@Mo_Mijindadi has announced the launch of Africa Infrastructure Solutions Ltd (AISL), where he will serve as Founder and Chief Executive Officer after ending a 20-year career with GE Vernova/GE. Mijindadi said AISL aims to address Africa’s infrastructure gap by helping governments, developers, investors and infrastructure companies turn ambitious ideas into bankable, financeable and executable projects. Drawing on over two decades of experience working with governments, investors, development finance institutions and contractors, he said the company will focus on delivering infrastructure projects aligned with international standards and African market realities. #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Saudi Arabia-based event technology startup INVE has raised $300,000 in pre-seed funding from Outliers Venture Capital to expand its digital event management platform and attract more customers across the Gulf region. Founded in 2024 by Abdulrahman Alabdulkarim, the company provides tools for managing invitations, registrations and guest communications for social and corporate events. The investment will support team expansion, brand development and customer acquisition as INVE scales its consumer and business platforms. Its founder envisions transforming how people and organisations host gatherings, describing the company’s ambition as becoming “the infrastructure behind how people and businesses host across the Gulf.” The startup plans to expand beyond Saudi Arabia and the GCC into North Africa, other African markets and Europe. INVE is a digital event management platform designed to help individuals and businesses organise gatherings without relying on scattered spreadsheets, email conversations and messaging applications. techparley.com/saudi-eventte… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Kenyan education technology startup @studylabai has attracted more than 90,000 learners across over 100 countries by using artificial intelligence to transform students’ lecture notes, slides and recordings into personalised study materials, despite operating without external funding. Founded in August 2024 by Abdulrahman Yunis and Anas Kali, the startup provides AI-powered video lessons, adaptive quizzes, flashcards, summaries and tutoring tools designed to make learning more accessible and affordable. Its founders say the platform addresses the challenges of expensive private tutoring, unreliable general-purpose AI responses and study applications that may be priced beyond the reach of students in developing economies. With more than one million lessons reportedly created on the platform, StudyLabAI is now expanding its focus from individual learners to schools and educational institutions. StudyLabAI is an education technology startup that uses artificial intelligence to help students and teachers create and manage learning materials. The platform targets students aged 14 to 25 and educators seeking digital tools to support classroom learning and examination preparation. techparley.com/kenyan-edtech… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Abu Dhabi-based health technology startup Vitalls has secured a $1.5 million investment commitment from Singapore-based EST Growmore, the investment arm of EST Group. Vitalls is advancing its seed funding round to develop a digital health passport designed to help people manage and share medical records across healthcare providers and countries. The agreement, announced during the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, also gives EST Growmore the option to invest an additional $1 million. Founded in 2023 by Mehdi Bouchenak, Vitalls is building a platform that places health information under individuals’ control, addressing records scattered among clinics, laboratories and national systems. The investment will support product development and rollout, while the companies explore distribution, partnerships and opportunities through EST Group’s telecommunications and healthcare portfolio. Vitalls was founded to address a problem that follows people across healthcare systems, that's their medical histories do not always move with them. techparley.com/uaes-vitalls-… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Egyptian agentic artificial intelligence (AI) customer experience startup Tactful AI has secured investment from Hatem Dowidar, former group chief executive of e&, as it extends its pre-Series A funding round. The undisclosed investment comes after the company raised US$1 million in a round co-led by Foras AI and M Empire, giving it backing as it prepares to launch a next-generation platform. Founded by Mohamed Elmasry, Mohammad Hassan and Sherif Khairallah, Tactful develops technology that helps businesses manage customer interactions across multiple channels. Dowidar said enterprises are seeking ways to adopt AI safely, adding that Tactful had deployed its infrastructure in live production environments. The funding supports the startup’s next phase of growth and its ambition to reshape customer service operations. Tactful AI brings customer conversations into one place, helping companies manage interactions that might otherwise be scattered across phone calls, emails, websites and social media. techparley.com/egyptian-ai-s… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Saudi Arabia-based fintech company Funding Souq has secured a strategic investment from Foodics, a leading restaurant management and financial technology platform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The partnership aims to expand financing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly businesses in the restaurant and hospitality sector. The investment makes Foodics a major investor in the funding round, although the amount invested and the ownership stake acquired remain undisclosed. The partnership will combine Funding Souq’s regulated financing infrastructure with Foodics’ technology and business data to help restaurants access financing more efficiently. According to Funding Souq founder and CEO Martin Jaouni, the collaboration brings together both companies’ strengths to deliver capital to merchants when they need it most. Founded in 2020 by Martin Jaouni, Funding Souq is a Saudi Arabia-based fintech company that operates a Shariah-compliant crowdfunding and SME financing platform. The company provides financing solutions, including business loans, invoice financing and supplier financing, to businesses in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). techparley.com/foodics-inves… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

