<2017> has been a great year for the African Ecosystem. We have seen the Downfalls and the Rise, the partnerships and the acquisitions. Now the year has come to an end let us review what we had from the first to the last but this isn’t the last cause we have a few days more left to finalize </2017>.
Anyway, let’s dig deep into what we saw was hitting the waves this technological year. from best to worst and controversial or vice versa, in any way lets *diiiiveee!!*
At least for the first time, a sex scandal was revealed, not to be saying this in a good or bad way but as and an eye-opener. Many of us are suffering under the oppression of being overpowered by social status, financial status and much more that we subdue others and ourselves into the sex scandal pit to achieve what we want. This really didn’t go as intended for the Ushahidi’s exec’s this year Kaboom! Well, we got to hear both of the sides raise what they “think happened“. Apart from all these Ushahidi is still one of our best social startups creating an impact in creating awareness of social injustices.
2017 for Andela has been Funds Funds Funds! Raising funding Everywhere. Andela was the talk of the town again this year after it has raised $40 from The CRE Venture Capital, a pan-African venture firm, with additional participation from DBL Partners, Amplo, Salesforce Ventures, and Africa-focused TLcom Capital. Andela is a tech training and development outsourcer for African coders. As you expect people to praise the Funding and what Andela has done: we have the critic Gang, the positive one FYI.
Quoting back ” Rebecca Enonchong, said this at the Techcrunch’s Fireside Chat Panel, though she has her reasons to say we think Andela has it on the better side by producing the top talents, making an nurturing our developer circles and expanding its territorial gifts, Quoting Seni Sulyman the country Director { Nigeria } at Andela: ”
"Andela wouldn't have gotten so much funding if Jeremy Johnson was not the CEO" – @africatechie #TCBattlefield
— Techpoint Africa (@TechpointAfrica) October 11, 2017
For anyone who has been following the CcHub train you might have noticed how its the growth this year has been, the impact created by CcHub has been so massive in the west. One of my Favorites was the PITCH Drive: an Event that took part in 5 European Cities: London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich and Paris, The Event’s main aim was to bring and showcase the top best 15 African Startups in Eco-system.
“PitchDrive tour train will kickstart in August to connect Africa’s tech entrepreneurs with Europe’s most influential investors. Applicants will be subjected to a rigorous selection process, and those selected will go on to have their business models scrutinized and analyzed by some very shrewd and highly experienced investors at a Demo Day on each stop of the tour,” said ‘Bosun Tijani, CcHub founder and chief executive officer (CEO).
CcHub also partnered with a couple of Tech heads to ensure the ecosystem is fully catered for.
Blockchain everywhere! Cryptocurrency has been the talk of the year after its prices value started magically doubling and doubling: Quoting Techcrunch: “The total market cap for all cryptocurrencies just surpassed $100 billion. The vast majority of these gains have come in just the last few months — on April 1st the total market cap was just over $25 billion — representing a 300 percent increase in value in just over 60 days. ”
As the west makes moves we also make moves: First Bitpesa – it allows one to send and collect business payments, between Africa and the rest of the world. BitPesa this year announced its Funding from the Greycroft, This is making the statement nothing is impossible relevant as Cryptoworld in Africa is gaining hits for the start: We go where the bags are! The recognition is growing out wide.
This is usually my best for some reasons I’m so Enthusiastic and zealous about startups and what the do! I’m a number one fan of the African Tech startups and what the do… I’d never hate but I’d critic and raise awareness anytime. Now let’s delve in – Seedstars is so far my best. Seedstars has been moving around Africa in countries fishing startups and encouraging the culture and for Founders, this has been a great podium to learn a lot from other startups and other founders in other fields of the ecosystem.
Recently Seedstars announced Expansion into Dar and Jo’Burg: “Seedstars currently has six active running spaces in Africa: Lagos, Abidjan, Cape Town, Durban, Nairobi and Addis Ababa, while two other spaces in Cairo and Casablanca are said to be “in the making”, with Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam being the top priority in the next expansion hit as hinted by Makadristo.
Startup Battlefield Africa Hosted in Kenya by Techcrunch and Facebook where we saw Lori rise as the Winner of the event: Yes it still Raised Question and we love the Critics alas! Lori Happened not to be in the printed Book Given out the very day of the event but TC had its word:
Quoting IAfrikan “Yes, every single Battlefield competition we have alternates – in this comp actually not just Lori but 3 of the companies were alternates, however, the others were pulled in as alternates before the program guide went to print. One of the teams had a last minute emergency and was unable to attend, so Lori was slotted last minute and actually received the least amount of training,” explained Samantha Stein, Battlefield Editor at TechCrunch, to iAfrikan.
and as you so The Techpoint tweet above White founders seem to influence the funding on our soil “Make of this what you want to, but the issue of needing a white co-founder, especially in Kenya, to open doors and make your startup more palatable for funding from VCs is a topical one and TechCrunch seem to have poured more fuel on this fire.” IAfrikan
But Generally 2017 has been Great and For the Tech Medias, a round of Applause lets meet in 2018.
