Author: Akin Naphtal

The Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund (MFAGF), a fund of funds that works through African investment vehicles to support early-stage, growth-oriented SMEs on the continent, has launched with a committed US$200 million. The goal of the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund is to enable dignified and fulfilling work for young people, particularly young women. The fund of funds is bold and catalytic, helping to crowd in capital for African entrepreneurs by strengthening and de-risking African investment vehicles that are committed to advancing gender equity in entrepreneurship. READ ALSO: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the Digital Economy Vodafone UK Announces First Urban…

The digital economy is booming. E-commerce sales worldwide, for example, grew 4% to an estimated $26.7 trillion in 2019, according to the latest data. But not everyone is benefitting equally. Women across regions and continents still face many obstacles to start and grow digital businesses, including gender bias, lower participation in decision-making processes, and unequal access to funding and technology. With the necessary support and resources women could add nearly $300 billion to e-commerce markets in South-East Asia and Africa between 2025 and 2030, according to International Finance Corporation estimates. How to unlock women’s potential in the digital economy is…

London-headquartered growth investor firm, One Peak has sealed a $1bn (£821.8m) fund to invest in B2B software companies based in Europe and Israel. The growth investor’s Fund III will make investments ranging from $15m (£12.3m) – $100m (£82.2m). “Growth equity is a significantly underrepresented asset class in Europe versus the US and China,” said Humbert de Liedekerke Beaufort, co-founder and managing partner, One Peak. “There are many world-class founders in Europe who need capital and support to win at global scale, and One Peak fills that gap for the best B2B software companies.” READ ALSO:Vodafone UK Announces First Urban Open…

Vodafone,a leading technology communications company in Europe and Africa has ramped up its Open RAN strategy in the UK after announcing plans to install the technology on 16 mobile masts in Exmouth and Torquay. In doing so, the UK operator claims this will be a European first, with the sites being the first urban locations in Europe to see an Open RAN deployment. These latest deployments will be carried out over the next three months, and are part of Vodafone’s wider Open RAN strategy. The operator is targeting 30 percent of its mobile masts in Europe to be using Open…

Following industry insight that data centres must adopt renewable energy sources to avoid the disruption of impending sustainability regulations, a sector expert is calling attention to the potential for greener fuels in decarbonising data centre backup power. According to Uptime Institute’s recent report-Renewable Energy for Data Centres-highlights how wider industry developments mean data centre operators must start investing in renewable energy products. Yet at present, the vast majority of European data centres house diesel gensets on site for their backup power.The report also indicates that, while emissions reporting is currently voluntary, the introduction of mandatory international reporting standards is being…

The latest reports from the UN detailing the severe and often irreversible impacts of climate change on our world are sobering. After a temporary drop during COVID-19 lockdowns, fossil fuel emission rates have risen to above pre-pandemic levels as greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise to record highs. Floods, droughts, heatwaves and extreme storms disproportionately affect our most vulnerable populations as we face increasing socio-economic impacts across the globe. Fighting the impacts of climate change require urgent and ambitious cross-industry action and bold technological innovation. Microsoft is committed to a net-zero future as we work towards our own goal of…

Blockchain focused Fintech the Mindex Group has announced the launch of Mindex Digital Custodian Limited, which the company claims is the first Virtual Assets Services Provider (VASP) licensed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) in Mauritius. Mindex plans to offer a digital custodian, exchange, as well as clearing and settlement facilities under three separate licensed group entities. The Mindex Digital Custodian Limited is the first step and enables the Group to provide the infrastructure for the safekeeping and administration of virtual assets of any kind, including security tokens and cryptocurrencies, and instruments enabling control over virtual assets. A digital custodian…

In Prospect for business, the Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo spotted in his official visit during the week in Hanoi, met with Vietnamese entrepreneurs in agribusiness, technology, innovation, commerce and industry. In his second day of visit to Vietnam, the vice president asserted that for foreign investors and businesses looking at Africa, Nigeria is the choice in the continent. According to Professor Osinbajo, despite global tensions and COVID-induced disruptions negatively impacting economies across the world, Nigeria remains one of the best places to do business in Africa because of its market viability, creative and tech-savvy youth population and potential…

As 2022 wraps up, the impacts of the pandemic and supply chain issues are still being felt, but the outlook for the chip shortage looks better in the coming years. According to report, the pandemic has slowed semiconductor production and contributed to the subsequent chip shortage.  From consumer goods to auto-making, a lack of semiconductors has stymied production and held back innovation. However, legislative developments this year such as the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act (also known as the CHIPS Act) have begun to alleviate that shortage and pave the way for greater innovation and emerging technologies here in the…

The United States and European Union agreed recently to intensify talks to resolve EU concerns over major subsidies for American companies contained in a US clean energy law. Although no deal was reached at a meeting of the bilateral Trade and Technology Council, the two sides pledged to continue work on preliminary progress and said they would push for a solution that benefits both US and European firms, workers and consumers as well as the climate. “We acknowledge the EU’s concerns and underline our commitment to address them constructively,” the two sides said in a joint statement after the meeting…