WeeTracker, a company that produces information on startups and funding in Africa, has released its H1 2018 African startups and investors report. People, it is promising: African startups raised $169 million in the first half of 2018 over 120 deals. In the whole of 2017, the number was about $170 million for a total of 201 startups.
People, money is dripping into Africa-focused startups. Last year [2017], about $170 million was invested in 201 of such startups. Generally, the continent recorded 28% year-on-year on startup investment dollars while the number of startups which received funding grew by 32%.
Here are snapshot of the report.
Report Summary – H1 2018
H1 2018 Funding – Africa (source: WeeTracker)
The Top funding within the Period is provided below
Top funding deals (source: WeeTracker)
Nigeria Solidifies Its Position Leading South Africa and Kenya
Country total deals (WeeTracker)
Fintech Leads all Sectors
Fintech leads all sectors (source: WeeTracker)
Major Investors during the Period
Major investors during the period (Source: WeeTracker)
All Together
This is a positive trajectory. We’ll take it – one day it would hit $1 billion. African startups are ready-for business. On the same note, I invite you to read my (old) piece in the Harvard Business Review – Africa is Open for Business – which was translated into Chinese, French and other languages when it ran by local print newspapers. The European Business Review made it a part-cover piece.
Simply, we cannot stop making the case: Africa is ready for business and investment.
If you have any of the major Apple products like iPhone, iPad and iPod, you would need to transfer and manage files across devices. No other software solution in the world has led than IOTransfer for many years. IOTransfer is a category-king in the sector and it continues to innovate to get better. This month it launched the IOTransfer 3 which is industry leading with many new features. I downloaded this new version in my iPhone and found it extremely great.
IOTransfer is a simple but effective iPhone/iPad file transfer and management tool which helps iPhone, iPad and iPod users to manage their iOS content on computers. It provides users with a simple and convenient way to freely import and export music, videos, photos, podcasts, books, and voice memos between iOS devices and PCs.
This is a major update, aiming to provide all iPhone, iPad and iPod users with the best solution to fully and freely manage their Apple devices. The main feature in this new version is the new Air-Trans feature which adds wireless file transfer across Apple devices and PCs in a second. Another major update is the video Converter, which provides more comprehensive video downloading and converting. This is the ultimate iPhone transfer tool.
IOTransfer 3 – the latest version of IOTransfer
Why IOTransfer 3 Is Great
It can be troublesome to transfer photos and videos among Apple devices and computers, such as from iPhone to PC. IOTransfer 3 brand new Air-Trans feature simplifies how users transfer their music, videos, photos and other data between iPhone/iPad and PCs. Now users just need to connect their devices to the same Wi-Fi network and Air-Trans will search for available iOS devices nearby. With the devices connected via Wi-Fi, IOTransfer 3 allows users to wirelessly transfer multiple files at once.
Moreover, IOTransfer is also known as a powerful video downloader, which allows users to download movies and save any video from more than 100 video streaming sites, like YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram etc. Along with video downloading, IOTransfer 3 adds the new Video Converter, making it possible for users to convert videos in MP4, MP3, AVI, MKV, MOV to the iOS compatible format. The optimized VIDEOS feature is clearly superior in terms of performance. It helps users effortlessly convert video files into various file formats including audio file formats and automatically transfer them to iOS device.
IOTransfer 3 is a very effective iPhone/iPad file transfer and management tool. This powerful software is able to fulfill the needs of millions of Apple users worldwide. It provides the best solution to import, export and delete data, such as photos, songs, videos, contacts, iBooks, Podcasts, Voice Memos, and even offers 1-click data backup service. Additionally IOTransfer Clean function will help remove cache and junk files to free up space to record more precious moment.
Here are some major new features in this new version
New AirTrans – Wirelessly and freely transfer or share photos, music, videos, etc. between your iOS device and computer anytime.
New Video Converter – Convert videos into various file formats, such as MP4, MP3, AVI, MKV, MOV, and directly transfer them to iDevices.
Transfer & Manager – Transfer & manage your photos, music, videos, contacts, etc. between your iOS device and computer.
Video Downloader – Download online videos from various famous video websites, such as YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram.
Junk File Cleaner – One-click to clear all caches and junk files on your iOS device to free up more space.
More user-friendly UI with smoother operation process and larger interface size.
My Recommendation
Overall the powerful IOTransfer breaks the data transferring boundaries across Apple devices and PCs, it is also able to fulfill my needs. I give it a rating of 5 stars. The newly developed AIR-TRANS which adopts Wi-Fi direct technology to provide quick transfer of photos, videos, and other files between iOS device and PC in the same local network elevates the game. The improved Video feature helps effortlessly download and convert video files and automatically transfer them to iOS device is superb. Besides, the new version helps to clean up my cache and junk files from my device in a great way. Solid tool.
Download and Installation
IOTransfer 3 works perfectly for Apple devices running iOS 8.3 and above, and will fully supports the coming iOS 12. It is available to download at www.iotransfer.net. The images below would help you navigate how to setup IOTransfer.
RideMe, a new ride-sharing startup, has launched in Lagos. Its value proposition is to help in reducing the level of frictions Nigerians experience as they move from one location to another across the nation. It connects drivers with riders giving the riders comfort, style and fair rates while providing the drivers and partners a tool for total business ownership. This is a platform business and one that is built on the Aggregation Construct where the technology of RideMe will anchor efficient linkages among different partners. This company will have to battle with old industry veterans like Uber and Taxify which are already operating in Nigeria. But with huge driver-benefits like pension, health insurance and housing schemes, it has a promise.