UAE-based advertising technology startup, JustAd, has secured a $5 million investment from angel investor, Imad Jomaa to accelerate its international expansion and bring its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered marketing and advertising financing services to new markets. Founded in 2025 by Ahmed Elsayed, the company operates a unified platform that enables businesses and advertising agencies to manage, track and analyse campaigns across major digital advertising channels, including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Google Ads. Its offering also includes Advertise Now, Pay Later (ANPL), a financing solution that allows eligible businesses to launch advertising campaigns and repay their media spending in instalments of up to 12 months. “The next decade of advertising belongs to the companies that give advertisers intelligence and capital in the same place,” Elsayed said. JustAd describes itself as a marketing operating system that brings essential advertising tools together in one place. Its platform combines AI-powered campaign analysis, performance tracking, attribution, product catalogue management and unified reporting, enabling businesses to monitor advertising activities across multiple channels without switching between separate tools. techparley.com/uae-based-jus… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Nigerian contactless payment infrastructure startup @CashAfricaCo has partnered with fast-food chain Chicken Republic to accelerate the adoption of mobile tap-to-pay services across the country, beginning with 54 outlets in Lagos before expanding to another 296 branches across 25 states. Announced at a signing ceremony in Lagos, the partnership aims to make digital payments faster, simpler and more accessible to everyday consumers. CashAfrica hopes to leverage Chicken Republic’s extensive retail presence to introduce more Nigerians to contactless payments, which allow customers to pay by tapping compatible devices against payment terminals. “Food is one of the easiest ways to influence customer behaviour,” CashAfrica CEO Malik Asamu said. He added that the partnership could encourage greater participation in Nigeria’s emerging contactless payment economy. Founded in 2024 by Malik Asamu and Bello Opeyemi, CashAfrica provides contactless payment infrastructure that enables customers to pay merchants using compatible devices and NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminals. The technology allows supported devices to communicate with payment terminals over short distances, offering an alternative to conventional card payments and other checkout methods. techparley.com/cashafrica-pa… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) has doubled the size of the venture capital fund managed by its investment arm, @OraseyaCapital, from $136.2 million (AED 500 million) to $272.3 million (AED 1 billion). The move aims at strengthening startup financing and supporting high-growth businesses seeking regional and global expansion. The expansion also raises the fund’s maximum investment per company from $3 million to $6 million and extends its investment mandate beyond Series B funding rounds. According to DIEZ Executive Chairman Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, “Increasing the fund’s size will enable larger investments, broaden the number of companies that can benefit from financing, and support their growth, expansion and access to global markets.” Oraseya Capital is the investment arm backed by DIEZ, a Dubai government authority focused on attracting investment and supporting economic development. The fund provides capital to promising businesses with growth potential, enabling them to develop their products, expand operations and enter new markets. Click on the link in the comment section to read full report. techparley.com/dubai-doubles… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

South African fintech startup Kuunda has completed a $5 million secondary share sale led by investment firm E4E Africa, providing an opportunity for early investors to realise returns while strengthening the company’s long-term shareholder base. The transaction comes as Kuunda reports significant growth in its digital lending operations, having facilitated more than 870 million loans worth over $4.4 billion to 14.6 million agents, merchants and consumers. Established in 2018, the company provides digital lending infrastructure that enables financial institutions and digital platforms to extend credit to underserved businesses and individuals. The latest deal also sees existing investors increase their stakes, highlighting growing investor interest in Kuunda’s business model and the potential of Africa’s digital financial services sector. Kuunda is a business-to-business (B2B) financial technology company that provides lending-as-a-service infrastructure, helping banks, mobile money operators, point-of-sale (POS) network providers and e-commerce platforms offer credit to their customers. Founded in 2018, the company integrates digital lending solutions into existing financial platforms, using data-driven credit scoring to assess borrowers and facilitate access to financing. Read full story by clicking on the link in the comment section. techparley.com/african-finte… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Saudi Arabian business-to-business (B2B) automotive technology startup, @autobia_sa, has raised $12 million (SAR 45 million) in a Series A funding round to expand its digital auto parts marketplace, strengthen logistics