November 30th 2021
South African talent marketplace OfferZen gets $5.2M to deepen European expansion
South African tech talent marketplace OfferZen which is one of the beneficiaries of the growing global demand for tech workers, has raised €4.5 million ($5.07 million) in Series A funding from South African investment company Base Capital.
GreenTec Capital Partners invests in Nigerian mobility, logistics startups
Germany-based VC firm GreenTec Capital Partners has announced undisclosed investments in two Nigerian startups – inter-city transport company T40 and logistics platform ShapShap. GreenTec has invested in a host of African startups, including Kenyan AI startup SuperFluid Labs, Nigerian logistics startup Parcel-it, Kenyan insurtech platform Bismart, Ivory Coast-based waste management startup Coliba, Kenyan logistics platform Amitruck, and Nigerian e-commerce startup Pricepally.
SA startup mojaPay launches digital banking platform that will accommodate the Unbanked
South African fintech startup mojaPay has launched a new app that aims to change the way people send, receive and save money. Formerly known as digiToken, launched last year to help users buy things like electricity and airtime online, mojaPay has rebranded and upgraded to offer seamless transactions and payments for unbanked businesses and underbanked individuals.
The app allows users, even those without a bank account or smartphone, to transact without high banking charges.
November 23rd 2021
South Africa’s Mobiz nabs $4M to expand personalized SMS marketing into the US
Mobiz, a South African startup integrating hyper-personalization into mobile marketing, has raised a pre-Series A round of $ 4 million from HAVAÍC, Futuregrowth, Launch Africa, Allan Gray E-Squared Ventures, CapaciTech and Endeavor’s Harvest Fund.
The investment comes as the startup is ramping up efforts to expand into the U.S. and double down on marketing, sales and account management. Part of the investment will be used to hire more staff in South Africa and support the commercial expansion to the U.S.
Egypt’s MNT-Halan successfully rolls out proprietary core banking system software
MNT-Halan, Egypt’s leading fintech ecosystem, has announced the successful rollout of Neuron, the proprietary core banking software it developed and launched earlier this year.
Having begun life as a ride-hailing app for two- and three-wheeler vehicles back in 2018, MNT-Halan has morphed into a super app of sorts, and in the process become Egypt’s largest and fastest-growing lender to the unbanked.
Nigeria’s Treepz closes $2.8m seed round, expands to Uganda with Ugabus acquisition
Nigerian shared mobility startup Treepz has closed out its seed round at US$2.8 million and expanded to Uganda with the acquisition of bus company Ugabus.
Founded in 2019 and known as Plentywaka until its September rebrand, Treepz operates a digital platform allowing passengers to book daily rides along fixed routes. It also serves as an aggregator for bus travel companies across 21 cities in Nigeria, allowing transport operators to replace manual servicing and ticketing with digitalized offerings and services.
November 16th 2021
Tunisia’s iCompass uses AI to help companies speak their customer’s language
The Tunisian startup company; iCompass is using artificial intelligence to help companies across Africa and the Middle East communicate with their customers in their own languages.
Founded in 2019 by Ahmed Nouisser and Hatem Haddad, iCompass specialises in natural language processing (NLP) products using the latest deep learning and reinforcement learning technologies to develop speech transcription services, automatic voice generation, and chatbot and voicebot products.
South African ‘Michanic’ helps you bring qualified mechanics to your door
Founded in 2016, the South African startup company connects customers and fleet owners with trusted, qualified and vetted mechanics in Gauteng and Cape Town.
Michanic allows users to request instant service and repair quotes from its online platform, saving up to 35 per cent compared to dealerships and independent garages in the process.
South African fintech startup ‘Ozow’ raises $48m Series B funding round
South African fintech company Ozow has raised a US$48 million Series B funding round to help it further develop its product offering and expand into new markets.
Ozow which rebranded from i-Pay in April 2019 enables millions of merchants and consumers with easy, fast and secure alternative payment solutions, including QR codes, point of sale, e-commerce, e-billing and peer-to-peer payments. Ozow works with major retailers, including MTN, Vodacom, the Shoprite Group, Takealot, and Uber
