Skillup Africa

Source: AfricaNews

Climate technology was new in Africa, and it was tough to get funding for start-ups that would eventually enable the region’s electrification.

But the ecosystem has since changed, and in recent years, venture capital and private equity firms are increasingly funding climate-tech startups, with businesses raising more than $3.4 billion since 2019.

Rensource Energy, a company that provides solar and battery-based power subscription packages to individuals and businesses, is benefiting from the recent uptick in private funding.

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Meet our Women in Tech Feature, Ire Aderinokun

Ire is the co-founder, COO, and VP of Engineering at Helicarrier, a YC 18 company focused on building cryptocurrency infrastructure for Africa. Under her leadership, Helicarrier has spearheaded innovative products such as Buycoins, Sendcash, and Sendcash Pay, reshaping the financial landscape of the continent.

With over a decade of experience in the technology sector, Ire has established herself as an industry expert and leader. Her contributions have been recognised globally, earning her invitations to speak at over 60 conferences worldwide and accolades such as being named a Google Expert specialising in web technologies.

Beyond her role at Helicarrier, Ire is a dedicated advocate for women's rights and education in Nigeria. As one of the founding members of the Feminist Coalition, she is instrumental in championing equality and empowerment for women in Nigerian society.

She remains dedicated to advancing technology, advocating for women's rights, and making a meaningful impact in her community and beyond.

Meet our Men In Tech Feature, Tesh Mbaabu

Tesh is an African serial technology entrepreneur who lives to blend commerce and technology. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Chpter, an AI-powered conversational commerce platform that enables businesses to sell more on social platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram by automating conversations, marketing, and payments all in one place.

Prior to Chpter, he was the Co-founder & CEO of MarketForce, a B2B commerce marketplace for informal merchants in Africa to easily source, order and pay for inventory and access financing. He led the business expansion across 5 markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 270,000 merchants and 100 consumer brands trading on the platform.

As an avid adventure seeker, Tesh also co-founded Cloud9xp, an African leisure experience booking platform that exited to HotelOnline in 2020. Besides his active founder role, he is a Partner at Mesozi, an early stage investor targeting Africa’s next generation of high growth technology entrepreneurs.

Tesh is Forbes Africa 30 under 30, a Choiseul 100 Africa Laureate, Business Daily Top 40 under 40 Men Kenya, CIO Africa Top 45 Most Influential Men in Digital Transformation, Top 10 Africa Business Heroes, Harambean, Schmidt Futures, Westerwelle, Alibaba and UN Fellow. He is a graduate of Computer Science from the University of Nairobi.

Instead of resisting or fearing change, we should actively engage with it. By plunging into change, we confront it head-on, acknowledging its inevitability and recognising that it is an integral part of the human experience.

Rather than viewing change as a disruptive force to be avoided, embrace it as we would a dance - with grace, flexibility, and openness, as change often brings opportunities for growth, transformation, and renewal. By moving with change rather than against it, we position ourselves to harness its potential for positive outcomes.

According to Gartner forecasts, “by 2026, more than 80% of enterprises will have used GenAI APIs and models and/or deployed GenAI-enabled applications in production environments, up from less than 5% in 2023”.

Ethical hacking, often referred to as pe*******on testing or white-hat hacking, is a proactive approach to cybersecurity that involves systematically assessing the security of computer systems, networks, or applications.

Unlike malicious hackers who exploit vulnerabilities for nefarious purposes, ethical hackers operate with the permission and authorization of the system owner or responsible authority. Their goal is to uncover security weaknesses and assess the effectiveness of defensive measures in order to improve the overall security posture of the target system.

Send us an email today at [email protected] to learn more.

Source: Business Day

Nigerian start-ups are leading an epic AI innovation race with innovative digital solutions solving cross-continental challenges. The very best from Africa’s largest economy will take centre stage at the rising Silicon Valley’s largest tech and start-up event in Morocco next month.

From AI-powered diabetic care to SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms boosting agriculture profitability, Nigerian tech is shaping the future of Africa’s burgeoning digital economy, enticing global investors with tantalising venture opportunities at the AI Everything Expo by GITEX Africa 2024, the continent’s largest tech and start-up event, from May 29-31 in Marrakech.
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Happy Workers' Day to all the incredible individuals contributing to tech development across Africa.

Today, we celebrate your dedication, innovation, and tireless efforts in shaping the future of technology on the continent. Your commitment to learning, creativity, and problem-solving inspires us all. Together, we are driving progress, empowering communities, and paving the way for a brighter tomorrow. Thank you for your invaluable contributions and for being an integral part of Africa's tech revolution.

