalys, an online marketplace for agricultural products, raises $500,000 in a funding round led by 216 Capital, with participation from Haskè Ventures and Digital Africa. The funding will help improve the startup’s data and AI teams in Tunisia and Senegal and build a strong presence in both countries.

• Roboost, an Egyptian AI-powered logistics startup, raises $3 million in an investment round led by Silicon Badia, with participation from RZM Investment, Flat6Labs, and Saudi Angel Investors. Roboost will use the funding to expand in the MENA region and offer more services like e-commerce and middle-mile solutions.

• Kenyan startup Apollo Agriculture, which specialises in helping small-scale farmers maximise their profits, raises $10 million in debt funding from Swedfund and ImpactConnect. The startup will use this funding to help more smallholder farmers boost profits, promote sustainable farming, and improve food security.

• OfferZen, a South African developer hiring marketplace, raises $4.3 million from Invenfin and AI Capital, while also announcing a new business model.

Events and Opportunities

• Founders, are you ready to scale your startup with Visa? Applications are now open for the second cohort of the Visa Accelerator Program - Africa! Apply here before the 18th of February, 2024.

• Applications are now open for the Westerwelle Young Founders Programme, which offers young entrepreneurs from developing countries six months of business mentoring and the chance to participate in the Young Founder Conference in Berlin. Apply here before the 11th of February, 2024 for the Spring cohort of the programme.

• Calling all edtech founders! The Injini Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is now accepting applications for its second edition in South Africa. Apply here before the 13th of February, 2024.

• Curious about how I built Tech Safari and what I’ve learned so far? I’ll be discussing what I’ve learned about being visible and building a sticky profile with my friend - Renier Lombard at the FDC webinar themed “From Connections to Capital” on the 6th of February, 2024. Register here.

• Learn how AI can transform today’s businesses at the Innovate Nigeria Conference and Expo 2024. The event will hold in Lagos, on the 6th and the 7th of February, 2024. Register to attend or book a stand here.

• Connect with tech leaders from Africa and around the globe at the 6th Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi on the 14th and 15th of February, 2024. Register here to attend the event.

• Is there a tech entrepreneur or innovator in Kenya you’d like to spotlight? Then nominate them to be featured in Innovate Kenya Volume 1, part of the Innovations of the World Series, which showcases innovation success stories from around the world. You can submit nominations via this link or email them to [email protected].

And that's a wrap for this week!

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