Okra Solar raises $12M to power mesh-grid electrification in Africa

Cleantech startup, Okra Solar has raised a $12 million Series A to enable mesh-grid electrification in Africa.

Kenyan blockchain experts are challenging the legality of the crypto tax

Blockchain Association of Kenya has moved to court to challenge the legality of the digital asset tax introduced by the Kenyan government through the 2023 Finance Act..

Uber launches electric bikes in Kenya, its first in Africa

As part of its efforts to be a zero-emission company by 2040, Uber has rolled out electric bikes in Kenya, its first in Africa.

Ugandan mobility fintech, Asaak acquires FlexClub, expands to Latin America

Asaak has acquired FlexClub Mexico, as part of its expansion into Latin America. The undisclosed acquisition does not include FlexClub South Africa.

Anonymous Sudan hacked X because they want Starlink in Sudan

Anonymous Sudan has taken responsibility for X's (formerly Twitter) outage, stating that it is pressuring Elon Musk to launch Starlink in the country.

India wants to expand its Unified Payments Interface to Africa

The Indian government is planning to expand its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Africa through commercial partnerships between payment platforms. According to Mint, an Indian business publication, the government is in talks with "several African countries", including Namibia, Mozambique, and Kenya.

Black Ostrich Ventures launches $20M fund to back startups outside Africa’s “Big Four”

US-based firm, Black Ostrich Ventures has raised a $20 million fund to invest in cleantech, supply chain, agritech, and edtech in Tanzania, Zambia, Morocco, and Uganda.

ICT was the second-highest contributor to Nigeria’s GDP in Q2 2023

Despite a substantial funding gap between male-led and female-led startups on the continent, four investors see immense potential in these women entrepreneurs and consider them a must-watch.

Bloc launches business banking service, appoints Guobadia to assemble its board

After 18 months of enabling fintech startups to build and deploy banking and payment services, Nigerian fintech startup, Bloc has launched a business banking services.

What we know about the Meta Creator Lab Live for Nigerian creators

Last Friday, over 40 young and aspiring Nigerian creators gathered at the Meta office in Lagos for the Creator Lab Live, an educational event that provides an opportunity for creators to learn from experts and collaborate.

Meet the African startups competing at TechCrunch’s 2023 Startup Battlefield 200

The startups cut across Cleantech, SaaS, Fintech, Fintech, HealthTech, AI/Machine Learning, Security and Privacy and Cleantech. The startups are from Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.

BD Insider 181: TikTok to open an office in Kenya to drive its African operations

The fintech startup said it will use the funds to expand to Europe, Asia, and MENA. We also covered TIkTok's plan to set up an office in Kenya.