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Novastar and Google Open an AI Lab for the Problems That Actually Matter

Novastar and Google Open an AI Lab for the Problems That Actually Matter

Novastar Ventures and Google launched an Applied AI Lab for African startups in healthcare, agriculture and education; 5-10 teams picked by September.

Femi OlatunjiJul 06, 2026

Vodacom Takes 55% of Safaricom, and East Africa's Biggest Telecom Changes Hands

Vodacom Takes 55% of Safaricom, and East Africa's Biggest Telecom Changes Hands

Jul 06, 2026

RoboCare Raises From 216 Capital to Take Tunisian Farm AI Regional

RoboCare Raises From 216 Capital to Take Tunisian Farm AI Regional

Jul 06, 2026

Naspers Stops Investing in AI and Starts Selling It, Free, to South Africa

Naspers Stops Investing in AI and Starts Selling It, Free, to South Africa

Jul 06, 2026

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Nigeria Just Closed the Loophole That Let Telecom Ownership Change Quietly

Nigeria Just Closed the Loophole That Let Telecom Ownership Change Quietly

Kwame OseiJul 05, 2026

Tala Is Cutting Jobs in Kenya, and the Numbers Tell Two Different Stories

Tala Is Cutting Jobs in Kenya, and the Numbers Tell Two Different Stories

Amara NwosuJul 05, 2026

Senegal Launches a $50m Fund to Fix Its Earliest-Stage Startup Gap

Senegal Launches a $50m Fund to Fix Its Earliest-Stage Startup Gap

Kwame OseiJun 30, 2026

EU Funds €37m Extension of the Blue-Raman Cable Into East Africa

EU Funds €37m Extension of the Blue-Raman Cable Into East Africa

Kwame OseiJun 30, 2026

A FONSIS-Linked Fund Puts $2.2m Into Senegal Poultry Firm La Ripaille

A FONSIS-Linked Fund Puts $2.2m Into Senegal Poultry Firm La Ripaille

Tariq AbubakarJun 30, 2026

Daya Raises $2.4m to Run African Cross-Border Payments on Stablecoin Rails

Daya Raises $2.4m to Run African Cross-Border Payments on Stablecoin Rails

Amara NwosuJun 29, 2026

Stabyl Emerges From Stealth With $2.7m for Africa's FX Liquidity Gap

Stabyl Emerges From Stealth With $2.7m for Africa's FX Liquidity Gap

Amara NwosuJun 29, 2026

Midddleman Takes Angel Backing to Wire the Africa-China Trade Corridor

Midddleman Takes Angel Backing to Wire the Africa-China Trade Corridor

Tariq AbubakarJun 28, 2026

Myka Raises a Pre-Seed to Rebuild How Insurance Reaches Nigerians

Myka Raises a Pre-Seed to Rebuild How Insurance Reaches Nigerians

Femi OlatunjiJun 28, 2026

Zimi Raises $2.6m to Build EV Fleet Infrastructure in South Africa

Zimi Raises $2.6m to Build EV Fleet Infrastructure in South Africa

Zinhle NdlovuJun 28, 2026

Anara Reaches $48m for a North African Impact Fund Backed by the EU

Anara Reaches $48m for a North African Impact Fund Backed by the EU

Kwame OseiJun 27, 2026

Holocene Closes Southern Africa's First Dedicated Climate-Tech Fund

Holocene Closes Southern Africa's First Dedicated Climate-Tech Fund

Zinhle NdlovuJun 27, 2026

Spiro Adds $55m From a Chinese Backer, Taking Its Round to $270m

Spiro Adds $55m From a Chinese Backer, Taking Its Round to $270m

Tariq AbubakarJun 27, 2026

Blnk Raises $37.1m in a Split That Shows How Lenders Now Scale

Blnk Raises $37.1m in a Split That Shows How Lenders Now Scale

Femi OlatunjiJun 27, 2026

This Week in African Funding: A Strategic Stake, Two Funds, and What They Have in Common

This Week in African Funding: A Strategic Stake, Two Funds, and What They Have in Common

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 27, 2026

MNT-Halan Takes Strategic Capital From Al Ahly at a $1.4bn Valuation

MNT-Halan Takes Strategic Capital From Al Ahly at a $1.4bn Valuation

Amara NwosuJun 27, 2026

The Money Founders Can Actually Reach This Month: Open Funds and Deadlines

The Money Founders Can Actually Reach This Month: Open Funds and Deadlines

TechCocoon LabJun 27, 2026

EmTech's $60m Second Fund Bets on Francophone Africa. Watch the Word 'Target'

