In nearly a decade, hundreds of entrepreneurs have emerged with innovative startups across the African continent. We provide insights on their experiences and highlight the activities of investors who fund them.
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Hotel booking platform, Jovago, has received a stamp of approval from EFCC that will ensure that customers and partners using the Jovago.com website are assured of the highest quality control on all financial transactions. According to the company’s blog, users can book their hotels & pay online or at the hotel and be assured of…
VMK, a company founded by Vérone Mankou, the Congolese entrepreneur behind the first tablet made in Africa, has announced the opening of its first VMK store in Abidjan today, the 19th of February, 2015. This point of sale which is located in the Treichville commune at Zone 3 C, Immeuble Rive Gauche, will exclusively sell…
Online enterprise solution startup, PushCV launched the first installment of the Elite Employee Quest in an event last Thursday. The Elite Employee Quest is a competition that aims to identify 5000 of the best talent from the labour market; and then connect them with and place them in top organizations that need their services. The…
Yesterday, at a very brief event held at the Airtel Headquarters in Banana Island, Airtel announced the seven winners of its Catapult-a-Startup event. The winners were: Yuzah Yuzah is a diesel delivery service that allows anyone to request immediate delivery of diesel to their home or office through the Yuzah mobile app ChopUp Games One…
Konga.com is set to deliver through NIPOST (Nigerian Postal Service) across the Country, according to our source; Konga has been working behind the scene on the agreement with NIPOST as a point to deliver to their customers all over Nigeria. Konga is leveraging NIPOST’s reach of about 5000 locations in every part of the country for their…
A pretty common investment trend right now, is one where the rich and established commit part of their portfolio into startups; it’s called Angel Investing (I wrote a think-piece about it a while back, check here) Sometimes a company’s future growth (or birth) is contingent on landing angel investment funding. The challenge is to find…
Gloo.ng, founded by Olumide Olusanya, a former Medical Doctor back in October 2012, along with his wife, is a Lagos-based online supermarket. Well, not for long, they are moving to Abuja come April. Gloo.ng’s value proposition is to provide customers with a very convenient, efficient and affordable means of shopping for their living essentials, saving…
Everyone loves destination holidays. From celebrities to professionals, we all want to get away [for me, it’s Bora Bora *fingers crossed*]. And so Travel Bay is here to democratize the destination holiday experience; to ensure that going on vacation doesn’t put a hole in your pocket. Travel Bay is a pocket friendly way to go on…
The #YouCAN pitch competition is an entrepreneurship competition organized in partnership with ActivSpaces, VC4Africa and Sanaga Ventures open to all startups in Cameroon. Cameroon Angels Network (CAN) founded in 2014, invests in all sectors and industries with a particular interest in technology. CAN is the first network of angel investors in Cameroon. The #YouCAN competition…
For those who don’t know, Tiketmobile was an online bus tickets reservation startup that died an untimely death, in July of 2013. Apparently, the startup had burnt through the whole $5000 seed funding it received, barely 10 months earlier, from the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and could no longer continue. Those in the know will probably…
Oya Run With Friends, the game based on Nigeria’s forthcoming general elections, that allows players to run with fictional candidates in an Olympic track event; an interesting metaphor for the country’s presidential “race” it seems; is out. The trailer was released last month; and now the game is out. You can run, win votes and…
The largest Hotel Booking Agency in Nigeria, Hotels.ng has entered into an agreement to be sponsor for the first hackathon in Northern Nigeria. Code name: HackJos. The HackJos Hackathon to be held in Jos, Nigeria is a free, 3 day-long coding marathon for developers to create new and novel applications targeted at providing solutions to…
After receiving what must have been thousands of applications from prospective entrepreneurs; and even having to extend the application deadline by 5 days, Airtel Nigeira has finally sent out invitations to the entrepreneurs with the shortlisted business ideas for the Catapult-a-Startup to their pitching event. At the event, shortlisted candidates would present their ideas to…
It’s a good year for Women Entrepreneurs! The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards is looking for committed female entrepreneurs heading businesses with the potential to grow significantly in the years to come. It is a business plan competition aimed at supporting creative, financially sustainable and responsible women-led companies, in all countries and across all industries. Joining…
If you’re anything like me, then whenever you’d come across a Kaymu ad, you have either rolled your eyes in disgust or turned away in doubt. If this is true, then like me, you’d have greatly misjudged them. Truth be told, I have kind of always saw Kaymu as an e-‘bend down select’ store, mostly…
Nigerian company, SecureID Limited, has just officially launched its SecureCard Manufacturing Plant in Lagos. According to the company, it is the very first of its kind in the continent and is capable of producing 200 million polycarbonate smart cards per year in line with global standards. SecureID limited claims that the plant has been tested…
Jobberman recently moved into their spanking new, modern designed office space, which we, of course, brought pictures of for you; and the office is indeed beautiful. But it was not officially launched then. They’re remedying that, apparently, because an email blast has been sent out to select invitees, asking them to a cocktail event. The…
It’s saddening. At first, it was exciting witnessing the rapid rise of startups in Nigeria. Lately, it’s becoming saddening with copycats propping up everywhere adding little or no value to the consumer. The e-commerce industry is a ready example. There are so many only online shopping sites available now that apart from the Big Two[…
ChopUp has stepped out with their latest game. Called Oya Run with Friends, it brings to mind the Nigerian version of Subway Surf or Temple run. It’s not far from that really, but it’s a play on the most anticipated election in Nigeria. Says ChopUp: It has been decided that the best way to elect…
Don’t want to be alone on the narrow path to a state of grace? Well, there’s an app for that. Prayerbox is an online platform that lets you share prayer points and testimonies with friends, family and religious communities; and claims to have made US$11,000 in revenue even prior to launch. The platform is not…