Nigeria-based fintech startup, Anchor has received over $1M in investment to help expand its workforce and services. The startup fund program is backed by fund program, Y Combinator, and other venture capital firms, including Byld Ventures, Luno Expeditions, Niche Capital, Mountain Peak Capital, and angel investors such as the founder of SeamlessHR, Emmanuel Okeleji. Co-founded in 2021 by Segun Adeyemi, Olamide Sobowale, and Gbekeloluwa Olufotebi, the banking-as-a-service platform, allows consumers to embed accounts, cards, payments, lending, and other financial features to their products within minutes. “We’re now seeing a new development where businesses want to
Since its launch in 2009, WhatsApp has intensified instant messaging and made communicating easier for families, friends, and companies. But in most recent years, particularly during the pandemic, it’s being used for much more. Teachers in Africa took advantage of the platform during the lockdowns when schools were shut. Data from a study conducted by Sabinet analyzed a WhatsApp group of 24 economics teachers and three lead teachers (heads of departments) from 15 schools in Kwazulu-Natal province, South Africa and a focus group interview was thematically analyzed to present findings.
Some of the people working diligently behind the scenes to develop thought-provoking media coverage and memorable experiences are publicists or public relations (PR) professionals. They are the incredible minds that develop branding strategies, implement marketing ideas and help create experiences for clients’ customers, followers, and their own clients. Tech companies rely on a steady stream of public relations to introduce their products, explain new and emerging concepts, and act fast when crises strike. Here, we’ve made a list of leading tech’s rising PR stars bringing diverse stories to the forefront of the
In a recent TikTok video, former Beauty and Style Editor at Essence magazine, Blake Newby, opened up about her journey into venture capital after spending many years working within the editorial and digital realm. After one year as Beauty and Style Editor at Essence magazine, Newby has set her sights on a new journey: helping small Black beauty brands excel to new heights. “So, as of Friday, I am no longer a Beauty and Style Editor. I know that I have detailed the volatility of the editorial industry – I’m
Leading alcohol e-commerce shop, Drizly, has announced the launch of its ‘Sip with Purpose’ program, dedicated to supporting and driving BIPOC-, LGBTQIA-, and woman-owned brands in the alcohol industry. The platform’s ‘Sip with Purpose’ Brand Accelerator Program is now open for applications. The initiative, which will be highly beneficial for underrepresented founders, aims to provide businesses with a $4 million media commitment to raise awareness and drive support for these brands. Drizly, founded in 2012, is one of North America’s largest online alcohol marketplaces. The platform, which offers a variety
Minneapolis-based e-commerce app, GoodCarts, has partnered with Shopify and Operation HOPE to help build Black-owned online businesses through the 1 Million Black Businesses (1MBB) initiative. Black-owned financial, educational platform, Operation HOPE, is a leading global provider of financial dignity education and economic empowerment programs for low-income or moderate-income youth. The organization founded by John Hope Bryant aims to create a whole new approach to community upliftment. Its 1MBB initiative, in partnership with Shopify, will help millions of Black businesses start, grow, and scale over the next decade to ensure the racial
Black-owned startup, thirdweb, has raised $24 million in investment funding. The funding round led by Haun Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Shopify, and Polygon, also included Shrug VC, Joseph Lacob, and others. The ground-breaking tech startup founded by Steven Bartlett and Furqan Rydhan aims to provide developers with a Web3 development kit to help reduce the time and cost of building and launching applications. The developer tool assists programmers in building NFTs, marketplaces, DAOs, and more. “Web3 is the most important technological shift I’ve witnessed in my lifetime,” said Steven Bartlett, co-founder
SquadTrip, an automated payment solution for large and small group trips, has launched its new online platform. Travel organizers can create booking pages, accept payments efficiently, and manage communication and financials in one place. SquadTrip is the first travel platform targeting millennials with flexible payment installments, Apple Pay checkout, and promo codes. The new software as a service (or SaaS) platform is a time-saving tool that eliminates the need for tracking payments using spreadsheets or sending multiple text/email messages. Travel professionals can build customized trip pages and travel packages and
Black women are 84% more likely to be abused on social media than white women, according to a 2018 Amnesty International study. By 2020, further research by Glitch, a UK charity committed to ending the abuse of women and marginalized people online, found that online abuse against women disproportionately impacts Black women, non-binary people, and women from minoritized communities, all of whom were more likely to feel like their complaints to social media companies were not adequately addressed. Black women in the public eye bear the brunt of online trolling. Seyi Akiwowo, the
According to Insider Intelligence, there are currently over 2 million podcasts and 424.2 million podcast listeners worldwide in 2022, a 10.6% increase from the previous year. As of 2020, the global podcasting market size was valued at $11.46 billion. It grew to $13.785 billion in 2021 and is expected to be a massive $153.07 billion in 2030, according to Acumen Research and Consulting. This growth has been spurred by a number of factors – from the proliferation of new celebrity shows, investments from companies like Spotify, and the increased affordability and availability of tech such as smartphones
