Supporting African Startups, Microsoft at DEMO Africa 2018

Supporting African Startups, Microsoft at DEMO Africa 2018

Microsoft sponsors DEMO Africa 2018, as it seeks to support African Startups

 

DEMO Africa 2018

DEMO Africa 2018 is set to take place in Morocco and Microsoft is a lead sponsor of the event. Taking place October 18-19th 2018 in Casablanca and hosted by the African Technology Foundation.

30 startup finalists from across Africa will showcase their innovations to an audience of investors, corporate acquirers and strategic partners. Five finalists will qualify for the Lions Innovation Tour of Silicon Valley.

Since the introduction of 4Afrika Initiative back in 2013, Microsoft has partnered and supported programs that aim at developing startups. This year won’t be any different as Microsoft continues to support DEMO Africa.

Speaking on the partnership Microsoft’s Africa Startup Lead, Tarik Hilali, said; “the engagement forms part of Microsoft 4Afrika’s continent-wide commitment to empower local technology startups. By providing them with access to technology, information, markets, finance, skills and services“.

Microsoft’s partnership with Demo Africa and others like it, it says are to create an environment where key role players are working together to support startup needs.

Microsoft 4Afrika is actively empowering SMEs and startups in Africa to digitally transform. Ensuring they are more profitable, sustainable, scalable and competitive“. – Tarik Hilali, Africa Startup Lead – Microsoft

Through the Microsoft 4Afrika initiative, Microsoft reports 64 startups have received financing. It also shares 100 other startups across the region have received direct mentorship and technical supports.

Tarik shared on how Microsoft will be involved at Demo Africa 2018. Microsoft will be involved in speaking sessions, hosting hands-on workshops for finalists and providing technical and financial support for the conference. “Microsoft 4Afrika also uses DEMO Africa as a platform to identify and recruit high-potential startups into its own investment network”. 

DEMO Africa 2018

Silicon Valley will be at DEMO Africa 2018

This year organizers of the event say it will receive leading Venture Capitalists from Silicon Valley. They will seek to explore investment opportunities, broaden their knowledge of the African startup ecosystems as well as share best practices on global venture creation during the event.

“The 2018 edition of DEMO Africa will also include the Ecosystem Enabler Series. A combination of keynotes, panels and fireside chats that will yield productive dialogue between industry leaders and innovation actors about the future of the African technology ecosystem; the Investor Round-tables and Angel Investor Summit”

Interested in attending? Get a ticket for the event here.

Using Microsoft’s Power BI analytics service Ecobank improves business performance

Using Microsoft’s Power BI analytics service Ecobank improves business performance

Microsoft shares that Ecobank Group has improved its business performance using Microsoft’s Power BI solution.

Power BI

The released statement says; Ecobank, one of the continents leading banking conglomerates has been able to drastically improve its business analytics needs with the help of Microsoft Power BI.

We were looking for something that was easy to implement and configure as well. Moreover, as we deal with sensitive data, Power BI provides a secured environment which helps protect data integrity.” – Sarah Aryee-Oppan, Head of BI & Big Data Ecobank

Microsoft’s Power BI is a suite of analytic tools that deliver insights. It allows a user to connect data from multiple sources and produce reports that can be accessed on different platforms and devices in real-time.
With it a user can unify data from many sources to create interactive, immersive dashboards and reports that provide actionable insights and drive business results says Microsoft.

On how easy it was getting around Microsoft’s Power BI solution, Sarah said “None of us have attended any formal training. – With most of us being self-taught on Power BI. Various tutorials are also available online – allowing for easier learning.”

Ecobank’s needs in terms of data mining and business analytics was and is prodigious. With operations spread over a whole continent, reporting environments and individual affiliate databases are diverse. Hence the need expressed by Ecobank’s Group CEO, Ade Ayeyemi, for a single dashboard for quicker and easier access to data.

