Category: Innovation

CCHUB Institute Design Lab in Kigali

Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) will today, officially launch the CcHUB Design Lab’ in Kigali Rwanda The design lab is an unprecedented next step in Africa’s growing tech sector and is set to become a leading creative space where its multidisciplinary team of product designers and engineers will collaborate with scientists and stakeholders globally, to explore the application of emerging technologies that will solve Africa’s systemic problems in Public Health, Education, Governance and the Private Sector.

The new state-of-the-art lab, located in Kigali, Rwanda, sees CcHUB, the leading innovation centre dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity, expand its physical presence to another African country for the first time in its eight-year history. CcHUB is now looking to partner with both public and private industry bodies from across the continent.

H.E. Minister of ICT and Innovation, Rwanda, Paula Ingabire, will launch the new lab with CcHUB’s Founder and CEO, ‘Bosun Tijani. They will be joined by Kampeta Pitchette Sayinzoga [Director General, National Industrial Research & Development Agency, Rwanda], Patrick Buchana Nsenga [Chief Executive Officer, AC Group Rwanda], and Jeanine U. Condo [Director General, Rwanda Biomedical Center]. Special guest Bez will provide live musical entertainment on the day.

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Commenting on the official launch, H.E. Paula Ingabire says,
“CcHUB’s expansion into Kigali, marked with the launch of the Design Lab today, is an exciting landmark for Rwanda’s burgeoning tech community. Rwanda is keen on collaborating with world-class partners to establish itself as a leading destination that nurtures innovation-driven enterprises.

We see technology as an integral gateway and means of developing society – an ethos and mission shared by CcHUB. As we strive to become a knowledge-based economy, we will continue to build long-lasting, strategic partnerships that celebrate excellence, forge ahead with progress and that is, essentially, a force for good that will impact thousands of people across the continent.”

To coincide with the launch, CcHUB will announce the Rwanda Biomedical Centre as its first local company to partner, joining the likes of Go-Ga Lab, Nimcure and Safe Online.

The Design Lab, which further reinforces CcHUB’s commitment to solving Africa’s biggest development and social challenges, will be powered by a multidisciplinary design team of designers and engineers. Using design and innovation, the three key sectors of focus are:

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Public Health: Focused on digital epidemiology by collaborating with a cross-sector of stakeholders including scientists, researchers, health professionals, and developers to use technology in accelerating the adoption of locally-created solutions for better detection and surveillance of diseases, and improving adherence to treatment.

Education: Focused on improving students’ interests, participation, and learning outcomes in STEM education, with attention paid to teaching methods and the use of creative content.

Governance: Focused on the role of technology in helping the government promote participatory governance, transparency, and more effective public services for social and economic prosperity.

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On the launch of the Design Lab, ‘Bosun Tijani, CcHUB’s Co-founder and CEO comments, “We’ve been building tech businesses alongside African entrepreneurs for almost a decade and in that time, we’ve identified a common challenge that businesses face when it comes to sustainable growth – Design and Innovation”.

“With the CcHUB Design lab, we will be collaborating with organizations that may not have the capacity to design, build and innovate as quick as leaner startups would. The lab will also build on CcHUB’s extensive global and pan-African network of partners, research institutes, and governmental organizations to execute practical design projects that will solve some of our social and business challenges at scale”.

Since launching in 2011, CcHUB has built a community of over 13,000 technologists, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders, and has incubated and provided support to a portfolio of over 110 early-stage ventures providing solutions to social problems with technology. With the expansion, CcHUB plans to invest approximately $11m in Rwanda.

February 18, 2022
Nigerian Digital Bank Stellas unveils with Ghost Mode to Fix Fintech Identity Fraud Loophole

Identity fraud, otherwise known as identity theft, has been a significant concern for the Nigerian fintech sector, resulting in the loss of millions of naira yearly. As the Federal Government of Nigeria continues to enforce the cashless policy, interbank transactions have gotten much faster with the launch of the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) scheme, an infrastructure that several experts laud as being one of the world’s best.

As more people embrace digital banking and e-commerce, it is unfortunate that this has given rise to more cybercrime and identity fraud. In 10 years, Nigeria has lost $13 billion to cybercrime, and in just nine months of 2020, it lost $12 million to electronic fraud.

More than ever, there is an urgent need to curb the menace of identity fraud. Thanks to Stellas for standing up to the challenge with the launch of the “Ghost Mode” mobile application offering user-identity protection and features that complement the lifestyle of discerning customers.

