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South African Learners Win NASA Space Design Competition
Seven South African high school learners won the International Space Settlement Design Competition as members of the winning Rockdonnell team, with one learner also receiving individual recognition at the global finals held in Florida. The international finals of the world's longest-running space engineering competition were held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the Walt Disney
Founder Fridays : Mkazi
Sometimes the best business ideas begin with a simple observation. For Siphiwo Peace Mjwara and his co-founders, it was something they noticed every time they visited public healthcare facilities. While hand hygiene is recognised as one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infections, there was little visibility into whether patients or
The Bankability Challenge for African Mining Startups
Mining is one of the few industries where discovering a commercially attractive mineral deposit is not enough. Turning that discovery into a producing mine requires significant capital, and this is where the questions of finance and bankability come in. Before approving finance, banks need confidence that a project can move beyond exploration and become a
The Mining Wrap
This week's Mining Wrap covers mining technology, critical minerals, mine development, strategic transactions and policy developments from across Africa. Highlights include Rio Tinto's latest Mining Tech Accelerator, new critical minerals developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi, Epiroc's acquisition of Eventspec, and Fortuna Mining's expansion of the Séguéla Gold Mine in Côte d'Ivoire.
Jeff Dean Leaves Google to Launch Discovery Loop AI Startup
Former Google executive Jeff Dean has left the technology company to launch Discovery Loop, an artificial intelligence startup focused on accelerating scientific research through AI-driven experimentation. Dean, one of Google's longest-serving engineers and a leading figure in the company's AI efforts, is joined by several former colleagues, including Sanjay Ghemawat, Quoc Le and Oriol Vinyals.
Robinhood Launches Public Venture Fund Focused on Y Combinator Startups
Robinhood has introduced a new publicly traded investment fund that will give retail investors exposure to startups backed by Y Combinator, one of Silicon Valley's best-known startup accelerators. The Robinhood Venture Fund II (RVII) is expected to begin trading on 13 August with an opening share price of $25. According to Reuters, the fund aims
Mozambique LNG Academy Faces Criticism Over Maputo Training Location
Mozambique's newly launched LNG Academy has come under criticism in just a week after civil society organisations questioned the decision to base its initial training programme in Maputo instead of Cabo Delgado, where the country's flagship liquefied natural gas project is located. The Forum of Civil Society Organizations of Cabo Delgado (FOCADE) said the decision
Côte d'Ivoire Launches Ivoire Tech Next 15 and Scale Up Programmes
Côte d'Ivoire has launched two programmes aimed at helping technology businesses grow, with the government selecting 15 startups and 15 digital SMEs for a two-year acceleration programme. The initiatives, Ivoire Tech Next 15 and Ivoire Tech Scale Up, were launched by the Ministry of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation in Abidjan on 29 July. Applications
Egyptian Startup Simplex Opens $50 Million CNC Manufacturing Facility
Egyptian manufacturing startup Simplex has opened a new $50 million manufacturing facility in 10th of Ramadan City, expanding its production capacity as it seeks to grow exports and strengthen its presence in regional markets. The new facility covers 40,000 square metres and will manufacture Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines used across industrial production. Commercial manufacturing
Google Expands Play Signal API for Safer Apps
Google is expanding its Play Signal API globally, giving Android developers a new way to identify the age range of users and deliver age-appropriate experiences without collecting sensitive personal information. The feature, which is already available in Brazil, will expand to Australia and Canada by mid-August before rolling out to additional markets by the end
Sahara Group Targets Higher Production at Nigeria's OML 18 Oil Block
Sahara Group has deployed a new 380,000-barrel oil tanker to support crude exports from Nigeria's OML 18 oil block as the company works to increase production and improve export efficiency. The vessel, MT D Adesanya, will operate alongside the MT D Bayero at Bonny Anchorage before transferring crude to the FSO Cawthorne, a floating storage
Nigerian Startup Treepz Partners CMS Transport to Launch Cashless Bus Payments
Nigerian mobility startup Treepz has entered a partnership with CMS Transport Management (CMS T&M) to introduce cashless fare payments on part of Lagos' public transport network, as both companies seek to improve the daily commuting experience through digital technology. The collaboration introduces TMO Rides, a service that combines Treepz's mobility platform with CMS T&M's transport
Africa Deep Tech Foundation Launches Offline AI Challenge for African Developers
The Africa Deep Tech Foundation (ADTF) has launched the Africa Deep Tech Challenge (ADTC) 2026, inviting developers, researchers and engineers to build artificial intelligence models that can run entirely offline on standard laptops. Known as the Laptop LLM Challenge, this year's competition focuses on developing language models that operate within an 8GB RAM limit without
Shell Steps Up Offshore Drilling After Strongest Namibia Discovery
Shell plans to expand appraisal drilling on Namibia's offshore PEL 39 licence after its latest exploration well delivered the strongest results recorded on the block since drilling began in 2021. The decision follows the successful Merlin-1X well, which encountered light crude oil with limited associated gas. Earlier exploration wells had identified hydrocarbons but were affected
Startup Monday: Running Effective Weekly Meetings
Every startup has and needs meetings. The question is whether they help the business move forward or simply take time away from the work that matters. For founders, a weekly meeting should do more than review progress. It should help the team make decisions, resolve issues and agree on what needs attention before the next
iHUB, Mastercard Foundation Select 12 Kenyan EdTech Startups for Fellowship
iHUB and the Mastercard Foundation have selected 12 Kenyan startups for the fourth cohort of the EdTech Fellowship, an 18-month programme that provides up to $100,000 in equity-free funding to each participating company. The fellowship supports early-stage education technology startups developing solutions for underserved learners, including people with disabilities, refugees and displaced communities, girls and
Amazon Eyes Africa with Direct-to-Smartphone Satellite Network
Amazon is preparing to expand its satellite communications business by connecting smartphones directly to its low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. The company has applied to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to deploy up to 5,105 satellites. The constellation would provide voice, messaging, data and emergency services without relying on conventional cellular towers.
Uganda and Japan Launch Fourth Entrepreneurship Cohort for 83 Innovators
Uganda has selected 83 innovators for the fourth cohort of its Entrepreneurship Training and Mentorship Programme. The initiative is designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs turn innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses. The programme is delivered through UJ-Connect, the Uganda-Japan ICT Industry Promotion Project. It is a partnership between the Government of Uganda and the Government
Smallest.ai Secures $13 Million to Develop Human-Like Voice AI
Voice AI startup Smallest.ai has raised $13 million in Series A funding to develop conversational AI that responds more like a human, using lightweight voice models built specifically for real-time interaction. The funding round was led by Seligman Ventures, with participation from Sierra Ventures and 3one4 Capital, bringing the company's total funding to more than
Founder Fridays : CyberM8
When people think about cybersecurity, they think about protecting systems and preventing attacks. For Thabang Phala, it is also about creating opportunities. Over the past decade, he has built CyberM8 from a small awareness programme into a community that spans eight African countries, connecting students, professionals, government institutions and businesses while helping more young Africans