Author: Akin Naphtal

In a bid to promote development of Artificial Intelligence in Ghana, AIDEC Digital has opened its ultra-modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence at AIDEC Plaza, East Legon, Accra with co-location at Academic City University College, Accra, Ghana. The two AI centers of excellence is a result of a Consortium Partnership between them, the Institute of ICT Professionals (IIPGH), Ghana, and their International Partners, 7W Artificial Intelligence company Limited of Slovenia. The Centre will provide both in-person and virtual training, educational programmes and consulting services to organisations, and institutions in the private and public sectors. Speaking at the launch of…

Open Systems, a leading cybersecurity and networking provider for the enterprise cloud, has redefined the managed detection and response (MDR) market with the launch of Ontinue, its new MDR division. Ontinue is the only managed extended detection and response (MXDR) provider that leverages AI-driven automation, human expertise and the Microsoft security platform to continuously assess and protect an organisation’s environment and advance its security posture for digital transformation. Unlike other MDR services available today, Ontinue’s newly launched MXDR service, Ontinue ION, delivers Nonstop SecOps with 24/7, always-on protection. The Ontinue ION service has advanced capabilities baked into its platform that…

Kenyan human resource (HR) and payroll solution startup WorkPay has raised Sh341.3 million from international investors to expand to 40 African countries. The pre-series A round was led by Acadian Ventures, Fondation Botnar, P1 Ventures, and Kara Ventures, among others. In 2020, it raised Sh238.7 million (US$2.1 million) in seed funding to fuel its growth. “On the tech side, we have integrated with nearly everyone who is processing payments to allow us to send money to as many countries in Africa as possible,” the firm’s CEO and co-founder said.“Non-tech means we have established a presence in these countries, and have…

Facebook parent Meta is launching subscription services that will include additional security and features and also account verification. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that there will be a roll out of meta verified a subscription that enables one to verify account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against pseudo accounts, and also get direct access to customer support “This new feature is all about increasing authenticity and security across meta services” Zuckerberg said in a statement on his Facebook account. READ ALSO:Kenyan HR payroll startup WorkPay secures Sh341.3mn, plans to expand to…

Vodafone has signed its second major corporate solar power purchase agreement (PPA) in the UK. The deal gives Vodafone UK access to clean, high-quality and affordable renewable electricity for the next 10 years, offering price certainty and improved energy security. Combined with agreements already in place, this new solar PPA means around 44% of the company’s annual energy needs will be fulfilled by UK-based renewable power sources by 2025. It is already the case that, of the grid electricity used by Vodafone in the UK, 100% is from certified renewable sources. The five solar farms, located in Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire,…

While the collapse of FTX shaved $100 billion off of BTC’s market cap in just four days last year, Bitcoin has managed to fully recover and stack on another $65 billion. A 48% Bitcoin $24,820 price surge since the start of the year has pushed BTC’s market cap past that of payment processing giant Visa once again. With the BTC price currently at $24,365, its market cap of $470.16 billion is now marginally above that of Visa, which has a market cap of $469.87 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. This is the third time that BTC has “flippened” the market cap…

Salsa, a web3-native messaging platform that helps users discover and connect with relevant people and brands, released its mobile app into public beta this week, following a $2 million pre-seed raise. Salsa is a mobile app using on-chain data to add social context to wallet-native messaging. The new Salsa mobile application helps web3 users form meaningful connections by using social proof from on-chain data to add context to wallet-native messaging. While web3 users create valuable data on-chain, they currently communicate on web2 platforms like Telegram and Discord that don’t natively understand the data. This results in a fragmented user experience…

Ride-sharing startup Showfa has launched a commission-free app for cab drivers in Nairobi. The company seeks to compete with firms such as Bolt, Uber, Little Cab, inDriver, and Wasili, among others. According to the Ride-hailing app, it claims that its services are distinct from those of its competitors because it does not charge drivers commissions, which operators have previously complained about, and it also provides low fares for passengers as well as ambulance services. “We understand that the current economic climate has made it difficult for many drivers to make ends meet, which is why we are proud to offer…

QNB Group, one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa, has launched a new biometric payment acceptance solution for merchants in Qatar. The technology is based on proprietary facial verification technology developed by PopID and supported by Visa through tokenization. This innovative solution allows customers to authenticate payments for goods and services through facial verification, without the need for a physical card or mobile phone after initial enrolment. Customers can create their profile by taking a selfie of their face using their smartphone, enter their phone number and card details. The technology then tokenizes the card…

Bitnob, a fintech firm that aims to make financial transactions easier for Africans, has launched its virtual dollar card. The digital card enables users to make seamless online payments, with the option to create a card for free and fund it with up to $10,000. Additionally, users can customize their cards, track transactions, and freeze cards for security or to prevent unwanted bills. The Bitnob virtual dollar card has been designed to address the hardship caused by restrictions on international transactions using naira debit cards, as implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2022. This has made it difficult…