Flapmax is launching Fast Accelerator, a startup incubation program in partnership with Microsoft to help strengthen and scale Africa’s digital ecosystem. The accelerator program targets startups building cloud and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technology products and services. It is currently accepting applications from entrepreneurs and innovators to participate in the first cohort.
The first cohort will prioritize business to business (B2B) startups across all industries. With a special interest in healthtech, fintech, edutech, industrial and agritech, sustainability, and deeptech companies. FAST Accelerator startup applicants must be based in Africa. They must have an established product-market fit, be ready to expand within the continent. Applicants must also be available to participate in the full program between March 7 and May 27, 2022.
It will provide direct investment in African tech leaders, says Gerald Maithya, SME and Startups Lead, Africa Transformation Office, Microsoft. Adding that Africa is poised to become the next international technology hub.
“We are excited to partner with Flapmax in our mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. The FAST program will provide direct investment in the technology leaders of tomorrow in the region, helping build key infrastructure that uses artificial intelligence as the basis for solutions development.”
The FAST Accelerator program will combine business development, technology integration, funding and community building opportunities. Participants will work with Microsoft engineering team members on co-innovation projects ranging from product integrations to new offerings. Whilst the Flapmax engineering team will help startups apply new technology solutions, including Measure, Coral Imaging, and Fast Portal. Additional perks include up to $250,000 in Azure credits, access to Founders Hub, Dynamics 365, and Microsoft 365 (including Teams).
“At Flapmax our mission is to enrich the lives of everyone on the planet and make the world more sustainable, using accelerated AI technology,” says Dave Ojika, founder and CEO, Flapmax. “We are proud to partner with Microsoft to make that dream a reality for startup founders committed to strengthening the digital ecosystem in Africa“.
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Microsoft is working with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) to support Savings and Credit Cooperatives Societies (SACCOs) with digital finance solutions to improve and increase credit union lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya.
The company held a two-day ideation workshop with 16 SACCOs in Mombasa seeking to understand the digital transformation challenges faced by the lending sector. With a strategic partnership execution program drawn to address the concerns raised during the event.
Microsoft says digital transformation will firstly build trust among members and improve loan repayments. Secondly, It will enable informed decision making on members or clients. Thirdly, the transformation will enable better credit scoring letting SACCOs manage risks and improve their bottom line.
Microsoft announced an MoU with WOCCU last year to help accelerate digital transformation within the savings and credit sector. Where both parties will work to establish a framework for the digital transformation of SACCOs in Kenya. Microsoft will leverage programs to close the skills gap and develop a training curriculum to accelerate the adoption. It will also identify local partners to support the development of solutions and business strategies within the sector. Whilst WOCCU will deploy its TIFI lending methodology and SME Finance Toolkit.
“COVID-19 has accelerated the need for SACCOs to evolve and embrace digital channels. Empowering them to embark on this journey is not only critical to their sustainability but also the key to unlocking further growth potential within the region,” said Megan O’Donnell, WOCCU Vice President of Financial Inclusion.
Both organizations will develop a proof of concept that can be tested and deployed once they meet sector demands.
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Four undergraduate students teamed up to participate in the 2021 Microsoft Student Hackathon, they eventually emerged winners and have received and accepted offers to join Microsoft as full-time software engineers. The students Gloria Keya, David Lutta, Christine Wambui, and Audrey Njenga will start their professional careers at Microsoft when they graduate from school.
They are all final year students pursuing computer science at universities located in Kenya and Rwanda. Firstly, Gloria and Christine are students at the University of Nairobi(UoN) in Kenya. Whilst David is a student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology(JKUAT). Finally, Audrey is a student at the African Leadership University(ALU) based in Rwanda.
The students who had just completed their summer internship with Microsoft learned about the hackathon and decided to extend their Microsoft experience. By forming a team to participate in the student hackathon. Which was concurrently taking place with the Microsoft Global Hackathon for Microsoft employees. The hackathon event was to hack solutions for Sustainability, Society, Education, and Ability using Microsoft technologies. In all, there were students from 22 other countries participating in the virtual Microsoft student hackathon. Over the course of just a week, they conceived, built, and tested their idea.
“We wanted to create an opportunity after their Microsoft internship for the students to stay connected to Microsoft and use the skills and knowledge they acquired in a new project and challenge that reflected their own passion,” says Steve Scallen, Senior Director of University Engagement at the Microsoft Garage. “They were all summer interns at Microsoft, and they all have offers to come back, which they’ve accepted. We are very excited they have chosen to start their professional careers at Microsoft.”
The students won the grand prize-winning project with their idea Forest Guard. Which falls under the hack for earth challenge and sustainability category. Forest Guard is a real-time on-site deforestation sensor and alert system that detects and reports dangerous or illegal activity in protected forests. It will be able to detect illegal logging and forest fire, using an IoT tool and Azure cognitive services.
Microsoft says they will have the opportunity to continue hacking the Forest Guard at The Garage when they begin work as full-time software engineers at Microsoft Nairobi in 2022. Microsoft is bringing The Garage program to Africa and will be opening new locations on the Microsoft Lagos and Nairobi campuses. The Garage is a Microsoft resource for employees to connect, experiment and be creative outside of their day job.
