L’Oréal has opened applications for the third edition of its Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program, inviting startups across the South Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa (SAPMENA) region to compete for a chance to pilot their technology with one of the world’s largest beauty companies. Winners of the program secure a fully funded […] The post L’Oréal Opens 2026 Big Bang Program to Beauty Tech Startups Across SAPMENA appeared first on Tech In Africa.

Metro Africa Xpress (MAX), Africa’s leading electric mobility platform, has secured USD 8 million in debt funding from Triple Jump, marking a key milestone in scaling its clean mobility operations. Triple Jump, a Netherlands-based impact investment manager with a strong track record of financing inclusive financial institutions and clean energy businesses across emerging markets, represents […] The post MAX Lands First International Institutional Lender as Triple Jump Backs $8M EV Expansion appeared first on Tech In Africa.

Table of contents Features of the Sony Xperia 1 VIII Sony Xperia 1 VIII price Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs. Sony Xperia 1 VII Sony today announced the Xperia 1 VIII, its flagship Android phone for the year. Pre-orders opened the same day across Europe and select Asian markets, with shipments set to begin on […]

A lot of Africa’s digital growth is happening through one device people carry every day. The phone. For millions of users across the continent, smartphones became the main way to access the internet, make payments, follow news, shop online, and connect with digital services. In many places, mobile apps are not just part of daily […] The post How Mobile Applications Are Driving Digital Growth Across Africa appeared first on Tekedia.

Africa's AI ambitions keep colliding with the same wall. Foreign powers overpromise, legislation imitates the wrong models, and beneath it all sits an energy deficit that no amount of geopolitical deal-making can paper over. The sovereignty question was never really about algorithms. It was always about the power grid.

The European Casino Industry isn’t just changing — it’s being completely rebuilt from the ground up. I’ve watched legacy transaction models get ripped out and replaced with what insiders now call a “Liquidity Velocity Engine.” And honestly? It’s about time. Optimizing payments used to be this boring back-office thing nobody talked about. Now it’s the […] The post The Business of iGaming: Payment Innovations & European Casino Strategies appeared first on Tekedia.

New tax proposal could raise the cost of cross-border technology services in Kenya, with implications for banks, fintechs, and startups.

Kenya plans to introduce a 25% excise duty on mobile phones, a move that could raise prices in one of Africa’s most connected economies and slow smartphone adoption.

Kenya has already proved that digital payments can bridge the financial inclusion gap. Its next challenge is to build an ecosystem where every bank, fintech, merchant, and mobile wallet can move money seamlessly together.

In today's edition: Jiji acquires Bangladeshi startup || South Africa hires AI policy panel || Bolt increases fares in Kenya || Kenyan regulator wants details of crypto users

Amazon is redefining the speed of e-commerce once again. On Tuesday, the company announced a major expansion of its “Amazon Now” service, promising ultra-fast deliveries of 30 minutes or less in dozens of U.S. cities, marking its boldest bet yet on instant gratification as the future of online shopping. The rollout builds on a December […] The post Amazon Accelerates into Ultra-Fast Delivery with 30-Minute Amazon Now Service Across Dozens of U.S. Cities appeared first on Tekedia.

The digital asset market continues to witness an aggressive wave of institutional accumulation, as major firms deepen their exposure to cryptocurrencies through large-scale treasury acquisitions. In the latest development, software intelligence company Strategy acquired an additional $43 million worth of Bitcoin, while crypto investment firm Bitmine purchased $60 million worth of Ethereum. The coordinated accumulation […] The post Strategy Acquires $43M in Bitcoin While Bitmine Purchases $60M Ethereum appeared first on Tekedia.

For years, Bitcoin has been promoted as digital gold, a decentralized asset capable of protecting wealth during economic turmoil, inflation, and geopolitical instability. Yet billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio has repeatedly questioned whether Bitcoin truly behaves like a safe haven asset. His skepticism reflects a broader debate within global finance: can a highly volatile […] The post Ray Dalio’s Analysis Highlights Tension between Bitcoin’s Revolutionary Promise and Realities of Financial Markets appeared first on Tekedia.

