Author: Elan

Madica, the pre-seed investment programme backed by Flourish Ventures, has invested up to $600,000 across three new startups in Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria.The three companies, Kilimo Fresh, Hakimu, and Biovana, will each receive up to $200,000. They also gain entry into Madica’s 18-month support programme, which bundles mentorship, executive coaching, and two fully funded immersion trips to technology ecosystems in Africa and abroad. On top of that, the founders get access to Madica’s global investor network.This is the latest batch from a programme that has been steadily building a portfolio since launching in 2022. Madica previously invested in startups like…

Nairobi — Air France will increase passenger capacity on its Nairobi route from May, deploying a larger aircraft to meet growing demand for travel between East Africa and Europe. The airline said it will introduce a Boeing 777-200 on the Nairobi-Paris route from May 15, replacing the Airbus A350 and boosting seat capacity by 12 percent. Nairobi is among key cities gaining additional capacity under the airline’s 2026 summer schedule, alongside Asian destinations such as Tokyo, Singapore and Bangkok, as carriers adjust networks to shifting global travel demand. The route links to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Air France’s main…

In brief Bitget launched IPO Prime, a platform offering tokenized exposure to pre-IPO companies. The first offering is preSPAX, a Republic-issued token tied to SpaceX’s post-IPO performance. The token provides economic exposure without equity ownership, voting rights, or company endorsement. Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget launched IPO Prime on Friday, debuting the platform with preSPAX—a token that provides retail investors exposure to SpaceX’s future public market performance.The Republic-issued token offers economic upside tied to SpaceX’s eventual IPO or acquisition, marking a new intersection between crypto infrastructure and traditional pre-IPO investing.The preSPAX token mirrors potential economic gains from SpaceX upon a qualifying event…

Defaulting on a loan with some digital lenders can turn into relentless phone calls, frozen accounts, office raids, threats, and, in some cases, public shaming. In 2025, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) introduced fines of up to ₦100 million ($72,000)—or 1% of annual turnover—for lenders who resort to harassment and intimidation as loan recovery tools. Those defaults, when they pile up, become the bad loans quietly eating into a lender’s balance sheet. Nomba and Globus Bank say their credit model is built to stop that from happening, and the numbers, so far, back them up. The Nigerian…

Jimmy Westenberg / Android AuthorityTL;DR A US trademark filing for Garmin’s unannounced CIRQA Smart Band was recently spotted. The trademark describes the device as a wearable that measures physiological data, bio-signals, bodily behavior, and recovery. As you may have heard, Fitbit is preparing to expand its wearable lineup with a Whoop-like fitness band. However, we know that Fitbit isn’t the only company looking to make its debut in this category. An earlier leak revealed Garmin also plans on launching a display-less fitness wearable called the CIRQA Smart Band. If you were hoping to learn more about this mysterious CIRQA band,…

DRC raises $1.25bn in first eurobond issue – African Business DRC raises $1.25bn in first eurobond issue – African Business

Make CryptoSlate preferred on Bitcoin’s rebound to around $71,000 has reignited a familiar bullish conversation about price, liquidity, and positioning. It has also exposed a less comfortable fact inside the network itself.The fee market has barely moved.For a market that still treats on-chain congestion as a sign of organic demand, that divergence deserves more attention than another recap of macro tailwinds or ETF flow streaks. Related ReadingBitcoin’s rebound looks like a trap and Wall Street knows it – as real Hormuz threat may not be overBanks and energy forecasters see a slower repair in oil flows, keeping inflation and Fed…

Ghana’s National Identification Authority (NIA) announced the addition of a digital wallet to the Ghana Card, the identification card used for everything from SIM registration to passport applications. The move collapsed identity and payments into a single physical object for the first time at a national scale in West Africa. The new payments feature allows users withdraw cash from ATMs, make payments in stores and online, send money internationally to over 200 countries, and access services like insurance and emergency assistance. Current holders can activate the wallet through the MyCitizens app or by dialing *402#. To understand how significant this…

Microsoft has released a server-side fix for a known issue that affected Start Menu search on some Windows 11 23H2 devices. The problem started on April 6 and was linked to a Bing update aimed at improving search performance. Microsoft has rolled back the update and reports that search failures are decreasing as the fix takes effect.An investigation found that the issue coincided with a server-side Bing update meant to improve search performance. To fix the problem, the update was rolled back, and reports of search failures are gradually declining, according to a Windows release health update from Microsoft.How Microsoft’s…

Launches Fundraising Guidebook to Support First-Time African Founders in Raising Pre-Seed Capital Madica, a structured investment program focused on pre-seed African startups, has announced new investments in three technology-driven companies: Kilimo Fresh, Hakimu, and Biovana. These additions reflect Madica’s ongoing commitment to backing founders and ventures that are often overlooked by traditional venture capital. Each startup will receive funding of up to $200,000 and participate in Madica’s 18-month support program. The program includes a customized curriculum, hands-on mentorship, executive coaching, and two fully funded immersion trips to key tech ecosystems both within Africa and internationally. Founders will also gain access…