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AI-Powered Robot Maker TartanSense Raises $2 Mn From Omnivore, Blume
TartanSense has planned to use this fresh funding to scale up its first product, BrijBot. Which is an artificial intelligence backed robot, designed to assist small cotton farmers in the weeding process.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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From Credit Cards to the ATM: Why Interoperability is the Critical Next Step for Mobile Payments
One of the first modern disruptors to established payment methods was the credit card, which allowed people to simply sign for their purchases and be billed later. Then came the ATM, which helped to establish a web of bank networks. Mobile money systems are the latest disruptor, particularly in low-income markets where banking systems have not always served customers. But to grow and be financially inclusive, mobile money will need to replicate many of the same factors that drove the popularity of credit cards and ATMs, argues Vahid Monadjem, CEO of Nomanini.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Who are the next billion users and what do they want?
Ubiquitous cheap phones and increasingly affordable phone plans such as Jio in India are helping another billion users join the internet. What do those users want though, and how are they the same and different than existing internet users?
- Categories
- Technology
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MTN to launch ‘WeChat of Africa’
The app will be launched in MTN markets in West Africa first as part of a “beta-testing” phase. The plan is to introduce it to all the countries in which it operates, including South Africa
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech
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M-Pesa, Western Union and Amazon could potentially disrupt Jumia’s e-commerce business
Three countries — Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa — dominate e-commerce sales. Kenya has a population of 48.5 million and an impressive 79 percent internet penetration. This is because Kenya is home to M-Pesa, the mobile wallet provider started by mobile telecom provider Safaricom. The availability of a secure payment system encourages internet access and online buying.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Can India’s largest electric vehicle maker short circuit Ola and Uber’s smooth ride?
After years of a virtual duopoly, the Indian app-based ride-hailing market is witnessing a disruption of sorts. So what exactly does last month’s launch of Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) Glyd mean for incumbents Ola and Uber?
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- e-mobility
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Mexican central bank in talks with Amazon about new mobile payments
The payment system, known as CoDi, is being built by central bank Banco de México, known as Banxico. CoDi will allow customers to make payments online and in person through smartphones free of charge using QR codes.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Seeing the Road Ahead: Women in the Driver’s Seat for Change
Esenam Nyador knows it’s not enough to just give women opportunities in the male-dominated taxi business in Ghana. She’s focused on shifting the mindsets of taxi companies, male drivers and the general public to build an inclusive environment for females to thrive – not just to drive. Nyador is one of several women profiled by Jennifer Vogt, Innovation Manager at Ashoka Social Financial Services. As we near International Women’s Day, Vogt showcases several women who are not only challenging male-dominated workplaces, but the entire systems enabling them.
- Categories
- Technology, Transportation
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