TLDR The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) has launched applications for the seventh edition of the MEST Africa Challenge, this year focused on fintech MEST runs a pan-African software training programme, seed fund, and incubator that supports early-stage technology ventures Its annual challenge, now in its seventh year, awards winners $50,000 in equity funding…
Visa has selected 22 startups for the fourth cohort of its Africa Fintech Accelerator, a 12-week virtual programme aimed at scaling fintech solutions The programme is part of Visa’s $1 billion commitment to Africa’s digital and financial inclusion, pledged through 2027 Launched in 2023, the accelerator has supported 64 startups to date and facilitated nearly…
Southern Africa’s venture capital sector closed off 2024 with R13.35 billion in active investments across 1 325 deals. For the third consecutive year, ICT-focused start-ups continued to attract the lion’s share of venture capital (VC), accounting for nearly two-thirds of total investment. This, as data shows Southern Africa’s VC sector closed off 2024 with R13.35…
Nairobi — Start-ups in Africa that are led by women continue to face major challenges in raising capital, particularly as they seek later-stage funding, according to new data from Africa: The Big Deal, a U.S.-based newsletter tracking start-up investments across the continent. In a report titled ‘Disappearing Women’, co-author Max Cuvellier Giacomelli highlights a persistent…
Selected start-ups will each receive up to $1 million in AWS credits, mentorship and access to AWS’s GenAI tools. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has opened applications for the 2025 cohort of its Generative AI Accelerator (GAIA) programme. Now in its third instalment, the initiative is a global eight-week programme that supports start-ups building foundational generative…
TLDR Orange Middle East and Africa has signed a three-year strategic partnership with risingSUD Startups from the Orange Digital Centre (ODC) network will receive customised support from risingSUD to establish a presence in southern France The collaboration aims to connect innovation hubs across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, promoting cross-border entrepreneurship Orange Middle East…
