The UK startup Domna has secured a £70 million ($87 million) majority investment from private equity firm Leon Capital, according to Tech Funding News. The company is one of the leading home energy efficiency and retrofit services, and it has now received one of the biggest first-time raises for a female founder team in Europe. The team plans to improve home energy efficiency and support sustainability initiatives. Their outlook on home energy efficiency examines the UK’s retrofit challenge by combining advanced software with practical expertise. Now that Domna has the
Robin AI, a Black-owned legal AI startup, has won second place on the Startups 100 index. The startup uses AI to automate contract reviews, slashing costs and freeing up legal teams. Last year, it raised $25 million in a unique extension of its Series B funding round. The company was founded in 2019 by former Clifford Chance lawyer Richard Robinson and machine learning researcher James Clough. “Robin AI are truly ground breaking in their innovation, aiming to cut down legal processing times. Despite the challenges, the UK is still a
Fundment, a Black-owned all-in-one tech platform for financial advisers, raised £45 million ($55.4 million) in Series C led by Highland Europe, as per Tech Funding News. The investment will scale the team, develop the product, and achieve future growth. Financial advisers are under more pressure than ever, which is why the global financial planning software market is set to amount to $18.1 billion in the next decade. For this reason, Fundment aims to create innovative solutions for financial advisers that will allow a smooth experience for their clients. “Financial advice is
Africa-focused venture capital firm Oui Capital returned its $4 million debut fund after the sale of some shares in Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint, as Techcrunch reports. Oui Capital’s Investment in Moniepoint Last year, the Nigeria-based fintech company successfully raised $110 million in a Series C funding round. That raise gave the company a valuation of at least $1 billion for the first time, according to the Financial Times. When Moniepoint first launched its fund, Oui Capital invested $150,000 in the company, but it has now accumulated an $8 million return, which
The London-based venture capital firm Black Seed VC has won the prestigious 2025 Startups 100 DEI Award. Black Seed VC aims to address the funding gap between white and Black founders. The company was also ranked 41st in the 2025 Startups 100 Index, the UK’s longest-running index of the most promising new businesses. When and why was Black Seed VC founded? Black seed VC was founded by Karl Lokko in 2021, who spent a decade campaigning and advocating for a fairer and more inclusive business ecosystem. After the death of George Floyd, businesses and brands
Waza, a Y Combinator-backed B2B payments startup, is using its $8 million funding to create Lync, a banking product that plans to transform international transactions for African businesses, Techpoint reports. Last year, the startup received $8 million in equity and debt funding to expand into markets beyond its current operations in Ghana and Nigeria and offer new trade finance solutions. The funding round was led by major investors, including Byld Ventures, Norrsken Africa, and Timon Capital, with the aim of empowering enterprises across the continent to navigate global markets more effectively. The
Ilara Health recently received a $1 million loan from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to help improve private outpatient clinics in Kenya, according to TechPoint. What is Illara health? The company originally started by renting diagnostic equipment to clinics. Eventually, it expanded to offer health centres the choice to buy pharmaceuticals and items like hospital furniture on credit. The money will help underserved communities have better healthcare by investing in diagnostic devices, health tech, and pharmaceuticals. Last year, the company raised $4.2 million in debt-equity pre-Series A round
Funding for female-led and female-founded ventures in Africa reached a five-year low in 2024, ‘Africa: The Big Deal’ reported. A five year low for Women-led ventures These figures are the lowest they’ve been since 2019, as female CEOs received only $48 million in funding in 2024. That number is four times less than in 2023. In contrast, $2.2 billion went to their male peers in 2024. Additionally, female CEOs only received 2% of the total invested last year. Funding for gender-diverse teams was slightly better as they received $123 million in
HBCU alumni Terry Comer and Khalil Thompson have raised $2.25 million for NIL FanBox in a seed funding round led by sports tech venture capital firm KB Partners. The subscription platform delivers autographed college memorabilia to sports fans’ doors every season, sharing profits with student athletes and their schools. What’s the story behind NIL FanBox? NIL FanBox’s website states that it is 100% university-approved and endorsed by the players. “They [FanBox] make it super easy for players to engage directly with fans,” Drake Maye from the North Carolina football team said.
Fanbase is climbing its way through the app store as TikTok users in the US are finding alternative apps to move to. The Supreme Court is set to rule a law on 19 January for TikTok that will determine if they will sell its US operations or outline a ban for TikTok users. Users of the app are looking for new social media apps to use, and Fanbase appears to be one of them. Isaac Hayes III said that the app reached number 6 on the Apple App Store for