EmTech's $60m Second Fund Bets on Francophone Africa. Watch the Word 'Target'

Amara NwosuJun 26, 2026

Zafiri Launched With $176m to Fund Energy Access. Read the Structure, Not the Slogan

Zafiri Launched With $176m to Fund Energy Access. Read the Structure, Not the Slogan

TechCocoon NewsroomJun 26, 2026

Ripple Bought Into Flutterwave's Series E. The Stake Is Quiet, the Rail Is the Point

Ripple Bought Into Flutterwave's Series E. The Stake Is Quiet, the Rail Is the Point

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 26, 2026

Local Money Is Funding Half of African Tech. That's Progress and a Pressure Test

Local Money Is Funding Half of African Tech. That's Progress and a Pressure Test

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 26, 2026

Cascador Backs Seven Nigerian Startups. Ask Deployed, Not Announced

Cascador Backs Seven Nigerian Startups. Ask Deployed, Not Announced

TechCocoon NewsroomJun 25, 2026

Kloset Klub Raises Seed for Resale Fashion. Trust Is the Unit Economic

Kloset Klub Raises Seed for Resale Fashion. Trust Is the Unit Economic

TechCocoon NewsroomJun 25, 2026

Paystack Launches Index, Letting Nigerians Check Out Through AI Agents

Paystack Launches Index, Letting Nigerians Check Out Through AI Agents

Amara NwosuJun 25, 2026

Yamify Wants to Be 'Heroku for AI' in Africa. The Analogy Needs Unpacking

Yamify Wants to Be 'Heroku for AI' in Africa. The Analogy Needs Unpacking

TechCocoon LabJun 25, 2026

Tibu Health Puts Clinics Inside Pharmacies.

Tibu Health Puts Clinics Inside Pharmacies.

Tariq AbubakarJun 25, 2026

Agenz Raises $5m for Morocco's Property Market. Ask About the Numbers It Didn't Share

Agenz Raises $5m for Morocco's Property Market. Ask About the Numbers It Didn't Share