From all of us at Skillup Africa

Meet our Men In Tech Feature, Kabutha Nduati

Kabutha is a seasoned business leader with over 25 years of diverse experience spanning industries such as consumer, real estate, and media within the region. With a career trajectory that has taken him from the shop floor to the board level, Kabutha brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every role he undertakes.

Kabutha is a firm believer in the power of teamwork and personal growth. He is passionate about coaching, guiding, and collaborating within teams to drive innovation and foster individual development. His leadership style emphasises empowerment and encouragement, creating environments where individuals can thrive and reach their full potential.

Currently serving as the CEO & Co-Founder of Teleeza Africa Limited, Kabutha is at the forefront of building the largest digital community in Africa and beyond. Kabutha is transforming digital engagement and connectivity by providing users with a seamless and customised experience through its revolutionary 1st All-In-One Lockscreen App, which is powered by Aggregated Curated Content, Partnerships, MY WALLETS, and Advertising.

With his extensive experience, strategic vision, and commitment to excellence, Kabutha Nduati continues to make significant contributions to the business landscape, driving growth, innovation, and positive change within the region and beyond.

This week, always remember that you are capable of achieving far more than you may realise. Dare to choose goals that resonate with your values and aspirations, as genuine fulfilment stems from pursuing endeavours that are personally meaningful and fulfilling, rather than merely following external expectations or societal norms.

Keep your commitment to excellence and the relentless pursuit of your chosen goals, regardless of the challenges we may encounter along the way.

According to Next Move Strategy Consulting, the market for artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to show strong growth in the coming decade. Its value of nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars is expected to grow twentyfold by 2030, up to nearly two trillion U.S. dollars.

The AI market covers a vast number of industries. Everything from supply chains, marketing, product making, research, analysis, and more are fields that will in some aspect adopt artificial intelligence within their business structures. Chatbots, image generating AI, and mobile applications are all among the major trends improving AI in the coming years.

Source: Vanguard

Many Nigerians have become globally renowned inventors and one of them is Cyprian Emeka Uzoh, with more than 350 patents. The United States-based Nigerian tech genius Uzoh is said to have revolutionised the technology world with his jaw-dropping inventions, including the iPhone.

According to Prime Business Africa, Uzoh has more than 350 patents to his credit in the US's’ records of prolific inventorss” between 1978 and 2021.

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Our Women in Tech feature this week is Kagure Wamunyu

Kagure is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jumba, a trailblazing construction tech company revolutionising the purchasing and financing of construction materials. With a passion for innovation and a commitment to simplifying complex processes, Kagure leads Jumba in providing a seamless B2B platform that integrates the construction materials supply chain.

At Jumba, Kagure's vision is clear: to create a unified marketplace that connects manufacturers, suppliers, hardware stores, and construction companies. Through Jumba's Business to Business Marketplace, Kagure is streamlining the procurement process, offering a reliable source for all construction materials while fostering collaboration and efficiency across the industry.

With her leadership, Jumba is reshaping the landscape of construction technology, empowering businesses to access a comprehensive range of materials and services with ease. Kagure Wamunyu's innovative approach and dedication to excellence continue to drive Jumba's success as a leader in construction technology.

Meet our Men In Tech Feature, Alex Mativo

Alex is at the helm of innovation as the CEO of Duck, a groundbreaking venture dedicated to helping brands thrive in fast-changing emerging markets. With a keen understanding of the competitive landscape, Alex is empowering brands with real-time pricing, distribution, and consumer insights to outsmart the competition and stay ahead of the curve.

Prior to his role at Duck, Alex founded Nanasi, where he revolutionised operations for quick-service restaurants, driving increased sales efficiency and streamlined processes. His entrepreneurial journey also led him to spearhead E-LAB, an initiative focused on repurposing e-waste into fashion products, earning him the prestigious Queen's Young Leaders Award for his dedication to sustainability and innovation.

With a proven track record of driving change and creating impact, Alex Mativo continues to push the boundaries of innovation, empowering brands and businesses to navigate the complexities of today's rapidly evolving markets.

Success is often more about mindset than innate ability. Your attitude and outlook play a significant role in determining their level of achievement, far more than their natural talent or skills alone.

A positive attitude enables you to approach obstacles with optimism, perseverance, and a solution-oriented mindset. Rather than being discouraged by setbacks or limitations, those with a positive attitude view them as opportunities for growth and learning. This mindset fosters resilience, enabling individuals to bounce back from failures and setbacks stronger than before, ultimately propelling them towards success.