This could be another move in the digital transformation partnership journey between both organizations. As Ecobank CEO Ade Ayeyemi said a year ago, “the main focus is to increase financial inclusion in Africa”

Feature Image ?: Ecobank 

Scaling startups and helping small businesses grow

Scaling startups and helping small businesses grow

Microsoft 4Afrika is helping startups across the continent scale up with ripple effects on other local businesses

One area that Microsoft focuses on with its investment in Africa is investing in local technology solutions. Microsoft makes it clear that “Africa has the potential to lead the technology revolution”. Since the inception of 4Afrika, it boasts of 64 funded and 94 Startups it supports. With these startups generating a total of $5.1 million in reciprocal investments.

Startups are very dear to Microsoft’s heart. As our mission is to identify and support the best startups in Africa to become successful companies.” – Djiba Diallo, Microsoft 4Afrika Innovation Lead

One such startup benefiting from this support is MoVAS Group. Microsoft 4Afrika says “MoVAS has worked closely with Microsoft to develop and scale their solution”.

To give you a background on this take a look at this video.

Microsoft 4Afrika supports Startups 

MoVAS has 12 million users on its platform across Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, Somalia, the Republic of Congo and Swaziland. Issuing loans to thousands of customers across Africa daily. MoVAS needed a platform to manage and grow their offering in a cost-effective way. Microsoft offered assistance through its MySkills4Afrika volunteer program.

MoVAS services were migrated to Microsoft’s Azure platform. Now it is possible for them to crunch large volumes of data faster, more accurately and with less human resources. MoVAS say “the results has been a 300% jump in lending, meaning even more people can now access finance”.

“Going forward, MoVAS plans to move all their hosted services to Azure. They also plan to rewrite their credit scoring algorithms to be tightly coupled with Data Lakes, machine learning and artificial intelligence sitting on top of Azure. By doing so, they hope to on-board new clients in two to three weeks, instead of the usual three months”.

We engage with startups to understand the challenges they encounter and support them. This is core to our mission of empowering every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.” – Djiba Diallo, Microsoft 4Afrika Innovation Lead 

MoVAS provides a lifeline to its customers, usually small business owners, rural farmers, women, etc. Who are able to access the previously up hill task of getting a small financial boost. These smaller businesses are also now able to sustain or grow theirs. 

There are other such stories and we look forward to sharing them with you. What do you think about Microsoft’s engagement with startups. Got a startup story to share? Talk to us. 

 

Microsoft Kaizala commercially available across the Middle East and Africa

Microsoft Kaizala commercially available across the Middle East and Africa

Microsoft’s large group communications and work management application, Kaizala Pro now commercially available in Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. 

commercially available

Kaizala Pro became commercially available recently in Kenya where it had also been in testing. Microsoft has confirmed the chat and management based solution is now commercially available in the Middle East and Africa region. Microsoft’s Collaboration Product Marketing Manager for Middle East and Africa, Oray Erkus announced this in a blog post.  

Microsoft’s Kaizala app is a mobile app that helps businesses connect with their workforce and supply chain. A platform for large group communications and work management. Businesses can organize and allocate tasks with built-in and custom Actions. They can also get actionable information and insights to accelerate decision-making.
One way Microsoft says Kaizala thrives is how easy it is to connect and coordinate work with an entire value chain. That includes field employees, vendors, partners and customers wherever they maybe.  

Microsoft Kaizala makes it easy to connect and coordinate with your Firstline workers. – wherever they are – using a simple-to-use chat interface. Efficiently manage work or collect data from individuals or large groups, even if they’re not in your organization. View built-in reports to get insights for faster decision making. Kaizala is available with Office 365 and works on iPhone and Android phone.  

Dux Raymond Sy of AvePoint describes Kaizala as a tool that “empower and make firstline workers more productive. Firstline workers are those employees who are crucial to the success of a business but don’t necessarily work at a desk”. He shares on Microsoft Kaizala vs WhatsApp and Kaizala in Office 365, if you’ll like to know the differences and integrations. 