With a few clicks on RideMe App, you can order a ride. You have multipple payment options. You can pay with cash, card, paypal and more.
RideMe offers a loyalty programme that ensures that you earn even while you ride. You can use your earnings to order future rides, or simply cash out!
With the Lady for Lady feature, if you are a lady, you can book a female driver. The SOS feature provides a single click which helps you to call for help by sending your location and details of your Driver to your nominated emergency contact.
Interestingly, RideMe is associated with one of the emerging software companies in Nigeria: ATB Techsoft Solutions Ltd. ATB Techsoft technical team is behind this business and geeks there are pursuing a fully differentiated business model to create a separation from competitors. It is always good when there is competition because customers always benefit. ATB Techsoft takes it to other players and Nigerian riders will see better and improved services.
RideMe is an e-hailing service in Nigeria (source: RideMe)
The efficient and optimized allocation of the factors of production can never happen if there is no competition. So, Nigeria welcomes new entrants like RideMe into the transportation sector. Our cities need total redesign in how we move and travel to reduce loss of productivity exacerbated daily by the agonizing traffic congestions. As the road infrastructures are expanded, optimization models like the ones offered by e-hailing companies promise a future.
Aggregation-Integration Construct
RideMe is pursuing an Aggregation-Integration Construct (expanded from Aggregation Construct) business model. It is a business system with high scalable advantage as the marginal cost is low. Integration is a very important component of aggregation and without it no one can achieve aggregation capabilities. Aggregation drives scalable advantage because of the relative low marginal cost it anchors. The cost of adding extra rider is largely low because there are many drivers to support them with RideMe not having to buy any vehicle for that.
Here, RideMe is aggregating four elements which are demand, supply, platform and enabler using the unbounded and unconstrained capability of mobile internet. It is the platform and it would be enabled by margins as it brings demand and supply together. To succeed, it needs to get as many riders and drivers as possible in the ecosystem in order to create a positive continuum of network effect which is critical in a platform business. It has a plan to get those partners into the platform.
The RideMe Strategy
To execute this business, RideMe has a strategy which is slightly different from the Ubers and Taxifys of this world. First, it does believe fundamentally that happy drivers and partners make happy riders. That means this firm is built at the heart of making drivers and riders happy. First, it charges no commission to drivers meaning that drivers get to keep what they make.
RideMe charges zero commission. Say you make N150K per week driving with RideMe, we will not charge you a kobo out of your earnings. You get to keep all you make unlike others that charge you as high as 15% or 25%.
The company pays drivers daily for card payments removing the need of waiting for a week. That means drivers get their monies back on time.
The firm also has a service dedicated to ladies where lady drivers pick ladies: “Verified lady riders now have the option of selecting a lady driver to come pick them up and take them to their destination”.
The Opportunities for Riders and Drivers
RideMe has the local domain experience and wants to run an agency model where it would appoint partner coordinators across many cities in Nigeria (contact them if interested). The goal is that its technology can enable and power many cities immediately making it possible to scale nationwide. It sees its drivers and partners as key enablers of its growth model. The firm also offers many benefits which include pension, mortgage, insurance, etc.
RideMe offers you total business freedom. Here are some of the benefits:
No commission on taxi fares, all you earn is all you get
Pension scheme
Health insurance
Vehicle license renewal on flexible monthly payment
Same day card payment of taxi fare to driver
Direct payment of Taxi fare from riders using card into driver/partners bank account.
24 hours loan for vehicle repair, school fees, house rent, domestic issues with repayment plan in 6 months.
The company according to its business document I reviewed noted that it is poised to make drivers owners of the business and provide them with social welfare that drives happiness. It focuses on making sure that drivers are the true owners of their businesses by not collecting any commission from them. By keeping all that the drivers make, they make more money. The health insurance, pension and vehicle insurance benefits through its networks are certainly industry-leading.
How to Download
This product is ready in the market. Yes, the RideMe app is available for download on Google Playstore and Apple Appstore. The pricing model is industry-competitive: Base fare: N300;N65/KM with wait counting after 10 minutes of wait at N9 per minute for waiting time. Get it, drive or be driven, frictionlessly!
With Zenvus zManager, a farm diary, we now have the ability to predict Farm Profitability if a farmer records all activities (labour, inputs, etc) in the system and the primary market is covered by our pricing engine. For example, if you produce pepper in Isiala Ngwa (Nigeria) and plans to sell in Aba (Nigeria), and allows our AI to “see” your records in zManager, we would concatenate data from our sensors, weather, diary data etc to tell you how much you would make at the end of the farming season. We have probability models which constantly update with capabilities to estimate your profits few weeks into the farming season. The models evolve as the season progresses.
zManager is an electronic farm diary which helps Zenvus farmers run their farming operations. A Farm Management solution, it simplifies the business of farming by helping farms record activities, track inventory, prevent waste, manage employees, manages finances (sales and expenses), organize business calendar, record incidences (say, pest and disease outbreaks), track profitability, and more.
This service is available to farmers through their cooperatives and governments. Zenvus team would need to collect produce prices at least three months in the primary markets to attain equilibrium in the models.
zManager >> making farmers businesspeople.
zManager Dashboard (many portions are combined as screen capture cannot pick all simultaneously)
My Russia 2018 Prediction – France Defeats England to Win World Cup.
This is football, the king of sports and a religion in some places. Unfortunately, there is no emotion as my teams (Nigeria and Senegal) are already out.