Zinhle NdlovuJun 24, 2026

AethexAI Raises $3m to Build Voice AI for the Accents Global Models Miss

AethexAI Raises $3m to Build Voice AI for the Accents Global Models Miss

TechCocoon LabJun 24, 2026

CreditChek Raises $600k to Sell Lenders Better Risk Data, Not Inclusion

CreditChek Raises $600k to Sell Lenders Better Risk Data, Not Inclusion

Amara NwosuJun 24, 2026

Amazon Picks Kenya for Its First African Gateway. It's Still a Filing

Amazon Picks Kenya for Its First African Gateway. It's Still a Filing

Femi OlatunjiJun 24, 2026

MTN Wants to Lend From Its Own Balance Sheet. That Changes the Risk

MTN Wants to Lend From Its Own Balance Sheet. That Changes the Risk

Kwame OseiJun 23, 2026

Lagos Wants to Triple Its Data-Centre Capacity. Count the Megawatts

Lagos Wants to Triple Its Data-Centre Capacity. Count the Megawatts

Femi OlatunjiJun 23, 2026

Francophone Africa Is Having a Fintech Moment. Why It Was Overlooked

Francophone Africa Is Having a Fintech Moment. Why It Was Overlooked

Kwame OseiJun 23, 2026

Proptech's Quiet Boom: How Startups Are Rewiring African Real Estate

Proptech's Quiet Boom: How Startups Are Rewiring African Real Estate

Amara NwosuJun 23, 2026

As Africa Digitises, Its Cyber-Threat Surface Is Growing Fast

As Africa Digitises, Its Cyber-Threat Surface Is Growing Fast

TechCocoon NewsroomJun 22, 2026

The Scramble to Build Africa's Data Centres, and Why It Matters

The Scramble to Build Africa's Data Centres, and Why It Matters

Kwame OseiJun 22, 2026

How Drones Quietly Became Real Health Infrastructure in Africa

How Drones Quietly Became Real Health Infrastructure in Africa

Tariq AbubakarJun 22, 2026

Reviewed: The State of Africa's Fintech Super-Apps

Reviewed: The State of Africa's Fintech Super-Apps

Femi OlatunjiJun 22, 2026

The Banker Who Bet That Africa Wanted to Play

The Banker Who Bet That Africa Wanted to Play

Zinhle NdlovuJun 21, 2026

African Gaming Is Growing Up, Slowly, and on Its Own Terms

African Gaming Is Growing Up, Slowly, and on Its Own Terms

TechCocoon LabJun 21, 2026

African Tech Is Entering Its Consolidation Era. Here's What It Means

African Tech Is Entering Its Consolidation Era. Here's What It Means

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 21, 2026

Tunisia's EYST Raises to Make Insurance Claims Pay Out Instantly

Tunisia's EYST Raises to Make Insurance Claims Pay Out Instantly

Amara NwosuJun 21, 2026

How African Businesses Are Quietly Building Their Own Power Grid

How African Businesses Are Quietly Building Their Own Power Grid

TechCocoon LabJun 20, 2026

Morocco Is Building a Startup Ecosystem on Its Own Money

Morocco Is Building a Startup Ecosystem on Its Own Money

TechCocoon NewsroomJun 20, 2026

The Race to Build AI That Actually Speaks Africa's Languages

The Race to Build AI That Actually Speaks Africa's Languages

Femi OlatunjiJun 20, 2026

The Pan-African Expansion Trap, and Why Founders Should Resist It

The Pan-African Expansion Trap, and Why Founders Should Resist It

Amara NwosuJun 20, 2026

Inside Egypt's EdTech Surge: Why Cairo Is a Learning-Tech Hub

Inside Egypt's EdTech Surge: Why Cairo Is a Learning-Tech Hub

Tariq AbubakarJun 19, 2026

Embedded Finance and the Quiet Rewiring of Africa's Informal Retail

Embedded Finance and the Quiet Rewiring of Africa's Informal Retail

Zinhle NdlovuJun 19, 2026

Why Battery-Swapping Is Winning Africa's Electric-Mobility Race

Why Battery-Swapping Is Winning Africa's Electric-Mobility Race

TechCocoon LabJun 19, 2026

Japan Is Quietly Becoming a Major Backer of African Tech

Japan Is Quietly Becoming a Major Backer of African Tech

Kwame OseiJun 18, 2026

Stablecoins Are Quietly Taking Over African Startup Funding

Stablecoins Are Quietly Taking Over African Startup Funding

Femi OlatunjiJun 18, 2026

Egypt Is Now Africa's Top Startup-Funding Market. What Changed?

Egypt Is Now Africa's Top Startup-Funding Market. What Changed?

