Stellenbosch University has built an ecosystem encompassing education, research, investment and commercialisation that is helping start-ups in the Western Cape town thrive. Standouts include Praelexis, Spacialedge and CubeSpace, which has reached a R1-billion valuation. According to Prof Brink van der Merwe, head of computer science at the university, infusing entrepreneurial expertise into the teaching environment…
Seedstars has partnered with the SANAD Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to launch the SANAD Elevate Her Programme. This multi-phase initiative supports female-led and 2X-aligned startups across the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme targets persistent barriers faced by women founders, including a $42 billion funding gap and limited access to finance, markets,…
In this episode of ITWeb TV, Jalusi Tech MD Thandiwe Shema details her start as a tech entrepreneur, reaching a target of employing 80% women in tech roles, adding more solutions to their product suite and how her company is helping small businesses innovate and plug in their digital gaps. With two new solutions –…
Guvendemir | E+ | Getty Images A wave of defense tech startups in Silicon Valley is drawing billions in funding and reshaping America’s national security. Anduril Industries, recently valued at $30.5 billion following its latest funding round, is among the so-called “neoprimes” — companies challenging the dominance of legacy contractors, dubbed “primes,” such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop…
Meta, in partnership with Data Science Africa, has announced the winners of the 2025 Llama Impact Grant for Startups and Researchers at the UN General Assembly’s Unstoppable Africa event. The programme, launched in March 2025, forms part of Meta’s global Llama Impact Grants initiative. It supports startups and researchers across Sub-Saharan Africa in applying Meta’s…
Meta’s Llama Impact Grant supports organisations and individuals that leverage Llama to develop solutions tailored for Sub-Saharan Africa. Two local start-ups − Vambo AI and PropelMapper − are among the five winners of the Llama Impact Grant for start-ups and researchers based in Sub-Saharan Africa. In March, Facebook-parent company Meta, in partnership with Data Science…
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…