infrastructure and scale inventory financing solutions for businesses across the Kingdom. The funding round was led by Artal Capital, with participation from Aljazira Capital and Wa’ed Ventures, the venture capital arm of Saudi Aramco. Founded in 2021, Autobia connects auto parts retailers and wholesalers with verified suppliers through a technology-driven platform that integrates procurement, fulfilment, logistics and flexible payment options. The investment will support the company’s expansion plans, enhance its pricing technology and improve access to working capital for businesses operating within the automotive spare parts supply chain. Autobia is a Saudi Arabian technology company developing digital solutions for the automotive spare parts industry. Co-founded in 2021 by Emad Daghreri and Ahmed Alawfi, the company operates a B2B marketplace that enables retailers and wholesalers to source spare parts from verified suppliers while accessing integrated delivery and payment services. Click on the link in the comment section to read full story. techparley.com/saudi-autotec… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

South African travel startup @LekkeSlaap has been acquired by a consortium of local investors, marking a significant ownership transition for the accommodation-booking platform founded in 2013. The deal will see founders Jonathan Womersley and Marcel van de Ghinste exit the company alongside two other shareholders, while the existing executive team remains in place to oversee daily operations. The acquisition brings experienced business leaders into the company’s boardroom as the new investors seek to expand its presence across Southern Africa, strengthen its technology and improve customer experience. Despite the ownership change, LekkeSlaap says its services will continue as usual for consumers, with the company maintaining its local identity while pursuing more ambitious growth plans. The acquisition was led jointly by Bellair Road Investment Partners and Janic Capital, alongside the Ferreira Family Office, the Moolman Family Office and Investec. The investors have combined their resources to take ownership positions in a business that has developed a substantial presence in South Africa’s travel and accommodation market. Check the comment section to read full story. techparley.com/south-africas… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Nigerian browser game, Lagos Life, has attracted more than seven million players in less than two weeks of its October 1 launch, as its creator, Shalom Rayhamen, prepares to expand the platform by allowing independent developers to integrate their games into its virtual world. Rayhamen announced the milestone on X, revealing that the game had recorded more than 1.4 million active players in a single day and over 36.5 million visits since launch. The rapid growth has drawn attention to the game’s virtual representation of everyday life in Lagos. However, its next phase could prove more significant, as the planned introduction of application programming interfaces (APIs) could transform Lagos Life from a standalone game into a broader digital platform for developers. Lagos Life is a browser-based life-simulation game that allows players to experience a virtual version of everyday life in Lagos. Players can create characters, find jobs, earn virtual money, rent homes and interact with other users in a shared digital environment. Read full story by clicking on the link in the comment section. techparley.com/lagos-life-hi… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Lighthouse Capital, an operator-led private equity firm, is seeking to raise $50 million to invest in high-growth mid-market businesses across South Africa and Kenya, with plans to combine financial investment with hands-on operational support to accelerate expansion. Founded in 2025, the firm is targeting a first close before the end of 2026, with individual investments ranging from $5 million to $10 million across manufacturing, financial technology (fintech), agribusiness and technology. The fund will target businesses with growth potential that require more than capital to scale, including stronger management systems, improved operational efficiency and better governance. “Many high-potential businesses require more than capital to reach their next stage of growth,” said Nico Christoforou, Lighthouse Capital’s general partner and chief investment officer. Headquartered across Johannesburg and Nairobi, Lighthouse Capital plans to deploy its proposed $50 million fund into selected mid-market businesses operating in four sectors considered central to commercial expansion across manufacturing, fintech, agribusiness and technology. Its investment strategy will focus on businesses with established foundations and the potential to scale their operations, rather than companies requiring funding alone to get started. Click on the link in the comment section to read full story. techparley.com/lighthouse-ca… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Mobility fintech company @moove_io is set to end its operations in Nigeria, with the company reportedly transferring eligible vehicles worth approximately N35 billion to customers who currently operate them at no cost. The marks a dramatic end to the vehicle-financing model that helped establish the company in Lagos. According to a report by Nairametrics, Moove said customers would assume full ownership of eligible vehicles from October 1, 2026, without further payment to the company for the vehicles themselves. The development comes weeks after Uber ended its Nigerian operations on September 2, following 12 years in the country. Moove, founded in Nigeria by Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi in 2020 as Uber’s preferred vehicle supply partner, built its early business around financing vehicles for ride-hailing drivers and helping them transition from drivers to car owners. Moove’s Nigerian business was built around a relatively simple idea, and that’s to help people who wanted to become ride-hailing drivers but could