But before going deep into the features, let’s get to know more about Stellas.

The Modern Way to Bank – Stellas

Led by Bukola Solomon, an executive with extensive experience in the investment banking space, Stellas microfinance bank started in 2017 to close the gap between customers’ expectations in the digital age and the traditional banking services. The company boast of providing easy access to financial services, and it soon became one of the leading financial services providers in Nigeria.

Stellas believe that everyone should have access to innovative banking, and for that, they are passionate about building banking products that protect and grow customers’ money.

In a bid to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the dynamic needs of customers in the current digital age as well as promote financial inclusion, Stellas recently launched a digital bank — to offer banking service with ease — with the “Ghost Mode” mobile application feature well as other savings and budgeting features.

The company plans to promote privacy and security in the fintech and digital banking space with the launch.

Fixing Identity Fraud Loophole with Ghost Mode

Speaking at the launching of the app in Lagos, Stellas CEO Bukola Solomon said the emergence of Stellas Digital Bank is a strategic response to many months of industry and market analyses which show that Nigeria’s Fintech space, despite observed growth, still has some niches yet un-served.

Solomon also pointed out that the company has always prioritised user experience as one of its most significant value offerings, and it brought that philosophy with its digital banking launch.

“It is upon this foundation that we have built a very intuitive mobile application with the following added features for you, our users: Ghost Mode, Automated deposits, and Budgeting tool. The “ghost mode” is a unique feature in the fintech space that prioritises user identity protection and complements the lifestyle of discerning customers.” says Solomon.

He added that — “We’ve seen several instances of people who need to make transactions but want it to remain confidential and private. With our Ghost Mode feature, you can execute confidential transactions, and more so, it serves as a security feature. We can encrypt transactions so that even if they get access to your phone or that of the recipient, your data is secure,”

In order words, Stellas plans to protect users identities when making transactions, guard against identity fraud and ensure privacy and security.

According to a business wire report, identity fraud soars to $43 billion globally, and these usually come in different forms from social media activities, emails, or credit cards. Solomon points out that transferring money to a random stranger you bought items from could be another potential loophole for identity fraud.

Solomon also reveals that all transactions with Stellas Digital Bank are fully insured by the National Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC) and will strictly comply with anti-money laundering and anti-fraud regulations.

Also talking about the features of the app, Stellas Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Anselem Uba, accounted that the Ghost Mode allows users to transfer funds to beneficiaries or make payments anonymously.

He said the service meets the yearnings of many users who want to make payments confidentially or donate anonymously to a cause, occasion, or event and exercise a humanitarian gesture.

“The Ghost Mode feature is guaranteed to revolutionize customer experience and breed a whole new community of Anonymous Angels.

“Beyond this, the feature ultiDigital Bank customers by encrypting their transactions and isolating them from fraudsters,” Uba said.

Meanwhile, the Ghost Mode is not the only unique feature of the app – Automated Deposit and Budgeting tool is included.

According to Uba, the Automated Deposit feature of the app allows users to transfer funds from any bank account into the Stellas app without manually transferring from one bank into the other. He said this functionality saves users the rigors of deploying several apps to perform a transaction, thereby creating convenience, speed, and efficiency.

“The Budgeting tool is a helpful feature released on the Stellas app, enabling users to plan and allocate funds to monthly expenditure similar to how individuals conventionally make a list of how to disburse monthly income. One of the benefits of the budgeting tool is the ability to compare their actual spending to the budget real-time and periodically, keeping users in check on spending habits,” the CTO noted.

Currently, Stellas boasts of about 10,000 users and projected its user base to reach 200,000 within a month, says Bukola Solomon.

While this projection is intimidating, I’m sure you are curious about if and how this will be achieved as well as I do, keeping in mind that the Nigerian digital banking space is competitive with the likes of Alat by Wema bank, Kuda, Sparkle, Fairmoney, and Carbon also making waves in the industry.

February 17, 2022
The Libyan-Tunisian-Algerian Conference on Digital and Economic Transformation is actively being planned.

It has been confirmed by Yassin Abu Sreweel, the head of the Libyan-Tunisian-Algerian Conference for Digital and Free Economy Transformation in Africa, that Tunisia will host a conference in March focused on expanding investment opportunities between the three nations.

Abu Sreweel added in a press conference at the Investment Promotion and Privatization Affairs Authority headquarters in Tripoli, that the conference program aims to hold working sessions between the participating countries to exchange experiences in a way that develops a culture of the digital economy.