The steady rise of African startups can be attributed to increased donor funding in cleantech, agritech, and healthtech at the start of 2024. Specifically, the startups raised a total of USD 83 million. The Agritech sector received USD 26.3 million in raises, cleantech received USD 18.1 million, and healthtech received USD 13.5 million.

Cloud security is like having a digital bodyguard for the information and services you store and use on the internet. Just as you'd want to keep your personal belongings safe from theft or damage, cloud security helps keep your data safe from cyber threats like hackers or viruses when you store it in the cloud.

It's all about putting protective measures in place, such as strong passwords, locks, and alarms, to ensure that only the right people can access your stuff and that it stays safe and secure, even when it's stored on remote servers somewhere out there on the internet.

Send us an email today at [email protected] to learn more.

Source: NairaMetrics

The Managing Director of Kuda Microfinance Bank, Musty Mustapha, has said that Nigerian tech talents will need to embark on urgent upskilling to remain relevant in the face of the swift advancements coming to emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, automation, and blockchain.

Mustapha stated this while giving a keynote address at the Africa Fintech Foundry Ecosystem Roundtable held in Lagos at the weekend. The warning came against the backdrop of recent reports that advancements in AI technology may lead to the loss of jobs globally.

To read more, visit: https://buff.ly/3TV1hJP

Our Women in Tech feature this week is Kidist Tesfaye

Kidist is a dynamic and strategic leader with over 12 years of experience in top-tier management and administrative positions spanning diverse sectors such as finance, education, business, and healthcare. With a sharp focus on design thinking, strategic operations, and the ex*****on of mid to large size projects, Kidist has a proven track record of leading teams towards achieving growth goals.

In particular, Kidist's forte lies in her profound expertise in venture building, design thinking, strategic planning and team building. She has led and managed various organisations and programmes globally and coaches entrepreneurs and businesses as a consultant. She is also passionate about volunteerism and dedicates some time to mentoring and tutoring students and young professionals as they navigate through schooling and begin planning a future career path.

A graduate of Harvard, Kidist has now brought her extensive knowledge and experience to Ethiopia, where she has founded a groundbreaking women's health-tech startup (YeneHealth). Her unwavering commitment to innovation, education, and social impact-driven ventures as key drivers of economic development is reflected in her start-up.

Kidist enjoys travelling, developing strategies to solve complex problems, and innovating through creative brainstorming. Her exceptional academic credentials, vast industry experience, and active pursuit of her goals and aspirations are a testament to her strong work ethic and illustrate her Ikigai.

Meet our Men In Tech Feature, Kola Oyeneyin

Kola Oyeneyin sits at the intersection of investments, technology, economic development, public policy, and people as an experienced entrepreneur, alternative investor and leader. He is recognised as a serial entrepreneur, innovator, pan-Africa advocate, and social movement builder. Kola is the CEO of Opportunik Global Fund (OGF), a global fund for Africans by Africans.

As an impact-oriented business leader, he has founded multiple thriving businesses through Venia Group, a venture creation and investment company focused on investing in people and impacting lives. He’s also a co-founder and partner at Volition Capital, a private equity company, and Volition Blue LLC. Venia Group was recently recognized and listed as one of the "Companies to Inspire Africa 2019" by the London Stock Exchange Group.

Venia's ventures include Venia Business Hub, Nigeria's first coworking space for start-ups, early-stage businesses, SMEs and international companies; AutoGenius (now MyCoverGenius), Nigeria’s first digital insurance platform; and VFM - a lean facilities management company; and The iLx Center, an integrated training and learning center. He also recently founded ‘Venia Gateway’, helping multinational companies set up in Nigeria with ease.

This week, envision ambitious goals that stretch beyond your comfort zones and conventional boundaries. Dreaming big ignites your imagination and fuels your passion, inspiring you to reach for heights that may initially seem out of reach.

While dreaming big, it is important to embrace setbacks and failures as integral parts of the journey towards success. By daring to fail, we adopt a mindset of resilience and perseverance, understanding that setbacks are not obstacles to be feared but opportunities for growth and learning.

In Q1 2024, startups on the continent raised at least $369 million across 64 publicly announced deals, a 51.36% plunge from the previous year, according to BD Funding Tracker.

Equity funding, traditionally dominant, accounted for 67% of deals, with debt funding inching up to 14.90% and undisclosed mixed deals (combining equity and debt) capturing the remaining 18.43%.

Network engineering involves the development and management of complex systems that enable communication and connectivity in various environments, such as corporate networks, telecommunications networks, or the internet.

