South Africa-based startup accelerator Founders Factory Africa has officially rebranded as 54 Collective, marking its transition to a venture capital (VC) firm. $150 Million To Support African Startups The rebranding comes after four years of accelerating African startups, during which the organization built a reputation for creating innovation across the continent, according to Empower Africa. Now, with a $40 million fund, 54 Collective is set to invest in early-stage ventures across various sectors. “Today, we are a VC firm with a $40 million fund, and when combined with our $107
Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has filed a legal complaint, which names J K Rowling, Elon Musk and others, for aggravated cyber harassment. In a statement, Khelif’s attorney described the harassment as a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign” against the boxer during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Rowling and Musk Accused of Cyberbullying The lawsuit filed against X was submitted to the Paris public prosecutor’s office for combatting online hate speech. The complaint focuses on derogatory comments made by the high-profile figures on social media, particularly surrounding Khelif’s gender eligibility.
The Divine Nine, a group of historically Black sororities and fraternities, is stepping up efforts to increase voter turnout among Black Americans, as first reported by Wired. As the US gears up for important elections, these organizations are using both public and private methods to encourage more people to vote, especially in communities where voter suppression is a concern. Using Social Media and Private Chats to Mobilize Voters Members of the Divine Nine are taking to social media to spread the word about the importance of voting. They’re sharing posts,
A new augmented reality (AR) app, Looking Glass, is offering Pittsburgh residents and visitors a unique way to explore the city’s rich Black history. The Looking Glass Launched this summer by technologist Adrian Jones, the Looking Glass app turns historical archives into interactive, location-based experiences. Users can explore various Pittsburgh neighborhoods and uncover the stories that have shaped these communities over time. The app’s first focus is East Liberty, a neighborhood that has undergone changes over the decades as it faced a sharp decline in the 1960s due to an
R&B artist Brent Faiyaz and his business partner Ty Baisden have invested more than $100,000 in Black women-led STEM companies, according to Billboard. Investing Music Profits Into Black Women-Led Businesses Under their Lost Kids label, Faiyaz and Baisden operate a 50/50 business partnership that reinvests profits from Faiyaz’s music career into various ventures. Their primary focus is on Black women-led businesses, particularly in the STEM fields. “Those projects and his tours are the financial seeds for Brent and me to go out and make individual investments,” said Baisden. The duo’s
TikTok has initiated significant global layoffs that have now impacted its African team, according to Tech Cabal. This move, part of broader organizational changes, saw several employees in Africa lose their jobs in June 2024, following earlier cuts in March. These layoffs have notably affected teams working in content operations, marketing, and trust and safety. African Team Severely Affected The layoffs in Africa have been particularly harsh, with more than half of the African team based in South Africa and Nigeria, being let go. Although the exact number of employees
Score, a dating app designed for singles with good to excellent credit scores, has officially shut down after six months in operation. Score’s Limited Run Black-owned financial literacy startup Neon Money Club launched Score last February as a 90-day pop-up to start a broader conversation about financial health and dating, However, unexpectedly high user interest led the founders to extend its service. During its brief existence, Score managed to attract approximately 18,000 users and was responsible for about 8,000 matches. Despite these numbers, the app’s creators, Luke Bailey and Jackie
Brand new Techish! This week, host Michael joined by TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis. VCs for Trump vs VCs for Kamala (00:00:10) X is just Elon’s Truth Social (00:04:40) The DEI President (00:08:00) UK riots, racism, and the right to hate speech? (00:15:02) The stock market dip (00:27:23) Preparing for an AI world (00:29:24) Listen to the episode You can find the Techish podcast on Spotify, Apple, and all good podcast apps. Watch On YouTube Extra Reading & Resources VCs For Kamala: 100+ Silicon Valley Investors Back Harris’ Presidential Bid [POCIT] Some
Today, August 12, marks International Youth Day 2024, celebrated under the theme “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” With the expansion of technologies like mobile devices, digital platforms, and AI, young people—often dubbed “digital natives”—are at the forefront of this transformation. Here are some young Black and Brown individuals making waves in their communities and beyond. Taylor Denise Richardson, 20 – STEM Advocate and Future Astronaut Richardson, also known as “Astronaut StarBright,” is from Jacksonville, Florida, and has been advocating for diversity in STEM (Science, Technology,
Medium, an online publishing platform, is broadening its Partner Program to include writers from over 70 new countries, including over 20 African countries. Medium’s Partner Program Expands Medium’s Partner Program allows writers to earn revenue based on the engagement and activity their stories generate from Medium members. The expansion is part of Medium’s ongoing effort to support writers globally, with the program now extending to over 115 countries where Stripe is supported. The newly included African countries are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar,