SoftBank Group has injected more than $450 million into British AI chipmaker Graphcore, boosting founder Masayoshi Son’s increasingly aggressive bet that control over artificial-intelligence infrastructure will define the next era of global technology dominance. A filing with the U.K.’s Companies House showed Graphcore issued a single share valued at roughly $457 million on April 10. […] The post SoftBank Deepens AI Hardware Push With Fresh $457 Million Injection Into Graphcore appeared first on Tekedia.

The cryptocurrency industry continues to evolve at the intersection of finance, technology, and digital infrastructure, and two recent developments highlight how rapidly the sector is maturing. Asset manager Grayscale Investments has filed for a Zcash exchange-traded fund tied to the privacy-focused cryptocurrency ZEC, while Telegram has introduced a unified development toolchain for the TON ecosystem. […] The post Grayscale Files for ZEC ETF Amid Telegram’s Unified Development Toolchain appeared first on Tekedia.

The rise of cryptocurrency has created immense wealth, but it has also opened the door to a new wave of violent crime. In a disturbing development, the FBI recently charged three men accused of carrying out brutal crypto-related robberies, highlighting the growing dangers tied to digital assets. While cyber theft and online scams have long […] The post FBI Charged 3 Men Accused of Brutal Crypto-related Robberies appeared first on Tekedia.

The cryptocurrency market thrives on narratives, momentum, and cultural relevance. Few weeks illustrate this better than the recent rise of the Sui ecosystem and the explosive rally of the GOBLIN memecoin. In a market increasingly driven by attention and community engagement, both stories demonstrate how visibility, branding, and internet culture can rapidly influence investor behavior […] The post Sui and GOBLIN Rally Reveals the Increasing Overlap between AI culture and Crypto Markets appeared first on Tekedia.

The competition in artificial intelligence is no longer centered only on building the smartest chatbot. Increasingly, the battle is about ecosystem control, enterprise integration, and cloud infrastructure dominance. That reality became clearer as Anthropic’s Claude AI assistant secured deeper integration with the cloud ecosystem of Amazon Web Services, better known as AWS. The move signals […] The post Claude’s Deep Integration with AWS Highlights the Next Phase of the AI Revolution appeared first on Tekedia.

I saved for my first car, a secondhand Honda Accord imported from Amsterdam, during NYSC. I earned the money through a business opportunity built on observation. Those were the days when being “technical” meant assembling computers from scratch. You bought the motherboard, RAM, hard drive, power unit, and installed Windows yourself. That was the engineering […] The post Why ISA 2025 Will Shape Nigeria’s Next Wealth Cycle appeared first on Tekedia.

OpenAI has reportedly agreed to cap the total revenue it shares with Microsoft at $38 billion, a significant development that marks how the balance of power inside one of Silicon Valley’s most consequential partnerships is beginning to evolve as the artificial intelligence industry enters a new phase. According to a report by The Information, the […] The post OpenAI Reportedly Agrees to Cap Revenue Sharing with Microsoft at $38bn appeared first on Tekedia.

The rapid commercialization of artificial intelligence has entered a new phase as OpenAI moves beyond building models and into helping enterprises deploy them at scale. In a significant strategic expansion, OpenAI has reportedly created a deployment-focused company designed to assist businesses in integrating AI systems directly into their operations. The move signals a broader transformation […] The post OpenAI’s Move into Deployment Services Demonstrates AI is Entering a Commercial Stage  appeared first on Tekedia.

Michael Saylor’s latest remarks about Strategy’s Bitcoin policy reinforces a message the company has communicated for years: Bitcoin is not simply a treasury reserve asset for the firm, but the foundation of its long-term corporate strategy. In a recent statement, Saylor explained that Strategy would aim to buy “10 to 20 Bitcoin for every one […] The post Strategy Does not View Bitcoin as a Speculative Tradeable Asset appeared first on Tekedia.

The explosive intersection of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency speculation reached a new extreme when traders on the decentralized exchange Hyperliquid paid annualized fees as high as 8,700% to maintain leveraged synthetic positions tied to the valuation of AI startup Anthropic. The phenomenon reflects the growing appetite for AI-linked financial exposure, even when the underlying company […] The post Hyperliquid Paid Annualized Fees as High as 8,700% to Maintain Leveraged Synthetic Positions appeared first on Tekedia.

