Author: Akin Naphtal

Visa has filed two trademark applications related to the metaverse, non-fungible tokens and digital currency wallets. The payments giant filed the applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this month.The application mentions: “Providing virtual environments in which users can interact for recreational, leisure or entertainment purposes accessible in the virtual world.”Elsewhere it specifies “non-downloadable virtual goods; namely, a collectible series of non-fungible tokens” and software for “management of digital transactions; use as a digital currency wallet and storage services software; use as a cryptocurrency wallet; and managing and verifying cryptocurrency transactions using blockchain technology.”Visa is following in…

Zest AI, the leader in automating underwriting with more accurate and inclusive lending insights powered by AI, announced today that the company has raised over $50 million in a new growth round. The round was co-led by existing global software investor Insight Partners and new investor CMFG Ventures, with participation from CU Direct, Curql, Suncoast Credit Union, Golden1 Credit Union, Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union, and NorthGate Capital.“We’re working to build a better future for the financial services ecosystem where underwriting is swift, equitable, and frictionless across the United States,” said Mike de Vere, CEO of Zest AI. “Our work…

Nigerian credit-led fintech startup Payhippo has acquired Maritime Microfinance Bank (MFB) to help it expand its product offering. Launched in January 2020 by Chioma Okotcha, Uche Nnadi and Zach Bijesse, Payhippo provides loans to small businesses in Africa, often neglected by banks because of their lack of credit histories, in under three hours. A Y Combinator S21 batch cohort participant, the startup has so far disbursed over 25,000 loans to SMEs in Nigeria, and recently opened an office in London. It banked a US$3 million round of funding late last year, and has now acquired MFB, a financial institution specialising…

The North American Lasik & Eye Surgery Centre in Dubai, UAE is the first clinic in the middle east and the only one in the United Arab Emirates to offer the new ZEISS SMILE® Pro (Small incision lenticule extraction) eye surgery using ZEISS Visumax 800 technology. Over five million SMILE® procedures have been performed globally with great success. The laser eye surgery clinic is redefining refractive surgery with ZEISS SMILE®, a laser procedure that goes beyond PRK and LASIK. ZEISS SMILE is the gold standard in laser eye surgery as a non-invasive and painless procedure. Benefits of Smile® SMILE® does not…

Bank of Nevis International Ltd., a leading provider of holistic wealth management, portfolio management, and fintech services for clients from around the world, has partnered with the global technology company, Mastercard, to allow secure and seamless cross-border payments. BONI customers can now send international payments with certainty, speed, and security through a single point of access. Transfers can be made to businesses and individuals in more than 100 markets and more than 60 currencies covering 90% of the world’s population. Transfers can be made to bank accounts, mobile wallets, cards, and cash agents around the world. Real-time payments are also…

For many organisations, the last few years have been the most disruptive in living memory. Organisations and their IT teams have had to accommodate huge changes to the way people work and deploy new technology tools to support their teams while unlocking new capabilities to meet changing customer demands. Since the start of the pandemic, organisations have had to enable remote and hybrid work environments, digitise their supply chains to better deal with disruptions, and utilise technology to develop new business processes and revenue streams, all the while delivering an exceptional customer experience. Despite the worst of the global pandemic…

Cellulant, a Pan African financial technology company that provides locally relevant and alternative payment methods for global, regional and local merchants, has created a contiguous cloud experience that enables it to meet data and cloud sovereignty requirements across its regions. Working with Pure Infrastructure, a VMware Cloud Provider, Cellulant can now offer its services across borders and deliver a ubiquitous user experience, in addition to hosting specific applications in a public cloud while ensuring its transactional data is hosted on its VMware Cloud in the country of origin. No regulator across Africa is the same. To deliver a Pan-African service, companies must…

Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, has introduced the TC15 mobile computer in Africa to help empower businesses in logistics, retail and field industries with a durable connectivity solution. The launch of the TC15 addresses the increasing need for a rugged, durable mobile computer for delivery drivers, transport and logistics staff, retail workers and small and medium-size enterprise (SME) owners in the region. This solution will help make it easier for workers to do their jobs and help them take more real-time control of their work. The TC15…

Smartphone users are being encouraged to download Vodafone Foundation’s award-winning DreamLab app, to help scientists at Imperial College London to help speed up climate research and create the world’s largest public database of synthetic tropical cyclones. This ‘virtual supercomputer’ will help the scientists to model the impact of climate change on cyclones and extreme weather. DreamLab-powered research has already contributed to COVID-19 research with Imperial College London scientists and cancer research with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. As climate change intensifies, powerful cyclones are becoming more commonplace, impacting millions of people and causing billions of dollars in damage each year. However, there are…

The Africa Digital Economy Forum has announced the first-ever Digital Economy Awareness Month (DEAM) slated for November across the globe. The novel Digital Economy Awareness Month (DEAM) slated for the month of November themed Digital Economy: The New Norm is an initiative aimed at deepening digitization advocacy and its benefits to the global economy while also encouraging early understanding and participation among youth. DEAM 2022 is all about sharing stories about how digital technology is changing our lifestyle, businesses and family togetherness, it is to encourage and embrace the use of technologies for fairer and a better future. The need…