Microsoft Kaizala is the Workplace of the Future

Oray Erkus says Microsoft’s Kaizala app is the workplace of the future. “When you hear the phrase “workplace of the future”, you may think of futuristic robotic office assistants, virtual company meetings and 4D presentations. However, mobile technology is enabling businesses to digitally transform their operations and adapt to the workplace of the future in tangible, workable ways, right now“. 

Read more about Microsoft Kaizala Pro to understand how it can help your startup, SME or large organization. As well as the benefits that come with using it. 

Microsoft’s productivity app commercially available across Kenya as Kaizala Pro

Microsoft’s productivity app commercially available across Kenya as Kaizala Pro

PRESS RELEASE: MICROSOFT LAUNCHES ‘KAIZALA PRO’ IN KENYA

A mobile app for large, secure group communications and work management 

Kaizala Pro

Nairobi, August 14th, 2018 …. Microsoft’s latest mobile offering, Kaizala Pro, is now commercially available across Kenya. Microsoft Kaizala is a mobile app that improves the way businesses communicate and collaborate. It’s designed for large group communication, workflow management, reporting and analytics, and is integrated with Office 365.
Sebuh Haileleul is the County Manager for Microsoft in Eastern Africa says the app addresses several challenges faced by many businesses across the region who manage field staff remotely.
“Mobile technology is enabling businesses to embrace the fourth industrial revolution and digitally transform their operations. Microsoft Kaizala is ideal for organisations that need to communicate with large numbers of task workers to enhance business agility, collaboration, and organisational productivity,” he says.
Kaizala also provides actionable information through analytics and reports, while complying with industry security best practices. 

Impact of Kaizala on businesses

Unlike other chat-based apps in the market, Kaizala extends beyond a mere communication function. Because many workers in the region often don’t have an email address, Kaizala only requires a mobile number to sign a user up. The app is also optimised to work on any network – including slow 2G networks. Some of its other unique features include the ability to:
1. Communicate with and manage an unlimited number of users. This includes employees, front-line workers, customers, suppliers and citizens. Organisations can create flat, hierarchical or discoverable public groups in minutes from contact lists, directories or ad hoc sharing. For users in remote areas, the app is optimised to work on slow 2G networks and users don’t need an email address to sign up, only a mobile number.
2. Broadcast and collect information in a structured way through action cards. This includes sharing announcements; photos, videos or documents; hosting polls or surveys; assigning tasks; providing training content; marking attendance; and tracking workforces using location tracking.
3. Gather rich insights from data with built-in analytics. Organisations can view results in real-time, organise large amounts of information with an aggregated view of user responses and get reports at each level of the organisation.

What is included in Microsoft Kaizala Pro?

Microsoft Kaizala Pro has premium features that include, user and group management, system integration and automation using Microsoft Kaizala APIs, advanced reporting and analytics,
ability to publish custom Actions, ability to create public groups, organisational profile and directory, and support.

Security is paramount

With Kaizala, customer’s messages, photos, video files, audio files, documents, polls, surveys, and other data is protected by encryption in-transit and at-rest. Managers can decide who has access to company data. All Kaizala data is stored in Microsoft Azure datacentres, which adhere to industry standard security and compliance certifications.
“This means only you and the people with whom you are communicating can see what you have sent them,” says Sebuh. “Microsoft Kaizala is currently Tier-A compliant and our engineers do not have access to any customer data,” Sebuh adds.
Using Microsoft Kaizala, organisations can connect with their employees and the extended value chain. The product offers a simple and familiar chat interface but goes beyond this to make everyone more productive.

More than just a chat app – how companies are already using Kaizala

Kenyan-based solar energy company, M-KOPA Solar, now has more than half a million customers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. M-KOPA Solar couldn’t have achieved this growth without providing the underlying communication and payment technology that people can access easily by phone. M-KOPA uses the Microsoft Kaizala app to connect its sales team and provide essential resources to rural communities.

The company has grown from 5,000 customers in its first year to more than 600,000 as of January 2018—more than 120 times the original customer base. The app that helping fuel M-KOPA’s growth is Microsoft Kaizala.

