Search Results for: startup

American Startup wants disrupt traditional insurance models using smart tech

Editor

Mobile technology continues to smart its way into every service available, Insurance insutry is yet to be disrupted. The on-demand economy, which uses smartphone technology to immediately fill consumer needs, has changed the way people order food, a car, or a place to stay. Now, technology start-ups are targeting the next business frontier – insurance – offering coverage with the swipe of an app. Trov, a San Francisco Bay Area firm that provides smartphone-based on-demand insurance for individual assets, like computers or cameras, for any duration, launched in the UK…

MIT Global Startup Lab Program Applications Are Now Open

MIT

The MIT Global Startup Labs Program is headed to South Africa and  tech entrepreneurs, both new and established have until the end of May to submit their new and innovative tech ideas. The joint initiative by MIT, WITS University and the Johannesburg Center for Software Engineering (JCSE) will see students gain first hand experience in the entire process of developing tech startups. Since 2000, MIT Global Startup Labs has been sending over 150 MIT instructors to teach over 2,000 students in 14 countries through partnerships with universities in emerging regions.…

The 10 Startups To Pitch at Seedstars World South Africa Have Been Announced

Dianne Jacobs
Seedstars

It’s an interesting month for startups in South Africa as Seedstars World, a global seed-stage startup competition begins its tour this week in Cape Town. The ten startups that will pitch to a panel of judges have been selected for the event that will take place at Workshop 17 as techmoran reports. After the pitching, the top three startups out of the ten will be invited to Johannesburg where they will compete against the best startups from Durban and Soweto. After these competitions, one startup will be named the most…

2016 Innotribe Startup Challenge Winners Announced

Innotribe

The winners of the 2016 Innotribe Startup Challenge were announced yesterday in Mauritius. The winners were South Africa’s Hello Paisa, a low cost international money transfer solution and The Sun Exchange, which deals with crowd lending for solar energy and Cameroon’s WeCashUp, that deals with mobile money transfer across Africa. The three each received a 10,000 USD cash prize. They also received invitations to attend Sibos, SWIFT’s annual global financial services conference that will take place in Geneva from the 26th to the 29th of September, techmoran reports. Sido Bestani,…

Yahoo-backed E-commerce search startup Twiggle gets $12.5M Series A Funding led by Naspers

E-commerce operator Naspers led a $12.5 million investment that Twiggle will use to expand globally. (Bloomberg)—A Yahoo Japan-backed Israeli startup, Twiggle, has lined up a funding round led by Naspers Ltd., the Cape Town, South Africa-based group known for its early investment in Chinese e-commerce site Tencent Holdings Ltd. Twiggle, a web- and mobile-based service focused on search, aims to license its software to leading online retailing companies around the world and will use the $12.5 million in funding to expand globally. Using machine learning, artificial intelligence and natural language…

Here the 10 biggest 2016 startup opportunities

Staff Writer
Mobile Apps

The year 2015 was all about drones, virtual reality, 3D printing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This year, venture capitalists and industry observers say the tech world should expect more of the same. “Most hot startups in 2016 won’t be trying to lead revolutions or usher in whole new industries,” says Igor Shoifot, an investment partner with TMT Investments. “Instead, they’ll be enhancing existing technologies, products, services, or transactional ecosystems by saving users time, money, effort, and helping them make better choices more easily.” However, according to CIO, the…

Data Breaches: First half of 2015 saw venture firms invest $1.2 billion in cybersecurity startups

Staff Writer

Data Breaches Boost Funding for Cybersecurity Startups Extract: In the 2015 first half, venture firms invested $1.2 billion in cybersecurity startups, according to researcher CB Insights. That is down slightly from $1.4 billion a year earlier but up sharply from $771 million in 2013’s first half. The shift is particularly notable at Andreessen Horowitz, which used to view security companies as necessary for Internet safety but less lucrative than other technology niches. One reason is that cybersecurity startups were often acquired prior to an initial public offering, says Scott Weiss,…

Startups are bringing mobile banking to the last mile in Africa

Staff Writer

Mobile banking has provided financial inclusion for developing countries. A new wave of startups is now taking the tech beyond mobile wallets. When Ismail Ahmed moved from Somalia to England in 1988, he regularly sent money back home. He experienced exorbitant fees, transfer offices with erratic opening hours, and was often worried about how easily his family would be able to retrieve the money. In 2010 Ahmed founded WorldRemit, an online service that allows users to send money internationally via a PC or phone. Today, more than 250,000 transactions flow…

The European Commission’s Tech All Stars competition returns to honor the EU’s best startups

Staff Writer

The European Commission is really keen to support the EU tech community these days. It’s honoring the top tech entrepreneurs with Europioneers and meanwhile, the second edition of its startup competition Tech All Stars has just kicked off and is looking for entries. Tech All Stars was launched last year, with automated complaint resolution tool CogniCor emerging as the winner. This year’s competition is now looking for entries, and the finals are an international affair taking in Germany, the UK and Ireland. Adapted from thenextweb.com

88mph: The VC Firm Investing In Africa’s Tech Startups

This story was featured in Ventures Africa magazine’s February/March Edition…. A global network of experienced entrepreneurs prepare to invest the time and money required to give Africa’s most promising early stage tech companies the head start they need. VENTURES AFRICA – A small group of Cape Town-based mobile tech start-ups are next in line to take part in the 88mph programme, which has already given some of Nairobi’s mobile web businesses a major boost. Founded by Kresten Buch, 88mph is an early stage start-up fund combined with a three-month accelerator programme…