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Moreover, in his interview with the Tunisian radio station (Diwan FM), he affirmed that the conference will strengthen the role of the digital and free economy in Africa, considering the failure of many African countries to adopt this type of economy in comparison to other countries that have generated huge profits of nearly $11.5 trillion.

However, Abdelsamie Amer, Chairman of the Meeting Preparatory Committee, acknowledged that the conference is a continuation of the Mediterranean Conference held in November last year.

In conclusion, with the support of the Investment Promotion and Privatization Affairs Authority, the Financial Facility Fund, and the National Planning Council, the Libyan-Tunisian-Algerian conference on digital and free economic transformation in Africa will have its inaugural session on March 1 in Tunisia’s capital.

February 16, 2022
The Drive for Digital Transformation In Cameroon

A new Digital Innovation Centre (CDIC) has been unveiled as part of efforts to make Cameroon a digitally advanced country. Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo (Minister of Higher Education) launched it as a fully equipped ICT infrastructure hub. During the 11th of February national youth holiday, an incubator was launched on the 8th of February.

CDIC is situated in Yaoundé with various latest technological tools, electronic communication networks, and infrastructure. Some include a 3D printer, secure datacentre, high-speed internet, multimedia space, and cloud computing facilities. The core focus is to provide a workspace that will enhance the structuring and development of technological competencies and facilitate start-ups through collective access to the latest technologies. It is also intended to improve online training in advancing the “techpreneur” culture and competency in the country.

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According to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Minette Libom Li Likeng: “CDIC constitutes an appropriate framework for supporting young people, in line with the triple presidential exhortation for them to innovate, create and dare.” The Minister affirmed that CDIC would be managed by professionals from the Ministry who are charged with providing users with every type of required support. In achieving their function, the staff of the Ministry were trained on the vision and actions that are required to support the hub.

Officials at the Launching of CDIC (source: Facebook/CDIC)

Also, the CDIC provides innovators with access to seed funds through mentoring services, intellectual property management, mentoring services, investors, financial services, and marketing expertise. The selection process has commenced with 12 young Cameroonians already selected as the inaugural cohort as part of the upcoming ICT Innovation week.

This project enjoyed a high level of support from the Cameroonian government. President Paul Biya said, “one of the main challenges for our youth is to successfully reach the digital economy. The government will help them in this process by putting in place an efficient and effective infrastructure to do so” in his the 10th of February, 2016 speech to the youth. Hence, the piloting of the CDIC through increased investment by the government.

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The country wants to use ICT sector development as a strategic priority to stimulate the goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2035. The association of start-ups leader, Gouather Alex Bertrand, described CDIC as a boon because it provides 30 percent of technical requirements for innovators in developing and launching their digital ideas.

February 14, 2022
Apple empowers businesses with contactless payments through Tap to Pay feature on iPhone

Apple continues to build its stand as the leading innovative mobile tech giant in the world after announcing its plan to introduce a new Tap to Pay feature on iPhone which allows businesses to receive payment seamlessly. The feature would allow compatible iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit cards and debit cards, and other digital wallets. The interesting part is no additional hardware is required. Merchants get to enjoy this awesomeness with just a download of an app.

Let’s take a deep dive into how the Tap to Pay works and the possibilities it unlocks for businesses.

What is Tap to Pay on and how does it work on iPhone?

In July 2020, Apple acquired payments startup Mobeewave, which created a system that lets shoppers tap a credit card or smartphone on another phone to process a payment. Tap to Pay is notable because, previously, businesses that accepted contactless payments on an iPhone needed to use additional third-party hardware such as the Square Reader dongle.

As it seems, Apple acquisition of Mobeewave is the basis of this technology.

The Tap to Pay feature essentially allows small businesses to large retailers to use mobile devices as a payment terminal — seamlessly and securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets through a simple tap to their iPhone (iPhone XS or newer) through supported iOS apps. For now, it’s limited to businesses and merchants in the US that wish to accept contactless payment.

On purchasing an item from a store, a merchant will ask you to hold your own iPhone or Apple Watch, contactless credit or debit card, or another digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and then the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology.

Now businesses are being empowered and all merchants will need in the future is their compatible iPhones in order to accept and process payments, says Apple.

Businesses that support Tap to Pay on iPhone

Stripe has announced it’ll be the first payment platform to offer “Tap to Pay on iPhone” to their business customers, including the Shopify Point of Sale app, in spring 2022. Additional payment platforms and apps will follow later this year. Apple Stores in the US will also roll out the feature sometime in 2022, says Apple.

