News
- Renewable Matter
- Nigerian startup Keep IT Cool (KIC) delivers sustainable refrigeration and smart distribution solutions for small-scale farmers and fishermen. By extending the shelf life of their produce, the service curbs food waste while fostering more stable incomes.
- Aaron Dinin
- Quitting is antithetical to everything we associate with entrepreneurship. “Never give up” is practically tattooed on the soul of every founder. But that “never quit” attitude is a harmful myth. Knowing when to quit isn’t failure — it’s a skill.
- Shega
- An Agri-tech startup established last year is tackling the perennial problem of post-harvest loss in Ethiopia’s agriculture with solar powered refrigerators. Established with 1.5 million birr pooled from several sources, Ahadu Solar Ice Maker (ASIM) looks to provide sustainable agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers.
- MalayMail
- Assembled from recycled scrap metal and powered by batteries, the pink four-wheeled vehicle now roams the streets of the capital. Although the project is still in its infancy, Samba aims to offer an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fuel-run models. “I wanted to save others from dying of lung and respiratory disease due to air pollution... by manufacturing a prototype electric vehicle”.
- Business Day
- WiSolar has introduced a major update to its WiGo platform, extending access to third-party installers and merchants. This expansion aims to drive the adoption of solar energy in Nigeria by providing greater access to solar installation services for residential and commercial customers. WiSolar was founded in 2016 by Nigerian-born entrepreneur Tonye Irims.
- DC Palter
- Long before a startup books its first dollar of revenue or even has a fully baked product, investors demand the company have patents, as if they were more important than customers. Despite holding 5 patents myself, I’m not a big fan of patents. Patents are only useful if the holder is prepared to spend millions of dollars to defend against challenges and prosecute infringers.
- Tekedia
- In a recent survey conducted by Flourish, an early-stage global fintech venture capital firm, it revealed that many startup founders in Africa see their investors as a source of stress rather than support, despite the crucial financial resources and strategic insights they provide.
- Brett Fox
- Over 50% of all co-founder relationships end up failing. That’s right, one in two co-founders don’t work out. So, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to have to deal with this potentially company killing problem.
- Interesting Engineering
- Karaa Solutions, a Kampala-based startup, is transforming African transportation by introducing sustainable and affordable electric mobility solutions. The kit lets bicycles reach 20 mph and travel 75 miles, with batteries chargeable via outlets or solar power.
- Nairametrics
- Seedstars Africa Ventures I aims to address critical gaps in early-stage financing across the continent. The fund invests up to $2 million in seed and Series A rounds, with a follow-on capacity of up to $5 million.
- My Joy Online
- AkoFresh Food storage, a Food tech company in Ghana, has received global recognition at the 2024 Global FoodTech Award organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The company received first prize for the Distribution and Delivery Category of the award.
- Energy4Impact
- Crowdfunding allows individuals or companies to raise debt, equity or grant capital from groups of investors typically via an online platform. Among investment-based energy access-related crowdfunding, debt dominates, accounting for over 90% of volumes on average, while equity crowdfunding represents less than 10%.