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Surviving the ‘Valley of Death’: A New Funding Database Aims to Help Agtech Companies Avoid Early-Stage Failure
Population growth and climate change are bringing extraordinary challenges to the agriculture sector in emerging markets. But though small- and medium-sized enterprises are essential to addressing these issues, they remain underfunded – particularly in the period before they become profitable (often referred to as the ‘‘Valley of Death’’). Aarno Keijzer at NpM explores these challenges, and presents a free database that NpM has compiled, highlighting funds that can help early-stage agriculture companies bridge this financial gap.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Tags
- agtech, business development, data, failure
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Viewpoint: Perpetual Debt in the Silicon Savannah
One Kenyan argued the apps are ‘enslaving’ people—from the working poor to the salaried classes—by making claims on their future labor.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Kenya’s Innovative Strength Sees the Country Ranked the Leading Tech Hub in Sub-Saharan Africa by WIPO
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Kenya’s so-called Silicon Savannah is unrivalled in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Why Jumia Seems to Be Getting It Right in Africa
Despite difficulties and some naysayers, Nigerian start-up Jumia shows the way by finding an e-commerce niche in Africa.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- e-commerce
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Press Release: More Than Half a Million Rohingya Refugees Receive Identity Documents, Most for the First Time
This comprehensive registration being simultaneously carried out in all refugee settlements in Cox’s Bazar – is meant to ensure the accuracy of data on refugees in Bangladesh, giving national authorities and humanitarian partners a better understanding of the population and their needs.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- data, digital identity, refugees
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More African Countries Are Looking to Tax Mobile Money Transactions
Just over a year ago, Uganda’s regulators introduced a so-called social media tax and a levy on mobile money transactions. Uganda is not alone: Industry research from 2017 shows up to 26% of the taxes paid in the mobile industry in 12 Sub-Saharan countries were industry-specific.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents
Employees embedded with cybersecurity forces in Uganda and Zambia intercepted encrypted communications and used cell data to track opponents, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Social Media Puts Emerging Markets At Forefront Of Tourism
During the past few years, we have seen a massive shift in user behaviour within the tourism industry, primarily driven by increased usage of smartphones and social media apps.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- tourism
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