Google will invest $37 million across Africa to expand artificial intelligence developments on the continent. A majority of the funds will be allocated to enhance food security and expand digital access in local languages, with $25 million being invested in an AI Collaborative for Food Security. This initiative will help African researchers and nonprofits create AI tools that tackle hunger, climate-related crop threats, and farming inefficiencies, according to TechPoint Africa. The program aims to safeguard millions of smallholder farmers against damaging economic and environmental shocks by leveraging AI in early
UK lawmakers are being urged to pass legislation that would protect whistleblowers who expose employers violating DEI laws, as reported by The Guardian. The proposal was made by the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), a civil rights group, as it awaits the publication of the Equality, Race and Disability Bill, which is expected later this year. If the bill comes into effect, employers with over 250 staff workers would be obligated to show whether white and non-disabled staff are paid more than Black, minority ethnic, and disabled employees. It would also
Live facial recognition (LFR) technology will be deployed at Notting Hill Carnival, London’s Metropolitan Police has announced. Police will use LFR cameras to scan for individuals marked as being wanted on the Police National Computer and carry out “pre-emptive intelligence-led arrests and searches” of people believed to have weapons or sell drugs. Facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnival Facial recognition is part of the Metropolitan Police’s plan to cut crime at this year’s carnival. The cameras will be placed on the way to and from the event, The Independent reports. Deputy Assistant
The Digital Law Company has applied to hold Meta Platforms in contempt of court after it did not provide data on individuals who posted harmful content about South African school children on WhatsApp. If Meta does not comply with the order to release the alleged perpetrators’ data, the law firm wants the judge to jail Thabo Makenete, Meta’s public policy head for Southern Africa. This came after the Digital Law Company received an urgent court order, urging Meta to remove explicit content and share identifying details, such as names, emails,
Nigerian open banking startup Okra will return three years of runway to investors, as reported by Techpoint. The company was founded in 2019 to build APIs helping people securely access their bank accounts from third-party apps. However, the company shut down following the departure of its CEO, Fara Ashiru. Okra still had three years of runway before it would return to its investors. Ashiru did not disclose the amount that would be returned, and Okra has not provided the exact amount that would be returned to investors; however, Techpoint estimated
The British Business Bank (BBB), the UK Government’s economic development bank, has announced a new £500 million ($674 million) economic package to back diverse and emerging fund managers. The initiative aims to address the significant gap in venture capital investment for underrepresented founders and investors, which is often attributed to industry biases, closed networks, and limited diversity among investors. Investing in women-led funds Investing in female and ethnic minority-led businesses could add 13% to the value of the UK equity market, according to the 2025 The Investing in Women Code report. Additionally,
Owolabi Salis, a Nigerian lawyer, was on the six-man crew of Blue Origin’s 13th human spaceflight for the New Shepard program. The flight lasted 10 minutes and reached a peak altitude of 105.2 kilometres, crossing the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, according to a press release. Who is Owolabi Salis? Salis is a lawyer and politician who has now become the first Nigerian to travel to space. The lawyer who comes from Ikorodu, Lagos, described his journey as a “convergence of science and spirit.” “This mission is more
Liquify, a woman-owned trading finance platform, has secured $1.5 million in seed funding. Future Africa led the raise, with participation from Launch Africa Ventures, 54 Collective, Digital Africa, Equitable Ventures, and angel investors. The Ghanaian company was founded by Nadya Yaremenko and Alberta Asafo-Asamoah in 2023 to connect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa with global capital markets. How does Liquify work? The startup operates an invoice finance marketplace that connects African SME’s with global capital markets. Its platform exports allow exporters to turn unpaid invoices into same-day cash, and international investors can receive
Akon’s plans to build a multibillion-dollar city development in Senegal have been scrapped by the country’s authorities, according to Bloomberg. Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of the Senegalese tourism authority Sapco, said, “The Akon City project no longer exists,” and shares that the plans will now be replaced with a more realistic partnership with Akon. Akon’s plan for a futuristic city in Senegal Akon first shared plans for the city in 2018. It’s designed to feature futuristic skyscrapers and pan-African symbolism, which was compared to Wakanda, Marvel’s fictional African nation from
Coming to the US and trying to find a job as an immigrant is no easy task. Colombian immigrants Stephanie Murra and Lorenza Vélez saw how many Spanish-speaking people struggled to find their first job in the United States, so they sought a solution. In 2023, the pair launched Miami-based Ponte Labor during their final year at Harvard, according to TechCrunch. Connecting Hispanic workers with future employers The pair observed that employers in blue-collar industries, such as hospitality, construction, and retail, often struggle to find workers to fill hourly roles. Ponte connects