The rapid convergence of cryptocurrency and traditional finance has entered a new phase, and the United Arab Emirates is positioning itself at the center of that transformation. In a significant development for the global digital asset industry, Crypto.com announced that its UAE entity, Foris DAX Middle East FZE, has secured a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) […] The post Crypto.com Receiving an SVF License from the UAE Central Bank Represents Major Height in Crypto Adoption appeared first on Tekedia.

eBay has formally rejected GameStop’s surprise $56 billion takeover proposal, delivering a sharp rebuke to Chief Executive Ryan Cohen’s attempt to transform the struggling meme-stock retailer into a diversified acquisition vehicle modeled loosely on Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. In a blunt letter Tuesday, eBay Chairman Paul Pressler said the board had reviewed the unsolicited proposal […] The post EBay Rejects GameStop’s $56bn Bid, Exposing Risks in Ryan Cohen’s ‘Instant Berkshire’ Gamble appeared first on Tekedia.

The return of global inflation fears has once again placed central banks in a difficult position, as the ongoing Iran war disrupts energy markets and threatens to reverse months of progress against rising consumer prices. What began as a geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has rapidly evolved into a major economic concern, particularly for […] The post The Return of Global Inflation Fears has Placed Central Banks in Difficult Positions appeared first on Tekedia.

Germany’s decision to extend employment guarantees at the former Russian-owned refinery highlights the complex intersection of energy security, geopolitics, industrial policy, and labor protection in Europe’s largest economy. The refinery, once controlled by Russian interests through energy giant Rosneft, has become a symbol of Germany’s broader struggle to reduce dependence on Russian energy while maintaining […] The post Germany Extends Employment Guarantee at Former Russian-owned Refinery appeared first on Tekedia.

Siemens has agreed to acquire Italian rail technology company Mer Mec in a deal valued at about 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion), according to a person familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The acquisition, expected to be announced this week, would significantly expand the software, analytics, and signaling capabilities of Siemens Mobility, the German […] The post Siemens Moves to Deepen Rail Software Push With €1 Billion Mer Mec Acquisition appeared first on Tekedia.

Jumia, Africa’s e-commerce platform, has reported strong first-quarter (Q1) 2026 financial results, posting significant growth in revenue and gross merchandise value (GMV) while narrowing its losses as the company pushes toward profitability. The company announced revenue of $50.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, representing a 39% increase compared to $36.3 million recorded […] The post Jumia Records Strong Q1 2026 Results as Revenue Surges 39%, Reaffirms Path to Profitability appeared first on Tekedia.

Google Just Redesigned Every Emoji on Android – and They Are Now 3D Google just announced that every single emoji on Android is getting a redesign. All 4,000 of them. The… TechCity

Smart Doorbell Privacy: The Problem Nobody Is Talking About Smart home security devices are everywhere now. From video doorbells to indoor cameras, millions of people use them… TechCity

Google I/O 2026: What the Announcements Actually Mean for Everyday Users Updated May 12, 2026: Google’s Android Show aired today and confirmed several of the announcements covered in this… TechCity

The event explored the integration of Gemini Intelligence across several devices, including the newly unveiled Googlebook.

Google's central message was that Android is moving from being an operating system to what it calls an “intelligent system.”

The resurgence of institutional interest in cryptocurrency has taken another significant step forward as Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded an impressive $3.4 billion in inflows during their longest winning streak since 2025. This sustained momentum reflects a growing confidence among investors that Bitcoin is evolving beyond a speculative digital asset into a mainstream financial instrument […] The post Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds Have Recorded $3.4B Inflows since 2025 appeared first on Tekedia.

Africa’s startup investment ecosystem is witnessing a noticeable slowdown in 2026, with both deal volume and investor participation declining sharply, according to the latest report by Africa: The Big Deal. The report revealed that only 162 unique investors participated in at least one non-exit deal worth $100,000 or more between January and April 2026. This […] The post Fewer Investors Backing African Startups as Deal Activity Slows in 2026 – Report appeared first on Tekedia.