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Hark Raises $700M Series A as Investors Bet Big on an AI Personal Assistant Built Across Software and Hardware.
A $700 million early-stage funding round is usually reserved for proven companies — not startups still trying to define what their product category even looks like. Yet that is the scale of the bet now placed on AI personal assistants as investors push for the first consumer AI product people use daily, not occasionally. The…
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Nigeria Moves Toward a Unified Digital Tax ID System Linking Income and Identity.
Nigeria’s tax system is heading toward a more tightly connected digital structure, where income, identity, and financial activity could eventually be tracked under a single taxpayer profile — a shift that could reshape how individuals and businesses interact with the state. For years, tax administration in Nigeria has operated through fragmented systems. The Tax Identification…
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Nigeria and Neighbours to Receive 1,500 New Base Stations in Rural Connectivity Push.
Large parts of rural Africa are still digitally present on paper but disconnected in reality, and a new rollout of 1,500 US-made base stations across Nigeria and three other countries is aimed at closing that gap. For years, telecom expansion in Africa has followed a familiar pattern. Cities got faster coverage first because they are…
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MTN Nigeria Launches Alumni Awards to Deepen Engagement With Media Professionals.
Nigeria’s media and tech ecosystems are becoming more tightly connected, and MTN Nigeria is now formalising that relationship with the launch of its inaugural MIP Alumni Awards, a move that highlights how telecom companies are investing in the people who shape public understanding of the digital economy. The initiative builds on the Media Innovation Programme…
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Pick n Pay Sells Stake in Boxer as South Africa’s Value Retail Strategy Tightens.
Pressure in South Africa’s retail sector is forcing strategic trade-offs, and Pick n Pay’s decision to sell a 12.5% stake in its subsidiary Boxer shows how even established retail groups are reshaping their portfolios to survive shifting consumer demand. South Africa’s grocery market has become increasingly competitive, but also more sensitive to price. Inflation, rising…
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Checker Raises $8M to Expand Stablecoin Payments Infrastructure Across Africa and Asia.
Cross-border payments in emerging markets are still shaped by delays, high fees, and fragmented banking systems — and that friction is exactly where Checker is positioning itself after raising $8 million to scale its stablecoin-based payments infrastructure across Africa and Asia. For many businesses and individuals operating across borders, traditional financial rails remain inefficient. International…