It encompasses the planning, building, and management of communication networks that facilitate the exchange of data and information between devices, systems, and users.

Network engineers design network architectures and infrastructures to meet the requirements of organisations or clients. Once a network design is finalised, network engineers are responsible for implementing the infrastructure according to specifications.

Network engineers troubleshoot issues, perform regular maintenance tasks, apply updates or patches to keep systems running smoothly and securely, and implement security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, encryption, and access controls to protect networks from unauthorised access, data breaches, and cyber threats.

Send us an email today at [email protected] to learn more.

Source: BusinessDay

Nigerian tech startup eRRANDA Technologies is developing a people-to-people delivery solution aimed at solving logistics challenges for individuals and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the country.

The platform is founded by King Victor Amakodi, a user interface/user experience (UI/UX) professional, and his technical co-founders Osho Joseph, a full-stack software engineer, and Franklin Tochukwu, a front-end software engineer.

To read more, visit: https://buff.ly/4cKWh2V

Our Women in Tech feature this week is Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson

Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson is the visionary founder and CEO of Healthtracka, a pioneering health tech company dedicated to making medical diagnostics accessible and affordable through at-home lab testing in Africa. At the forefront of the battle against Covid-19 in Nigeria, Healthtracka has demonstrated its commitment to improving healthcare outcomes for communities across the continent.

Under Ifeoluwa's leadership, Healthtracka has recently launched the first at-home HPV self-sampling kit, marking a significant milestone in the fight against cervical cancer in Africa. This innovative solution underscores Ifeoluwa's dedication to leveraging technology to address pressing healthcare challenges and improve the lives of millions.

Ifeoluwa is a staunch advocate for women's empowerment, believing strongly that women possess all the qualities necessary to create, sustain, and scale profitable businesses. Through initiatives aimed at providing women with access to capital and resources, Ifeoluwa is committed to levelling the playing field and fostering a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.

Meet our Men In Tech Feature, Joseph Rutakangwa

Joseph Rutakangwa boasts over 8 years of expertise in market intelligence, serving as the CEO and co-founder of Rwazi, a pioneering platform transforming market intelligence for multinational companies operating in emerging markets.

Under Joseph's leadership, Rwazi has emerged as a trailblazer in its field, providing actionable data from emerging markets to multinational companies. As a member of the Techstars LA '22 cohort, Rwazi has gained widespread recognition, being featured in esteemed publications such as TechCrunch, Business Insider, and Fortune as one of the most innovative startups in Los Angeles.

He aims to disrupt the traditional market intelligence space by bringing offline data online. Through Rwazi's innovative approach, leveraging a network of local consumers known as "mappers" spread across 50+ countries in Africa, Asia, and South America, valuable insights are seamlessly shared through a mobile and web app. This approach empowers clients with the data they need to drive revenue and expand their operations in the dynamic and ever-evolving world of emerging markets.

Impossibility exists only in the absence of belief. By embracing the conviction that something is possible, we unlock the potential to turn dreams into reality. Belief acts as a catalyst for action, propelling us forward even in the face of daunting challenges.

Often, we impose boundaries on ourselves based on preconceived notions of what is achievable. Still, we expose ourselves to an infinitely promising world when we develop a mindset of possibility and refuse to be constrained by traditional boundaries.

When we believe in the possibility of achieving the impossible, we adopt a proactive approach to problem-solving and innovation, finding creative solutions to overcome obstacles.

The release of consumer-focused artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s Bard is set to fuel a decade-long boom that grows the market for generative AI to an estimated $1.3 trillion in revenue by 2032 from $40 billion last year.

The sector could expand at a rate of 42% over ten years, driven first by the demand for infrastructure necessary to train AI systems and then the ensuing devices that use AI models, advertising and other services, according to a new report by Bloomberg Intelligence analysts led by Mandeep Singh.

Software engineering begins with requirements gathering, where software engineers collaborate with stakeholders to understand the needs and objectives of the intended software system. This phase involves defining functional and non-functional requirements, outlining the scope of the project, and establishing clear goals and deliverables.

Once requirements are established, software engineers proceed to system design, where they conceptualize the architecture and structure of the software system. This involves designing modules, defining interfaces, and establishing data models and algorithms to meet the specified requirements. The goal is to create a blueprint that guides the implementation phase and ensures the scalability and maintainability of the software.

Coding, often considered the heart of software engineering, involves translating design specifications into executable code. Software engineers use programming languages like Java, Python, or C++ to write code that implements the desired functionality of the software system. This phase requires attention to detail, adherence to coding standards, and rigorous testing to identify and rectify errors and bugs.

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