Author: Akin Naphtal

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…

Pan-African technology company, Liquid Intelligent Technologies has launched two new terrestrial fibre links across Africa – connecting Kenya with Ethiopia and linking Zambia to Malawi. The over 1,000-kilometer Kenya-Ethiopia route provides Ethiopian businesses cloud access in Kenya, enabling regional data to stay on the continent. Liquid Kenya’s CEO Adil El Youssefi said this route aligns with the Kenyan government’s Digital Superhighway Initiative to strengthen ICT infrastructure. It is Liquid’s first contribution to the public-private flagship project. In partnership with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company and Ethiopia Electric Power, the high-capacity fibre connects Nairobi with southern Ethiopia’s Mega town. It complements existing…

Kenya stands as a shining beacon of innovation and digital transformation. As this East African nation embraces the future, it does so with a resounding commitment to inclusivity and diversity. In recent years, Kenya’s technology sector has witnessed a remarkable shift, not only in its rapid growth but also in the increasing prominence of women at the forefront of this dynamic industry. In our exploration of Kenya’s tech landscape, we delve deep into the stories and achievements of remarkable women who are not just breaking glass ceilings but shattering them into a million pieces. These pioneering women are steering the…

Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has entered into partnership with Atlas AI, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) analytics platform, aimed at maximising the positive impact of connectivity and digital services across Africa, using data-driven insights to accelerate digital transformation and economic growth. Through this partnership, Cassava will be able to deliver cutting-edge AI development capabilities custom-built for its enterprise customers, catering to the unique needs of businesses on the African continent. “AI and data analytics are a core part of our digital transformation journey across all Cassava Technologies business units. Our clients across Africa will benefit from access to quality…

Capitec recently announced that its prepaid mobile service Capitec Connect has issued 1.3 million SIM cards to subscribers by the end of August 2023. The banking group launched its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in September 2022. Capitec Connect piggybacks on Cell C’s mobile network infrastructure. Capitec GlobalOne transaction accounts can become Capitec Connect subscribers by connecting to the mobile virtual network by purchasing a SIM card from Capitec, which has been provisioned and activated on the mobile network. Meanwhile, Capitec also recorded headline earnings growth of 9% to R4.7 billion in its August 2023 Interim financial results. The bank’s…