not afford to purchase vehicles upfront. Through its Drive-to-Own model, the company supplied vehicles to eligible drivers, who then used them on ride-hailing platforms such as Uber while making repayments from their earnings. Read the full story with a click on the link in the comment section. techparley.com/moove-to-exit… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Kenyan digital banking startup Cloud9 has secured fresh investment from cryptocurrency and fintech accelerator Alliance, bringing its total funding to US$1 million as it seeks to make international payments faster, cheaper and more accessible for African entrepreneurs. Launched in early 2026 by Tesh Mbaabu and Mesongo Sibuti, the platform enables users to hold multiple currencies, pay overseas suppliers, receive international transfers and manage business finances through a single mobile account. Its technology is built on stablecoin infrastructure, offering an alternative to conventional cross-border payment processes that can be expensive and time-consuming. Cloud9 says it has attracted more than 25,000 accounts since launch, with transaction volume growing by over 15 per cent weekly, as it prepares to expand its services. Cloud9 is targeting a persistent challenge for African businesses, which is moving money across international borders without excessive delays, complicated procedures or high transaction costs. In Kenya, where entrepreneurs import more than US$20 billion worth of goods annually, much of it from China, Dubai and India, efficient international payments are essential for maintaining supply chains and serving customers. Click the link in the comment section to read full story. techparley.com/kenyan-fintec… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Nigerian fintech startup Bujeti has launched Brain, an agentic artificial intelligence platform designed to help businesses automate routine financial management tasks and operate more efficiently. The platform, which became publicly available on September 30 following a two-week private beta, introduces four AI-powered “teammates” that can handle financial documentation, debt collection, risk monitoring and employee finance enquiries. Bujeti, founded by Cossi Achille Arouko and Samy Chiba, says Brain is built directly on the financial infrastructure it has developed over the past three years, allowing the AI system to work with a company’s existing accounts, budgets, vendors, contracts and transactions. “Most AI finance tools sit beside the ledger and have to be fed data,” Arouko said. “Bujeti spent three years building the ledger first, so Brain reads across every account, budget, vendor, contract and transaction already inside it.” Bujeti is a Nigerian financial technology company focused on helping businesses manage their finances from a single digital platform. Its services include corporate cards with real-time spending controls, automated vendor payments with multi-level approvals, budgeting, invoicing, business accounts, tax management, payroll and a mobile application. Check the comment section for link to read full story. techparley.com/nigerias-star… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Beltone Asset Management, a subsidiary of Beltone Holding, and Egyptian fractional real estate investment platform Amtaar Capital have partnered to establish a multi-issuance real estate investment fund with a total target of EGP 2 billion ($38 million). Potentially, this is to give a wider pool of investors access to professionally managed property investments without requiring the capital needed to purchase an entire property. The fund, which is currently under establishment, is expected to launch its first issuance with a target of between EGP 500 million and EGP 700 million. Under the arrangement, Beltone Asset Management will establish and manage the fund while overseeing the selection of its underlying real estate assets. Amtaar Capital will therefore provide the digital platform through which investors can participate, with investments starting from EGP 1,000. The initiative combines traditional asset management expertise with digital investment infrastructure to lower the entry barrier to real estate investing. At the heart of the partnership is an attempt to change how individuals participate in the real estate market. Yakub Abdulrasheed of Techparley Africa highlights how Beltone-Amtaar partnership to open real estate investment to more Egyptians and what this means for the larger Egyptian real estate economy. techparley.com/beltone-amtaa… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley

Saudi Arabia is set to invest $267 million (SAR 1 billion) in a major workforce housing initiative designed to provide accommodation for up to 50,000 workers across six of the Kingdom’s major cities. The fund was launched through a partnership between Mnzil, a technology-enabled workforce housing platform; The Development Group (TDG), a real estate development company; and Capital Partners, a Saudi-based Shariah-compliant asset management firm. The initiative comes as the Kingdom’s economic transformation under Vision 2030 continues to drive demand for workers in construction, logistics, industry, tourism and other labor-intensive sectors. The partners said the fund would develop purpose-built housing compounds close to major employment centres, with Mnzil describing the initiative as an opportunity to move beyond managing third-party accommodation and participate directly in developing housing designed around workers’ everyday needs. The $267 million fund brings together three companies with complementary responsibilities across the development, financing and management of workforce housing. The partnership is designed to create purpose-built residential compounds in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Khobar, Makkah and Madinah, with locations selected largely according to their proximity to major employment centres. Check the comment section for link to read full story. techparley.com/saudi-arabia-… #techtrends #instagood #fyi #trending #techparley