TechCabal Daily, 600

Village Capital announces the VilCap Communities Africa Cohort [View this email in your browser]( PRESENTED BY ANDE 24 - 8 - 2018 Sponsor Message Lack of collaboration among ecosystem actors, lack of access to relevant information, mismatches in investment size supply and demand, poor access to markets, excessive cost of physical infrastructure, and limited access to finance are some of the gaps that pervades Ghana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Click [here]( to learn more from the new entrepreneurial ecosystem snapshot of Ghana launched by Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). FINCA International [has announced]( the launch of its impact investing initiative, FINCA Ventures. The fund has invested in six social enterprises in the last 18 months including Zambia's Good Nature Agro, Kenya's Eneza Education and Sanivation. The new investment firm aims to support innovative solutions to poverty in energy, water, education, health, agriculture and fintech. Nigerian team Coating+ has been[selected]( as the winner of the 2018 Thought For Food Challenge. The team of four biochemists developed a safe coating for fresh foods that extends their shelf life while also providing hard-to-access micronutrients. YouTube Go [has launched]( in South Africa. The app which enables offline viewing and sharing [was launched]( in Nigeria last year, its first African country and the second country globally after India. According to TechPoint, the construction of the new ICT Park announced last year by the Lagos State Government [will commence]( soon and will be completed within the next two years. The new park is expected to be the new home of the current Computer Village, an ICT accessories' market in Ikeja, Lagos. The new ICT Park will house an incubation hub and about 3,810 (10 & 11 square-meter) shops. A new report by Disrupt Africa [has highlighted]( that Nigeria and South Africa are the continental leaders in the digital work sector. The report identified that there are 58 of such startups in Nigeria and 47 in South Africa. It further identified the three major sub-sectors as recruitment, marketplaces, and on-demand with the latter raising over US$14.5 million in funding (the highest) in the last 3.5 years. Village Capital [has announced]( the 15 African tech hubs whose leaders will participate in its VilCap Communities Africa programme. The programme is supported by the Impact Programme funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and is aimed at accelerating the flow of capital to early-stage companies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Finalists will take part in either of two forums in Lagos and Nairobi and then will cap it off with a convention in Cape Town in November where they will learn and share the latest best practices, including Village Capital’s proprietary curriculum and peer-selected investment process. Eat-Out, a Kenyan digital food community [has partnered]( with TrueCaller in order to enable seamless user registration and on-boarding. The partnership will enable Eat-Out's users sign up on the platform using TrueCaller and will also help further build trust by strengthening its user identity verification process. African submarine cable operator, SEACOM [is in talks]( to acquire Johannesburg-based FibreCo (a national telecom network operator) according to a report by MyBroadBand. Although SEACOM has said it is unable to comment on the report at this time, reports say FibreCo has already accepted an offer and that discussions are ongoing. Seacom [acquired]( MacroLan (an SA-based internet service provider) for an undisclosed sum earlier this year. Nairobi-based fintech startup Lendable [has raised]( a grant of $450,000 from Dutch development bank, FMO. Asides the grant, both organizations will carry out lending market capacity building initiatives such as workshops and education programmes in East and West Africa. In more news from Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) [has revealed]( its intention to adopt blockchain in the 2022 elections. In March, Sierra Leone conducted a blockchain-based election making it the first country in the world to do so in practice. Cabinet [has now approved]( South Africa's controversial Electronic Communications Amendment Bill which is expected to enable the issuance of new radio frequency spectrum to telcos. The withdrawal of already assigned spectrum and the reservation of the majority of high-demand spectrum to wireless open access network operators were two areas of controversy before the bill was approved. The bill is expected to be presented to parliament this week for “consideration and processing”. MTN Nigeria [has launched]( a new website called mPulse targeted towards tweens and teens. The website features preparation materials and past questions for Common Entrance, JSCE, WAEC, JAMB, Post UME, intellectual games and a wide array of skill development tutorial videos. Off-grid energy startup BBOXX is [piloting]( its internet service in Rwanda as part of efforts to expand its product portfolio. The startup has so far installed 10 fixed Wi-Fi hotspots, powered by its solar systems, for the pilot in partnership with Axiom Networks. Nigeria’s Consumer Protection Council (CPC) [has secured]( a court ruling stopping DStv from increasing prices this month as planned. CPC claims that the move is part of an investigation over consumer complaints including DStv’s “arbitrary pricing.” SA Telco regulator, ICASA [is planning]( to cut termination rates i.e. the prices operators may charge each other to carry calls between their networks. The regulator says it is doing this to reduce the cost of communication. Already telco operators like Telkom [are saying]( that such cuts may lead to a loss of jobs as it will eat into the revenue it generates from termination charges. AI-based agritech solutions can [now join]( the Vivatech 2019 Challenge. Early-stage startups with solutions in image recognition, soil and assets analysis, big data, remote sensors and connected machines can apply [here]( before September 1. AfricaCom's organizers [are calling]( for startups to apply for a chance to attend and pitch at its tech and telecoms festival. Startups who have been in existence within the last four years and raised less than $1 million in funding can submit their video pitches [here]( before September 14. AfricaCom holds between November 13 - 15 in Cape Town, more details [here](. ClickBait: [The First Tennis Tournament at the International Space Station]( From Techcabal + [Outwork Wants To Bring A New Dimension To On-Demand Task Outsourcing]( + [The Economic Impact Of Recent Internet Shutdowns In Africa]( Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend, folks! We'll be back next week. - Olanrewaju Don't keep it to yourself, share this digest. [Share]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( Copyright © 2018 Big Cabal Media, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up on TechCabal.com Our mailing address is: Big Cabal Media Plot B, Block 1, Industrial Avenue, Ilupeju Industrial EstateIlupeju 100252 Nigeria [Add us to your address book](//techcabal.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=516543d20461f295636a963ec&id=ebb229e161) Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.