Author: Akin Naphtal

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced a partnership with e-commerce company Jumia Technologies to enhance its satellite broadband services in Africa. Jumia, backed by investors such as Pernod Ricard and Goldman Sachs Group, will be responsible for selling Starlink’s satellite terminals and other equipment in select African countries, beginning with Nigeria in the near future.  This collaboration will provide Jumia with the advantage of being the first e0commerce company to offer sales and distribution of these kits in Africa. Starlink, known for its fast-speed internet services, has expanded its reach to Africa through partnerships with Jumia, an e-commerce platform. This move…

South African financial technology innovator, Ukheshe, has made a significant update to its Scan to Pay application by incorporating cryptocurrency payments. Previously known as Masterpass, the app has a vast network of over 600,000 merchants, 14 major banks, numerous fintech organizations, and 94 payment service providers. This move by Ukheshe is seen as a major step in introducing cryptocurrency payment options to a wider audience in South Africa. The company has announced a collaboration with Xion Global, a renowned service provider, to seamlessly unite traditional and cryptocurrency transactions. Tracy-Lee Schoeman, the head of loyalty and rewards at Ukheshe, discussed the…

Telecommunications service, Ericsson, says it’s commited to leading the Open RAN industrialization by introducing compatibility for open fronthaul in its Cloud Radio Access Network (RAN) and radio portfolios. This move comes after the company worked with the industry through the O-RAN Alliance to define the next generation open fronthaul interface. With over one million radios already deployed that are hardware ready for the next generation of open fronthaul technology, Ericsson aims to bring performance at a mass scale to Open RAN. The company will also release new radio platforms this year, providing a complete Open RAN-ready offering across its Massive…

Chinese multinational smartphone brand, Vivo, has collaborated with sonic branding agency BrandMusiq to develop unique notification sounds and ringtones for its devices in the company’s efforts to establish Vivo’s sonic brand and create a distinct acoustic signature for the brand in India. The newly created notification sounds and ringtones, including Mogoscape, Mogo, and Mini-Mogo, have already been integrated into all of Vivo’s brand communication materials, such as television commercials and digital content. These sonic identities are now featured in Vivo’s latest Vivo V29 series of smartphones in India. Vivo is excited for consumers to experience these captivating tones that perfectly…

Employee benefits and rewards services provider, Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services (BRS) India, has rebranded to Pluxee, and unveiled its new digital-first brand identity. With a rich legacy of 25 years in India, Pluxee has been at the forefront of revolutionizing employee benefits and engagement. The rebranding was accomplished with the assistance of the Conran Design Group Agency, a part of Havas Group. Pluxee specializes in designing and delivering services that enhance well-being and empower working individuals in both their professional and personal lives. The brand offers a tech-powered employee benefits platform that includes meal, fuel, telecom, learning, rewards, wellness,…

Swedish lithium-ion battery producer, Northvolt, has announced its plans to establish a $5.2 billion gigafactory in Quebec, sparking off largest investment in the Canadian city, and the latest in electric vehicle battery manufacturing capacity in Canada. Northvolt’s Co-Founder, Paolo Cerruti, explained that the company will invest $3.2 billion of the $5.2 billion total, while the local and federal government contribute $1 billion each. The first phase of the construction of the factory, named Northvolt Six, will begin this year outside Montreal. The factory is expected to be operational by 2026. Cerruti, who is to lead the project as CEO of…

The Bengaluru based company spoke on the funding, said the new funding will be deployed towards building robust teams across product development, technology, analytics, and support functions like compliance and customer service. Founded in 2019, Bright Money specializes in personal lending and credit card solutions within the fintech sector. Its comprehensive suite of offerings includes credit score enhancement, automated debt repayment plans, financial and budget planning tools, and refinancing options, covering a wide range of financial needs, including credit cards, student loans, and car loans. Bright Money claimed it marked an impressive sixfold increase in user base over the past…

Revio, a South African fintech startup specialising in payment orchestration, has successfully secured $5.2 million in seed funding to advance its efforts in simplifying and optimising payment processes across the African continent. This comes not up to a year after the startup raised a $1.1 million seed round. The funding round, led by prominent fintech investors QED Investors and Partech, with participation from existing backers Speedinvest, RaliCap, and Everywhere VC, represents a significant milestone for Revio in its pursuit of improving payment systems for businesses. Revio, founded just three years ago, has made notable progress in addressing the intricate and…

South Korean car manufacturers, Hyundai and Kia, have issued recalls for 3.37 million vehicles in the US due to an engine fire risk, while advising owners to park outside and away from structures until repairs are complete. Kia has recalled 1.73 million vehicles consisting of the Borrego, Cadenza, Forte, Sportage, K900, Optima, Soul, Rio, Sorento, and Rondo models. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the year range for the mentioned models starts from 2010 through to 2017. Hyundai is recalling 1.64 million Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, Accent, Azera, Veloster, Santa Fe, Equus, Veracruz, Tucson, Tucson Fuel Cell,…

Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company,recently announced its plan to launch an inaugural Engineering Mobility Program in India with the support of Capgemini, a global leader in business and technology transformation services. Flutterwave’s Nigeria and UK-based engineering team will work with Capgemini’s extensive technology talent in Bangalore to share industry best practices and nurture the next-generation workforce. This collaboration will see Capgemini draw upon its deep domain expertise to enhance Flutterwave’s product delivery via a new cloud service provider. In addition, Capgemini will play a pivotal role in Flutterwave’s technology strategy by defining a clear target-state and a detailed roadmap…