Jennifer Bailey, Vice President of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet pointed out that — “In collaboration with payment platforms, app developers, and payment networks, we’re making it easier than ever for businesses of all sizes — from solopreneurs to large retailers — to seamlessly accept contactless payments and continue to grow their business.”

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“As more and more consumers are tapping to pay with digital wallets and credit cards, Tap to Pay on iPhone will provide businesses with a secure, private, and easy way to accept contactless payments and unlock new checkout experiences using the power, security, and convenience of iPhone.” She noted.

When will the Tap to Pay feature be available and which iPhone model supports it?

The feature will launch in the US later in 2022. It appears to be exclusive to the US at launch, with no other countries announced yet. Hopefully, as the Tap to Pay feature becomes widely accepted in the US, other countries including Africa.

Although Tap to Pay isn’t ready for you to use yet – the supporting API is available in the iOS 15.4 beta 2 potentially enabling the feature on iPhone XS and later models.

There are older iPhones with NFC – but, for now, the iPhone 6, 7, and 8 models are not on the compatible list.

Tap to Pay on iPhone will also roll out to Apple Store locations in the US later this year according to Apple.

February 13, 2022
Ivorian Startup, Afrikrea Rebrands

A study by McKinsey & Company on general e-commerce activities in Africa says consumer spending will reach over $2 trillion in the next three years. Much of this spending falls under the importation of products, primarily influenced by consumer demand and the positioning of major e-commerce platforms in Africa.

What We Know About Afrikrea

Afrikrea, an Ivorian startup founded in 2016, is one of the few platforms facilitating product exports. It has raised a $6.2 million pre-Series A round while rebranding to ANKA, the SaaS platform it launched for sellers in partnership with DHL and Visa in April last year.

Moulaye Taboure launched Afrikrea with Kadry Diallo and Luc B. Perussault Diallo as a marketplace for Africa-based and -inspired fashion, clothing, accessories, arts, and crafts. Last year, Afrikrea said it served more than 7,000 sellers from 47 African countries and buyers from 170 countries.

After some research, the founders noticed that these sellers also engaged with other channels, such as websites or social media. To them, it made sense to build another platform — ANKA — where merchants, with an omnichannel dashboard, can monitor their sales and inventory across all these channels: Afrikrea, social media, and websites.

Other features like a customizable online storefront, payment links, and access to various payment methods and logistics added to the platform’s appeal to Afrikrea merchants. The appeal extended to the company itself, resulting in a name change despite the marketplace recording 250% year-on-year growth since launch.

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“The main goal behind that is to reflect our much larger purpose and mission now. And also a much larger product offering as we are going to serve not only people in fashion but in every industry where anyone wants to export African products,” CEO Taboure told TechCrunch in an interview.

Afrikrea is now one of the features on the ANKA website. Others include a customised online storefront (like Shopify), which is linked to sellers’ social media platforms and marketplace channels (such as Stripe, Gumroad, or PayPal); access to shipping products with DHL; and receiving payments in various currencies (including a buy now, pay later option).

“So wherever you sell, on social media, Afrikrea marketplace, or your website, all of it ends up in one dashboard,” the CEO said. “You can manage all of your orders and one wallet to get paid and withdraw your money easily.”

Ivorian startup Afrikrea partners with DHL and Visa to launch SaaS e-commerce platform ANKA

ANKA is free to use when sellers fill up their product catalogs or generate payment links. However, once sellers decide to start using the software to accept payments or make a sale, they pay €10 (~$12) to access the service monthly. Also, sellers pay €10 (~$12) upfront for the platform’s shipping or website hosting services.

Taboure told TechCrunch that about 40% of its over 13,000 subscribers do not use the marketplace. To them, ANKA serves to generate payment links to use on other channels or fulfill orders from other channels. He said the company is building out a mobile application to make the process smoother.

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Having engulfed Afrikrea’s merchant base, ANKA has sellers from 47 out of Africa’s 54 countries. ANKA also mentioned that more than 80% of its sellers are women, who have grown their revenue by 50% on average since joining the ANKA community.

The platform also records over 700,000 visits from its buyers who have transacted over $35 million on the platform. In a statement, ANKA said these buyers come from 174 countries, the majority based in Europe and North America. According to Taboure, the buyers are mainly from France and the U.S; they account for 90% of ANKA’s sales.

E-commerce in Africa

This past decade, the growth of e-commerce in Africa has been spearheaded by companies like Jumia, Takealot, and Mall4Africa. In 2015, MallforAfrica struck a partnership with DHL and launched DHL Africa eShop with the logistics giant four years later.

