Author: Akin Naphtal

TelcoSwitch has announced the recent appointment of Matt Mansell as its chief executive officer, who joins the company with immediate effect. Mansell takes over from Russell Lux, who founded the company in 2015 and led the company to an investment from Queen’s Park Equity (QPE) in 2022. He founded Yay.com, a SaaS unified communications business, which was also acquired by QPE last year as part of its long-term strategy for IP investment and development in TelcoSwitch. READ ALSO:Faurecia-Aptoide Partners Catappult in New launch of World First apps distribution hub for cars South African Food e-commerce Startup Yebo Fresh Raises $4.5m…

Faurecia-Aptoide and Catappult have announced they are joining forces to launch an innovative app distribution service for cars. Using Faurecia-Aptoide’s highly regarded app store technology, developers will now be able to distribute their games and apps in cars. Faurecia Aptoide already works with major automotive brands such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. With the new service, available at Catappult, developers can now design and finetune their apps and games for cars, manufacturers will be able to customize their app stores, and users will get access to a wide range of apps and games tailored to their own interests and their…

South African e-commerce startup, Yebo Fresh, an order-to-delivery service providing townships with fresh groceries and food, has raised a ZAR78 million (US$4.5 million) pre-Series A equity investment, as well as a Jobs Fund grant. Launched in 2018 in the garage of founder Jessica Boonstra’s home, Yebo Fresh is an online shopping service for township communities, delivering groceries to areas that are generally unserved by most formal retailers. READ ALSO: Kenyan Fintech Firm JUMO Appoints Joe Mucheru as President European Deep Tech Deals Raised $17.7 Billion in 2022, says Report SITA, Zamna Technologies Partner to Digitise Travel Processes for Airlines, Airports,…

Leading Kenya-based fintech firm JUMO has appointed Joe Mucheru as president of the company.According to a statement, Mucheru will support the company to deliver its growth goals, navigate the regulatory landscape, and build the firm’s presence across Africa. Mucheru served as Kenyan Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, appointed by then President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. He held office from 2015 to 2022, where-after President William Ruto named Eliud Owalo as the country’s new Cabinet Secretary for ICT. Mucheru joined Google in 2007 where he led the delivery of strategy, business planning and operations and…

The UK has officially its ARIA science research agency with five new board members, heavily weighted towards the life sciences. This comes as the UK government is reported to have received a draft of the semiconductor strategy that has been in preparation for several years. This is also important as political issues have kept UK researchers and companies out of new projects in the EU’s Horizon research programme. The agency, modelled on DARPA in the US, aims to create ‘transformational. research programmes through a budget originally intended to be £800m. The agency has been designed with a unique level of…

Europe’s deep tech startups closed off 2022 having brought in around $17.7 billion, down 22% on the year but still 60% above 2020 trends, according to a new data report. The report, published by Dealroom, Lakestar and Walden Catalyst Ventures, puts forward an argument that, in the second half of last year, European deep tech was the second best performer on a sector-by-sector basis; energy was first. The data is borne out by investor sentiment. An LP survey included in the study cites deep tech as investor’s number two pick for innovation, trailing only societal impact models, or “Planet Positive”…

In a bid to enable enhanced trust and assurance around the identification of passenger data for airline and airport operations and government border agencies, SITA, an IT solutions provider for airlines, has partnered with Zamna Technologies, a travel identity company.Zamna’s solution uses a decentralized blockchain based model to transform how passenger data, such as passport, visa, and health information, is verified and handled, bringing security, ease, and efficiency benefits for travelers, airlines, airports and governments. The first deployment will be focused on AACO’s 30+ airlines. Instead of passengers presenting travel documents repeatedly to every touch point, each time they fly,…

The report of the Gross Domestic Product has shown a growth of 2.9% in the fourth quarter, albeit, at a much slower pace than the 3.2% of quarter three. Accompanied by a decrease in weekly jobless claims, the U.S. economy has shown slowed growth and remaining optimism. Yet, with the positive outlook threatened by the potential of a looming recession, the crypto sector’s response becomes an interesting narrative. The hope could spur a rally in the coming days, but caution is the ideal state when considering how quickly the narrative can change. There is no understating that the recently disclosed…

In celebration of the Data Privacy Day, Apple Inc. has launched a new set of educational resources designed to help users take control of their data. In a recent statement by the company, it said, “As threats to the privacy and security of personal information are on the rise, a new “Today at Apple session will educate users on how they can safeguard their data. Apple has also partnered with Apple TV+ Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed in ‘A Day in the Life of an Average Person’s Data’ to drive more awareness. READ ALSO: Governor Hochul New York Announces Zinc8…

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced Zinc8 Energy Solutions, USA, a leader in the long-duration energy storage industry, will relocate its $68 million manufacturing facility and U.S. headquarters to Kingston, Ulster County at the former Tech City, IBM Ulster campus, now known as iPark 87 business park. Zinc8 Energy Solutions develops innovative battery technology that uses zinc and air as fuel. Zinc8 has committed to creating up to 500 jobs, complementing New York State’s national leadership in growing the green economy, spearheading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prioritization of combating climate change. The company’s location to Ulster County supports…