TikTok, in its fight to stay in business, is seeking the nod of the British government to move its headquarters from the US to London. The ban speculations that had trailed its existence in the United States for months now are gradually materializing, and the short video app is looking for salvation.

The US president, Donald Trump signed an executive order last week, requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance to sell the app to an American company or watch it get booted out of the US in 45 days.

A source familiar with the development said that TikTok has been waiting on the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson to wave them over.

“TikTok has been sitting on the plan to relocate to London for weeks, pending a positive response from the government. If the government would not speak out in its favor, it would be very difficult for TikTok to make the move,” the source said.

In London, the decision to host TikTok rests not only on the desk of Johnson but also on those of his ministers. Last month, the United Kingdom announced it has banned Huawei from its 5G roll out. The decision has been based on national security concerns, spurred by pressure from the US and members of the UK parliament, even though it would cost the government more to use alternate companies for the 5G deployment.

But TikTok has come with a bait; $3.9 billion in investment proposal for the UK. While it is clear that the United Kingdom needs the investment, Johnson would need all his ministers to be on the same page to accept it.

After the Huawei ban, Johnson has called for cooperation with Beijing on other fronts, a stance portraying him as ‘free’ from Washington’s grip. But TikTok is facing a ban on the same security concern just as Huawei, which makes the situation difficult for London.

The US had threatened to stop intelligence sharing with the UK, if it continued to allow Huawei to lead its 5G roll out. A deal with TikTok may hurt Johnson’s relationship with Trump, and London doesn’t want to be seen as TikTok’s sympathizers in a time of faceoff with Washington.

Many British ministers are as wary of TikTok as they are of Huawei. SCMP reported that Oliver Dowden, the British secretary for digital, culture, media and sport, harbored reservations about the TikTok deal. Dowden has been critical of Chinese tech companies, and was frontal in the ban of Huawei. He has vowed to be “clear-eyed” about “high-risk” Chinese tech firms.

But while there have been uncertainties around the possibility of letting TikTok be headquartered in London, due to divisions among parliamentarians, the source said foreign office has been in support of the deal because the app is not considered a security risk under Britain’s national security assessment, according to SCMP.

Moreover, Microsoft’s attempt to buy TikTok in North America, New Zealand and Australia is ‘considered an attempt to drive a wedge between Britain and the rest of the Five Eyes security network.’

Spokesman for Johnson said the TikTok’s proposal “would be a commercial decision.”

TikTok has been desperately trying to get out of trouble relating to China and lately, the United States, by finding bases in Europe.

Last week, the app said it’s planning to build a $500 million data center in Ireland to store videos, messages and other data generated by European users. It will be its first data center outside the US and Singapore.

UK’s consent will be key in determining how TikTok proceeds with its situation in the United States. Though the app is planning a lawsuit against the Trump’s administration, Microsoft and Twitter are still bidding for a possible acquisition. While Microsoft is aiming to acquire the app’s operations in North America, New Zealand and Australia, Twitter is focused on its American operations only.

London would likely support Twitter as it would want to protect the Five Eye Security network from a potential US wedge. But considering the amount, though TikTok has not said how much the deal is but analysts put its value around $50 billion, Twitter is no match for Microsoft’s financial muscle.

Twitter’s valuation is around $30 billion, which is not enough to contend for TikTok’s US operations unless it will seek additional funding. Meanwhile, it’s a race against time for the short video app as the deadline for the acquisition will end on September 15.

Nigerian transport startup, PlentyWaka has raised $300,000 in pre-seed funding to extend its services to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital territory.

Launched in the second half of 2019, under CrowdyVest Holdings and Farmcrowdy, Plentywaka has recorded unprecedented growth even amidst the strains of coronavirus pandemic that restricted movement in the second half of the year. The startup has built a customer-base of over 40,000 clients, recording over 61% increase in app downloads, 34% increase in ride bookings, and 50% growth in the number of daily rides.

With its plan to go beyond Lagos, the company welcomed the pre-seed funding from EMFATO, Microtraction and Niche Capital.

The managing director and co-founder, Johnny Enagwolor said the rapid growth of Plentywaka has fascinated and lured the investors.

“Securing investment and expanding into Abuja within our first year, in the midst of a pandemic, speaks volumes of the demand for the service we provide. We are excited to have investment partners on board that see and believe in our vision.

“An efficient transport system is fundamental to the prosperity of any city and we believe safe, convenient and comfortable travel should not just be for the few, but for everyone. Plentywaka in Abuja brings us closer to transforming transport in Nigeria, one state at a time,” he said.

Plentywaka is using the e-hailing system to facilitate bus-based transportation, and has already recorded over 100,000 rides. The growth is believed to have been spurred by Lagos State’s motorcycle ban that has forced thousands of commuters to use alternate transportation. With the progress recorded so far, the startup is confident that its services will be expanded to other states in Nigeria, and hopes to secure more funding.

Dayo Kolewo, partner at Microtraction said Plentywaka has shown tremendous growth to make them proud partners.

“We are glad to be partnering with a very strong team that is passionate about providing convenience, safety, and comfort to everyday commuters. The distressful and uneasy experience by the majority of these commuters, especially in large cities is evident. We are backing the Plentywaka team to change that experience for commuters progressively by creating a transport system that is efficient,” he said.

In June, Plentywaka delved into logistics as part of its plan to widen its range of services.

The startup is looking for driver partners who will get their vehicles on board its platform through its Vehicle Partnership Scheme. Plentywaka is offering a week free ride to Abuja commuters.

However, while the startup has recorded significant growth in a short while due to the ban on motorbike ride-hailing services in Lagos, it is facing its own threat. The Lagos State government is reportedly planning to introduce regulations for the app-based transport sector that many fear would cripple startups like Plentywaka.

Part of the new regulation is the requirement of operational license purchase, at the cost of N25 million for companies with more than 1,000 registered vehicles.

Technext reported that e-hailing companies will subsequently be required to pay license renewal sums between N5 million and N10 million annually. Under the new regulation, the companies are required to remit 10% of every trip earned as service charge.

Part of the regulatory policy said the capacity of vehicles should not be less than 1.3cc and must be brand new or not less than three years old.

With the new regulations due to be implemented, e-hailing startups like Plentywaka will find it hard to cope. Already, regulatory policies by the Lagos State government have put many transport startups out of business, and pushed others to other states where the pasture is far from green. Those who dared to stay had to pivot to logistics, which is not a safe haven because the regulator, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, also developed new regulatory policies that stakeholders said would cripple the sector.

Majority of the driver-partners on Plentywaka’s platform don’t have the spec of vehicles stipulated by the new rules. Therefore, Plentwaka’s survival play may lie in other states where there are more friendly policies.