But recent struggles from currency devaluation to investor pullout have forced the startup to take an extended hiatus (although it claims to be strategizing), raising fresh questions on the viability of some e-commerce models in Africa. But Taboure believes his company is protected from such events because it serves the market the other way round.

“Most e-commerce tried so far has been Africans trying to buy outside. And yes, when you do that, you have currency and logistics issues that are completely different. We are the opposite. We are trying to have Africans earn in foreign currency. So if I were, to be honest, it’s almost like we operate in two different worlds,” he said.

“We are probably one of the few startups that are trying not just to make Africans spend their money or buy more things. We actually want to help them earn money globally and create value on the global stage. Ideally, this way, we contribute to solidifying our economies in much more than one way.”

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In an interview TechCrunch had with the chief executive last year, he touted ANKA as the largest e-commerce exporter startup on the continent, claiming it ships over 10 tons of cargo per month from Africa. These sorts of numbers make investors’ mouths water — in ANKA’s case, e-commerce heavyweights like Joseph Tsai.

The Alibaba executive and billionaire participated in the round alongside BESTSELLER Foundation, whose chairman is one of the largest shareholders in both ASOS and Zalando.

French VC and Africa-focused impact firm Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) led the round. In a statement, its co-CEO, Sebastien Boye, said I&P invested in ANKA because the company is at the heart of his firm’s strategy: talented and ambitious founders, significant growth, value creation and a compelling impact thesis.

Other investors include VestedWorld, Enigmo, Groupe Prunay, Rising Tide Africa and SAVIU Ventures, the lead investor in ANKA’s seed round. In total, the company, which LoftyInc Capital and other local investors back, has raised $8.1 million.

“We are pretty happy to have some VCs in the round, but also having entrepreneurs that already did what we did. That’s something that we’re very proud about and very intentional in building the round is we focused on having the best people at the table to help us grow.”

The company said the pre-Series A round will help it build out its SaaS mobile infrastructure and further product development. ANKA also plans to hire talent across tech, finance, sales, and marketing to join its 30-person terms across four continents.

February 11, 2022
Are Venture Capitalists interested in African Development?

Two basic principles underline my observation and writing on this topic. Firstly, the African Union and most countries in Africa have no data protection policy. Secondly, the increasing rate of investment in various African businesses. The investment in various African start-ups must be a welcome idea as it contributes to and enriches the continent’s overall technology ecosystem. It stimulates the enthusiasm, innovation and widespread adoption of different technology solutions to numerous Teething African problems.

However, as a criminologist interested in cybercrime, I have always been very critical of any technological free lunch. One fundamental understanding of this rapid technology evolution is the importance of data. It has become a powerful stimulant and viable commodity in the current digital economy. Every major brand is fighting and competing for any data they can collect.

“Data is the new oil.” (Clive Humby)

In this twenty-first century, the oil that powers every economy is data, similar to how crude oil powered the global economy in the eighteenth century. The more we get connectivity, the more information is generated, making it an untapped asset that is most valuable. Hence, any organisation that discovers how to extract data and exploits it will always remain profitable and competitive.

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Considering strict regulation in different parts of the world, is it not logical that Africa becomes the bride of the technology investors with one of the weakest data protection laws? The big technology CEOs visit African countries and enjoy Goodwill. In hindsight, should Africans not be critical of the ulterior motives of this sudden love. One fundamental point is that these guys are businessmen and will be attracted to raw materials.

Zuckerberg in Zanzibar (source: Ghana Talks Business)

For example, Gokada has left Nigeria. But what happens to the vast amount of data collected during the operations. Both the government and the people are not interested. It is evidence of the free reign these innovators have in various African countries. The lack of attention to this natural asset remains a significant disservice by the multiple stakeholders.

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Most African technology start-ups are always influenced by foreigners. For example, the white privilege in the technology space is causing a major rift in Kenya. Also, a significant amount of other dominant Africans in this space are either schooled in the west or have substantial financial ties with various investors of foreign heritage.

Jack Ma with Nigerian Vice President (source: Naira Metrics)

On the other hand, African countries seem not to understand these investments’ increasing drive. With Presidents and other African leaders opening their arms to these individuals, the template of the slave trade might be replicated through technology investment before we know it. As a matter of fact, they do not need ships that ferried our forefathers. All they need is a couple of transatlantic cables in the name of global connectivity.

February 9, 2022