Oxford Cancer Analytics (OXcan), a medtech company that focuses on creating blood tests for early cancer detection, has secured $11 million in Series A funding. This latest funding round, led by We Venture Capital and Cross-Border Impact Ventures, brings OxCan’s funding total to $16.7 million. “The power of the OXcan proteomics biomarker discovery platform and the data generated by Oxcan stand out against the backdrop of other liquid biopsy companies, indicating a truly superior performance in the identification of early stage lung cancer,” Louise Warme, MD, Head of WeVenture Capital
Apple has opposed a shareholder proposal to remove its DEI programs, as first reported by TechCrunch. Meanwhile, Meta and Amazon have joined the list of companies that have scaled back their DEI programs in response to anti-DEI pressure. Apple opposes anti-DEI Proposal Apple’s board of directors has opposed a proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research (a conservative think tank) to “consider abolishing its Inclusion & Diversity program, policies, department, and goals.” In a proxy filing, Apple stated that the proposal was “unnecessary” as the company “already has
Airbnb has worked on an internal system for the past eight years to address racial discrimination on its platform. This came after Black users shared their experiences of facing discrimination at Airbnb under the hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack in 2016. What are Black people’s experiences with Airbnb? Additionally, a 2016 study by two Harvard Business School professors and one then-doctoral candidate highlighted that Black Airbnb guests were 16% more likely to have their reservation request declined when compared to white users. A 32-page report released by the company in 2016 acknowledged the
Egypt is introducing a new plan to tackle phone smuggling whilst promoting its local phone industry. A 38.5% customs tax will be given to individuals who import mobile phones into the country. “The number of devices entering the country through smuggling is too large,” Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a press conference. “Countries resort to such measures to regulate the market and encourage the growth of local industry,” he added. The Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology are working together to create an electronic system that
The Communications Authority of Kenya is ushering in new licensing rules and fees to crack down on fake electronics in the country. Distributors and telcos must now pay a one-off fee of KSh 250,000 ($1,933.49) for a 15-year licence. They will also be obliged to pay 0.4% of their yearly income as an annual fee, but not under KSh 120,000 ($928.07). There are also proposals to better regulate satellite internet service providers (ISPs) like Elon Musk’s Starlink. Why is Kenya introducing a telecom fee? The new licence, which is called
Navigating the tech industry as women of color is already challenging, but when layered with other marginalized identities, the obstacles become even greater. Marianna Di Regolo (she/her) and Cat Perez (she/they), the married couple behind Famm, are proving that innovation, resilience, and community-building can create meaningful change in this space. Building a Platform for Inclusivity Famm was born out of a personal and community need. Created as a marketplace spotlighting LGBTQ+-owned e-commerce brands, Famm recently launched a social network app for LGBTQ professionals. “As I navigated my gender identity, I struggled
Costo is standing firm on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments despite activist investors pushing for the company to make changes in line with those seen at Walmart, John Deere, and McDonald’s. Activist investors target DEI efforts Forbes reported that a proposal from a shareholder, put forward by a conservative think tank, challenged Costco to evaluate and openly share the harm linked with its DEI policies and goals. The proposal states that the firm DEI’s plans present financial, reputational, and litigation threats that could negatively affect shareholders. In the
Sub-Saharan African countries lost $1.5 billion to internet shutdowns in 2024, according to data by Top10VPN. Deliberate internet outages and social media shutdowns globally led to a $7.69 billion loss. While Pakistan and Myanmar were most affected, 19% of the economic cost of internet shutdowns total came from Africa. The cost of internet shutdowns Globally, worldwide internet shutdowns have been decreasing since 2022 ($24.61 billion to $7.69 billion), however many countries across the globe still suffer from this form of internet censorship. In 2024, 28 internet shutdowns occurred in 28
IPSY, a beauty subscription service, will be collaborating with Gabrielle Union as the curator of its February Icon Box. The box will include makeup, skin, and hair products by Gabrielle Union to highlight Union’s journey of self-expression. Celebrating Black History Month In addition to curating an IPSY’s February Icon Box, Union will narrate IPSY’s upcoming Black History Month social campaign, “Black Joy Is Beautiful.” The short film celebrates the art of embracing, loving, and expressing your authentic self. The film will be released at the beginning of February. IPSY will also
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan have announced the company is ending its fact-checking system in favor of a community notes model, much like the system on X. However, critics say the shift is simply an attempt to appease the incoming Trump administration and cause real-world harm to already marginalized communities through increased hate speech and misinformation. Why is Meta scrapping the fact-based system? “In recent years, we’ve developed increasingly complex systems to manage content across our platforms, partly in response to societal and political
