A congruence of factors in India — notably, climate change policies, fuel costs and skyrocketing demand for e-commerce — has set up ideal conditions for startups like all-electric commercial vehicle startup EVage. The startup already has five EV trucks on the road for a range of e-commerce customers including Amazon India’s Delivery Service Partner, with […]
India’s LEAD School becomes unicorn with fresh $100M in funding
Despite the recent boom of consumer-focused education learning platforms in India, the vast majority of students in the South Asian nation remain unserved. The existing B2C offerings are expensive for most of the students and are heavily skewed towards those in high school preparing for competitive exams. LEAD School, a nine-year-old startup, is addressing this […]
Fact-checkers write open letter urging YouTube to get serious about COVID misinformation
A group of more than 80 prominent fact-checking organizations around the world is pressing YouTube to take action against COVID misinformation, which still prevails on the platform now two years into the pandemic. “As an international network of fact-checking organizations, we monitor how lies spread online — and every day, we see that YouTube is […]
Nigerian ethical credit-recovery fintech Bfree secures $1.7M, expands to Asia, Europe, South America and across Africa
Bfree, a Nigerian credit management fintech has embarked on global expansion after raising $1.7 million in a pre-Series A round, to tap the opportunities in emerging markets, where digital lending apps have recently sprung up in droves. Funds that participated in the latest round included 4Di Capital, Octerra Capital, VestedWorld, Voltron Capital, Logos Ventures, and […]
Covid live: Italy, Netherlands and Turkey report record daily cases as Omicron surges across Europe
Italy reports a record 189,109 new cases; Dutch authorities announce more than 24,000 new cases; Turkey reports record 66,467 casesMacron rebuke to unvaccinated citizens incurs anger in parliamentChina’s locked down cities pay price of zero-Covid strat…
India antitrust watchdog orders investigation into Apple’s business practices
The Indian antitrust watchdog on Friday ordered an investigation into Apple’s business practices — in particular, the company mandating iPhone app developers to use a proprietary payments system — in India, where the American firm commands less than 2% of the smartphone market. The Competition Commission of India, which ordered the Director General to conduct […]
Record number of unicorns and IPOs: Indian startups raised $39B in 2021
In late March last year, as the virus started to spread across India, investors began to worry about the impact a potential pandemic could have on their portfolio firms. They exchanged notes, and on April 1, penned a joint open letter to the local startup ecosystem, advising firms to “prepare for the worst.” In the […]
Tech-led biofuel startup Koko Networks launches new consumer goods business in Kenya
Koko Networks, a Kenya-based bio-fuel technology enterprise, has extended its business to cover other fast-moving consumer goods through a new tech platform that will capitalize on its established distribution networks in low-income neighborhoods. Koko Club, its new business line, is selling the products directly to consumers through the dukas (small shops) that currently serve as […]
Apple puts Foxconn India plant on probation after protests over food and accommodation conditions
Apple has put the southern India factory of Foxconn on probation following protests from workers over subpar food and accommodation conditions, a concern both the firms acknowledged and pledged to address. The iPhone maker didn’t say how long the probation will last, but an Apple spokesperson in India told TechCrunch that the firm “will ensure […]
Nigeria’s Teesas secures $1.6M, to expand across Africa and launch tutor marketplace
After seven years in the production of electronic gadgets, under his company Imose Technologies, Osayi Izedonmwen took leave to explore an idea that he had toyed with for some time — an edtech startup, Teesas, which now offers video classes and other digital educational material for learners in Nigeria. Teesas, which was launched less than […]