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 18, 2026

GSMA Postpones MWC Kigali Days Before Africa's Biggest Telecom Event

GSMA Postpones MWC Kigali Days Before Africa's Biggest Telecom Event

Kwame OseiJun 14, 2026

Livestock Wealth's Collapse Is a Cautionary Tale for Agri-Fintech

Livestock Wealth's Collapse Is a Cautionary Tale for Agri-Fintech

TechCocoon LabJun 14, 2026

Village Capital Backs Ghana's Rivia Clinics in First Ecosystem Deal

Village Capital Backs Ghana's Rivia Clinics in First Ecosystem Deal

Tariq AbubakarJun 14, 2026

Why Debt, Not Venture Capital, Is Now Driving African Tech Funding

Why Debt, Not Venture Capital, Is Now Driving African Tech Funding

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 14, 2026

Africa Risks Losing Billions to Satellite Internet, Report Warns

Africa Risks Losing Billions to Satellite Internet, Report Warns

Kwame OseiJun 13, 2026

SA's Aions Ventures Backs Early-Stage Founders With $6.1m Seed Fund

SA's Aions Ventures Backs Early-Stage Founders With $6.1m Seed Fund

TechCocoon NewsroomJun 13, 2026

BFree Raises Growth Round to Buy Up Africa's Bad Loans With AI

BFree Raises Growth Round to Buy Up Africa's Bad Loans With AI

Femi OlatunjiJun 13, 2026

Digital Africa Launches $58m Seed Fund for Overlooked Tech Markets

Digital Africa Launches $58m Seed Fund for Overlooked Tech Markets

Amara NwosuJun 13, 2026

OmniRetail Launches OmniOne to Wire Up West Africa's FMCG Trade

OmniRetail Launches OmniOne to Wire Up West Africa's FMCG Trade

Zinhle NdlovuJun 12, 2026

Dodai Raises $13m Series A to Scale Electric Motorbikes in Ethiopia

Dodai Raises $13m Series A to Scale Electric Motorbikes in Ethiopia

Tariq AbubakarJun 12, 2026

Rwanda Advances 12 Youth Agritech Startups in AYuTe Challenge

Rwanda Advances 12 Youth Agritech Startups in AYuTe Challenge

Tariq AbubakarJun 12, 2026

Nigeria's Smartcomply Joins Global Payment-Security Body, Expands to UK

Nigeria's Smartcomply Joins Global Payment-Security Body, Expands to UK

Femi OlatunjiJun 12, 2026

Namibia's Bellatrix Launches a $10m Seed Fund for Southern Africa

Namibia's Bellatrix Launches a $10m Seed Fund for Southern Africa

Amara NwosuJun 11, 2026

CrossBoundary Energy Lands $40m to Expand Africa's Commercial Solar

CrossBoundary Energy Lands $40m to Expand Africa's Commercial Solar

TechCocoon NewsroomJun 11, 2026

Egypt's Sinai.ai Raises $1.45m to Turn Books Into AI-Native Experiences

Egypt's Sinai.ai Raises $1.45m to Turn Books Into AI-Native Experiences

Femi OlatunjiJun 11, 2026

Angola's ANDA Raises $1.2m to Scale Its Drive-to-Own Mobility Model

Angola's ANDA Raises $1.2m to Scale Its Drive-to-Own Mobility Model

Zinhle NdlovuJun 11, 2026

Ghana's Central Bank Halts MTN's 0.75% Mobile Money-to-Bank Fee

Ghana's Central Bank Halts MTN's 0.75% Mobile Money-to-Bank Fee

Kwame OseiJun 10, 2026

South Africa's AI Diagnostics Raises $5.2m for AI-Powered TB Screening

South Africa's AI Diagnostics Raises $5.2m for AI-Powered TB Screening

Tariq AbubakarJun 10, 2026

Nala Secures $50m Credit Line to Scale Its Stablecoin Payment Rails

Nala Secures $50m Credit Line to Scale Its Stablecoin Payment Rails

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 10, 2026

Terra Industries Is Building Africa's Largest Drone Factory in Ghana

Terra Industries Is Building Africa's Largest Drone Factory in Ghana

TechCocoon LabJun 10, 2026

Egypt's iSchool Buys Rubikal to Build Its Own AI Layer for Schools

Egypt's iSchool Buys Rubikal to Build Its Own AI Layer for Schools

Zinhle NdlovuJun 09, 2026

Wasoko's Daniel Yu Launches a $100m Fund Betting Africa's Problem Is Jobs, Not Apps

Wasoko's Daniel Yu Launches a $100m Fund Betting Africa's Problem Is Jobs, Not Apps

TechCocoon IntelligenceJun 09, 2026

Spiro Raises $215m to Expand Africa's Battery-Swap Network as Electric Mobility Scales

Spiro Raises $215m to Expand Africa's Battery-Swap Network as Electric Mobility Scales

Tariq AbubakarJun 07, 2026

Ghana’s 5G reset shows why spectrum policy can make or break telecom competition

Ghana’s 5G reset shows why spectrum policy can make or break telecom competition

TechCocoon NewsroomMay 15, 2026

Kenya’s proposed VAT on payment platforms tests the cost of digital money

Kenya’s proposed VAT on payment platforms tests the cost of digital money

Kwame OseiMay 15, 2026

Namibia’s Women in Tech push shows why digital transformation needs social buy-in

Namibia’s Women in Tech push shows why digital transformation needs social buy-in

Tariq AbubakarMay 15, 2026

Termii’s FT ranking shows why transaction messaging is becoming core infrastructure

Termii’s FT ranking shows why transaction messaging is becoming core infrastructure

TechCocoon LabMay 15, 2026

Jumia’s AI-driven job cuts show the harder economics of African e-commerce

Jumia’s AI-driven job cuts show the harder economics of African e-commerce

TechCocoon NewsroomMay 15, 2026

Zimbabwe’s digital X-ray rollout shows why rural healthtech needs infrastructure first

Zimbabwe’s digital X-ray rollout shows why rural healthtech needs infrastructure first

Tariq AbubakarMay 15, 2026

Trazo’s Lagos plan will test whether small-city execution can scale

Trazo’s Lagos plan will test whether small-city execution can scale

Zinhle NdlovuMay 15, 2026

Heirs Insurance’s Prince AI tests whether generative AI can make insurance easier to understand

