London-based Do It Now Now to Boost 19 African Startups via AfriTech XYZ program, Vodacom Tanzania Partners Smart Lab to Invest $150k in Vodacom Digital Accelerator program and More

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Welcome to the Midweek edition of the Big 5 Daily!

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Drum roll! Do It Now Now, a London-based company is set to boost 19 African early-stage startups via AfriTech XYZ nine-month virtual accelerator program. Do It Now Now will aid the startups with skills they can use to help them gain funding from local and international early-stage venture capitalists. Applications for AfriTech XYZ’s will close on the 30th September 2019, and selected startups will be announced on the 14th of October 2019. Interested? Apply here

Next, on the Big 5, Kuda a digital-only bank based in Nigeria has secured a $1.6 million in pre-seed funding. Kuda intends to use the funds to launch live in the fourth quarter of 2019 from its beta stage. Kuda also intends to develop the tech of its banking platform and to support its developer team across Lagos and Cape Town. Congratulations!

See also: Alibaba partners Rwanda to Launch a 4-year eCommerce Training for Rwandan students, Ogun State Launches Ogun Tech Hub to Boost Local Innovation in Nigeria and More

Also, Vodacom Tanzania has partnered Smart Lab—a Tanzanian accelerator to invest $150 000 and more in Vodacom Digital Accelerator program. The newly launched accelerator program will help early-stage and growth-stage tech startups become profitable and revenue-generating businesses. Interesting!

Guess what? Safaricom a telco based in Kenya has partnered Travelport- a global travel reservation provider, to integrate M-Pesa its payments service, into Travelport. Safaricom will offer its customers access to a simplified payment process, which will enable them to book trips, hotel accommodation, and also hire transport and pay with M-Pesa.

Finally, Ethiopian Airlines has deepened its offerings with the launch of Wi-Fi connectivity for its passengers. The passengers on the Airbus A350 fleet will experience this new service offering firsthand. The airline leveraged the Ka-band satellite broadband technology to roll-out the service. The new service will be available to a few Ethiopian Airlines passengers immediately with expansion to follow later. Applaudable!

… that’s it for today’s episode of the Big 5 Daily!

Thanks for joining!