Another company taking advantage of the benefits provided by Microsoft Kaizala is Well Told Story, which is using the app as a research tool, putting it into the hands of their network of young people to run surveys and interviews for them. This empowers the youth with jobs and income, while also giving Well Told Story the rich insights to fuel their youth media business.

“As we roll out Microsoft Kaizala in Kenya we hope to connect the complete value chain, including the unconnected parts of organisations. Microsoft’s vision for Kaizala, is to empower every organisation and community to achieve more through purposeful chat,” Sebuh concludes.

Learn more at www.microsoft.com/kaizala.
Ends

About Microsoft
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Microsoft announce 2018 Microsoft Airband Initiative grant Africa recipients

Microsoft announce 2018 Microsoft Airband Initiative grant Africa recipients

Meet the grant recipients of the 2018 Microsoft Airband Initiative

Microsoft Airband Initiative

A ColdHubs storage ?: ColdHubs

Microsoft has announced the eight early-stage companies selected for its third annual Airband Grant Fund. This year 3 companies from Africa become grant recipients. These are ColdHubs – Nigeria, MeshPower – Rwanda and Agsol – Kenya.

This brings the total number of grant partners in Africa to 19. Other recipients of the initiative are Spectra Wireless – Ghana, VisionNet – DRC, My Digital Bridge – Namibia, iSizwe – South Africa, C3 – Malawi, Mawingu – Kenya amongst others. Last year 6 African entrepreneurs were awarded in its 2nd year. 

“As a global technology company,
we believe we have a responsibility and a great opportunity
to help close this gap”
. – Microsoft

The Airband Initiative grant from Microsoft is a partnership with equipment makers, internet, energy access providers and local entrepreneurs. With this partnership Microsoft believes the initiative will provide access that unconnected and underserved communities need to thrive. 

The grant partners receive financing, technology, mentorship, networking opportunities and other support. This helps to “scale the start-ups’ innovative new technologies, services and business models”.

Microsoft says “today, internet access is as essential as electricity. It empowers entrepreneurs to start and grow small businesses. Farmers to implement precision agriculture, doctors to improve community health and students to do better in school. But almost half the world’s population is still not online. Often because they live in underserved areas, and therefore miss out on opportunities to take advantage of and become part of the digital economy. As a global technology company, we believe we have a responsibility and a great opportunity to help close this gap“.

Grant recipients of the 2018 Microsoft Airband Initiative

MeshPower 
Based in Kigali, Rwanda, MeshPower focuses on providing energy to off-grid regions. They’ve developed a smart, internet connected, PV DC microgrid which delivers 48V DC energy to customers at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions.

Cold Hubs 
Based in Owerii, Nigeria, Cold Hubs provides solar-powered walk-in cold rooms to help eliminate the impact of food spoilage, which affects 470 million farmers globally. Their next phase of innovation involves equipping the cold rooms with Wi-Fi hotspots.

Agsol
Agsol, based in Nairobi, Kenya, is a startup that manufactures solar powered agro-processing machines for off-grid farming communities. Their machines process crops such as maize flour, milled rice, and grated cassava and excess power is used for lights, phone chargers, and small appliances.

Microsoft shares the innovative story of ColdHubs, a 2018 Microsoft Airband Initiative grant recipient 

Microsoft Airband Initiative

?: ColdHubs

ColdHubs is another organization finding innovative ways to tackle the broadband access challenge. In Owerri, Nigeria, ColdHubs is transforming their refrigerated crop storage rooms into Wi-Fi hot spots using TVWS technology. The company aims to empower smallholder farmers with the ability to earn better livelihoods. Their solar-powered crop storage facilities help reduce food spoilage, which causes 470 million smallholder farmers to lose 25 percent of their annual income. Farmers who use ColdHubs can extend the freshness of their fruits and vegetables from two to about 21 days, reducing post-harvest loss by 80 percent. By turning these facilities into Wi-Fi “Farm Connect Centers,” ColdHubs will enable farmers to get online and access agricultural training, resources to improve crop yields and marketing and digital skills training.