Heirs Insurance’s Prince AI tests whether generative AI can make insurance easier to understand

Femi OlatunjiMay 13, 2026

MTN’s Q1 growth shows Africa’s telecom money is moving deeper into data

MTN’s Q1 growth shows Africa’s telecom money is moving deeper into data

Kwame OseiMay 13, 2026

Morocco’s DigiSchool shows why Africa’s EdTech gap is also a teacher-training problem

Morocco’s DigiSchool shows why Africa’s EdTech gap is also a teacher-training problem

TechCocoon LabMay 13, 2026

Africa’s $11bn clean energy push is becoming an industrial strategy

Africa’s $11bn clean energy push is becoming an industrial strategy

Tariq AbubakarMay 13, 2026

Jiji’s Bangladesh deal shows African platforms are looking beyond the continent

Jiji’s Bangladesh deal shows African platforms are looking beyond the continent

TechCocoon IntelligenceMay 13, 2026

African angel investors are paying closer attention to agritech

African angel investors are paying closer attention to agritech

Tariq AbubakarMay 11, 2026

Africa Forward Summit puts AI, infrastructure and capital at the centre of Africa–France reset

Africa Forward Summit puts AI, infrastructure and capital at the centre of Africa–France reset

TechCocoon NewsroomMay 11, 2026

Cameroon’s BleagLee wins $1m prize for AI-powered waste recycling

Cameroon’s BleagLee wins $1m prize for AI-powered waste recycling

Tariq AbubakarMay 10, 2026

Microsoft’s stalled Kenya data centre shows Africa’s AI ambitions need harder infrastructure maths

Microsoft’s stalled Kenya data centre shows Africa’s AI ambitions need harder infrastructure maths

TechCocoon IntelligenceMay 10, 2026

WayaWaya’s Teddy Ogallo shows why African fintech still depends on hard integration work

WayaWaya’s Teddy Ogallo shows why African fintech still depends on hard integration work

Zinhle NdlovuMay 10, 2026

Kenya’s budget smartphone push is being squeezed by the global AI chip boom

Kenya’s budget smartphone push is being squeezed by the global AI chip boom

TechCocoon LabMay 10, 2026

Anthropic’s $1.8bn Akamai deal shows why AI builders must understand compute economics

Anthropic’s $1.8bn Akamai deal shows why AI builders must understand compute economics

Femi OlatunjiMay 10, 2026

Cape Verde wants tech to turn brain drain into a digital economy advantage

Cape Verde wants tech to turn brain drain into a digital economy advantage

Kwame OseiMay 10, 2026

Young Kenyans are putting Sh9bn into StanChart’s digital money market fund

Young Kenyans are putting Sh9bn into StanChart’s digital money market fund

Amara NwosuMay 10, 2026

GWCU’s MTN Liberia deal shows why telecom rails are becoming fintech’s fastest route to scale

GWCU’s MTN Liberia deal shows why telecom rails are becoming fintech’s fastest route to scale

Amara NwosuMay 10, 2026

MiniPay’s 15 million wallets show stablecoin payments are finding a real African use case

MiniPay’s 15 million wallets show stablecoin payments are finding a real African use case

Amara NwosuMay 09, 2026

Africa’s fintech sector is not ready for AI-to-AI payments yet

Africa’s fintech sector is not ready for AI-to-AI payments yet

Femi OlatunjiMay 09, 2026

Airtel Money’s delayed IPO shows Africa’s fintech listing window is still fragile

Airtel Money’s delayed IPO shows Africa’s fintech listing window is still fragile

Amara NwosuMay 09, 2026

African startup funding is nearing $1B, but fewer companies are carrying the market

African startup funding is nearing $1B, but fewer companies are carrying the market

Amara NwosuMay 08, 2026

The Braintrust breach is a reminder that AI builders cannot treat API keys as an afterthought

The Braintrust breach is a reminder that AI builders cannot treat API keys as an afterthought

Femi OlatunjiMay 08, 2026

Yoco’s new CEO marks a harder chapter for South Africa’s SME fintech market

Yoco’s new CEO marks a harder chapter for South Africa’s SME fintech market

Zinhle NdlovuMay 08, 2026

Glovo, Chowdeck, and the trust gap in Nigeria’s food delivery market

Glovo, Chowdeck, and the trust gap in Nigeria’s food delivery market

TechCocoon IntelligenceMay 07, 2026