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YouTube is announcing that 26 talented African creators will join the global Black Voices Creator Class of 2022. They are selected as part of 133 creators from around the world and across various niches. Including 40 from US and Canada, 35 from Brazil, and 34 from the United Kingdom. They will receive access to resources such as partner support and seed funding to help them grow on YouTube.
We’re excited to introduce you to the 26 #YouTubeBlack Voices creator grantees from Africa in 2022!
@microsoftcaregh | MCGH | www.microsoftcaregh
Speaking about the announcement Youtube says “We’re are excited to introduce you to the 26 YouTube Black Voices creator grantees from Africa in 2022. Over the next year, we’ll work closely with these African creators. Offering them dedicated partner support, seed funding invested into the development of their channels, and participation in an intensive development program. That will focus on training in production, community engagement and wellbeing, followed by ongoing workshops and networking programs.”
Last year YouTube launched the YouTubeBlack Voices Fund to directly support Black creators and artists so that they can thrive on YouTube. The first cohort just like this year included 133 creators from across the world. It also announced the YouTube Black Voices artist class of 2022 to support and mentor black artists and producers, selecting artists from Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa. The company says this support helped them to hit new subscriber milestones and lead meaningful discussions.
The 26 African YouTube creators and grantees come from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. They include technology reviewer Fisayo Fosudo, entertainers The Ndlovu’s Uncut and lifestylist Cheyenne. Check out the full list of Africa’s YouTube Black Voices Creator Class of 2022 below.
YouTube Black Voices Creator Class of 2022 Africa grantees
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Acer is announcing the TravelMate B3 and TravelMate Spin B3 laptops for education that run Windows 11 SE or 11 Pro Education. The 11.6-inch laptops are able to survive the school day, with military-grade durability and 10-hour battery life. The laptops are to be available in the Middle East and Africa region in quarter 1 of 2022. The Acer TravelMate B3 (TMB311-32) will retail at EUR 359 whilst the TravelMate Spin B3 (TMB311R-32) at EUR 539. Acer says the devices are very customizable and is letting schools choose a model that suits their students’ unique needs.
The laptops are built to support the needs of K-12 schoolchildren featuring the latest Intel Pentium Silver and Celeron processors. They are MIL-STD 810H certified and feature shock-absorbent bumpers. This makes them tough enough to withstand up to 60 kg of downward force and drops from up to 4ft. A unique drainage design helps to protect internal components from moderate spills. A mechanically-anchored key design also provides a double benefit. One, administrators can easily replace the entire keyboard. Two, individual keys are well-secured so that they won’t be dislodged by restless fingers.
Acer TravelMate B3 and Acer TravelMate Spin B3
Durability aside, a number of thoughtful features help the laptops find their place within the classroom. Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) with 2×2 MU-MIMO technology helps with connectivity in multi-user environments. An optional 4G LTE provides students with a connection when away from a router. A webcam makes the laptops suitable for taking classes from home. While a 10-hour battery life means that they can make it through the full school day, too. The battery indicator on the device’s front cover also lets teachers tell a student’s device needs a recharge.
The Acer TravelMate Spin B3 comes equipped with Acer Antimicrobial Design. It features not only an Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen, but also an antimicrobial (silver-ion) coating on commonly-used high-touch surfaces (including the keyboard, touchpad, and palm-rest surface) to protect these surfaces.
Users can further opt to include a dockable Wacom AES pen and 5 MP HDR world-facing camera, allowing schools to customize their laptops in order to suit their students’ specific needs.
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OPPO unveils Find N foldable smartphone and Air Glass an assisted reality (aR) device at INNO Day 2021 event. The company introduces its first foldable smartphone as it attempts to solve the main pain points in previous foldable smartphones. Focusing on making a beautiful device that is useful and easy to use. Also introducing the OPPO Air Glass which features a monocle waveguide design and feels light like a regular spectacle.
The OPPO Find N comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. It includes a 50 MP Sony IMX 766 main sensor, a 16 MP ultra-wide lens and a 13 MP telephoto lens triple-camera setup. Along with a 4,500mAh battery that supports reverse wireless charging.
The OPPO Find N will retail at RMB 7,699, USD 1200, EUR 1099 and be available in China starting from December 23, 2021. There is no date yet on when it will be available in global markets. But is expected to come to Africa and Middle East markets like Kenya, South Africa, UAE, Egypt and Nigeria.
OPPO Find N device specifications
Dimensions
Folded: 132.6 x 73 x 15.9 mm Unfolded: 132.6 x 140.2 x 8.0 mm Weight: 275g
Display
Inner display: 7.1″ AMOLED WUSXGA 1792 x 1920 pixels, 370 ppi, 120Hz, 1000 nits Outer display: 5.49″ FHD 1972 x 988 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio, 60Hz, 402 ppi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE
Price
RMB 7,699, USD 1200, EUR 1099
OPPO Air Glass
The Air Glass is equipped with OPPO’s self-developed Spark Micro Projector, Micro LED, and a diffraction optical waveguide display. It supports four different user interactions through touch, voice, head movement, and hand motion. The Air Glass weighs about 30g and provides features such as navigation, teleprompter and intelligent voice-to-live text translation.
OPPO plans to launch Air Glass in Q1 of 2022 in the Chinese Mainland market. There is no information yet on pricing but the company says it will be within the reach of consumers. The assisted reality device will be available in two colors Black or White, along with two custom frame accessories.
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