Month: December 2021

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. As is tradition on the show, we used the last episode of the year to make predictions about the next year. To continue an annual tradition, Grace and Chris joined Natasha and Mary
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Two years ago, the African tech ecosystem saw newfound attention from global players that translated to the continent’s best year of receiving venture capital. From varying sources, it is estimated up to $2 billion went into African tech startups in 2019. With high-profile visits from the most famous Jacks (Ma and Dorsey), a long-awaited first
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Koko Networks, a Kenya-based bio-fuel technology enterprise has extended its business to cover other fast-moving consumer goods, through a new tech platform that will capitalize on its established distribution networks in low-income neighborhoods. Koko Club, its new business-line, will sell the products directly to consumers through the dukas (small shops) that currently serve as the
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Epic Games Fans of Fortnite looking to brighten their holidays by playing the battle royale game met with problems Wednesday, as things went dark for several hours. “Fortnite game servers are currently offline while we investigate a solution to stability issues,” said a noon PT tweet from the Fortnite Status account on Twitter. An earlier
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A few years ago, VCs were expected to perform extensive due diligence on startups. Investors dove into financials, called customers and vetted founders. But power has now shifted toward the founders after a long run of investors holding more than half the power thanks to the commoditization of capital. The pace at which deals were
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As someone who covers Southeast Asia startups and funding stories, the best word I can think of to describe 2021 is “whoa!” This was the year that global investors not only started to pay close attention to the region’s tech ecosystems, but also began putting real money into them. Backed by international LPs, Southeast Asia-focused
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As a remote island nation in the middle of the South Pacific, New Zealand is experiencing the stirrings of a burgeoning startup scene. The country has historically been capital-starved, but recent investments from the government and foreign investors have significantly increased access to early-stage venture capital funding. Now, certain industries are emerging as potential areas
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This official Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death print bugs me. Xbox Watching Xbox’s Power On documentary, released last week for free on YouTube, was a delightfully nostalgic journey through Microsoft’s 20 years in the game console market. A wide variety of interviewees and an honest assessment of the brand’s highs and lows make the six-part
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Tesla’s infotainment screen has offered video games for years, but in late 2020, the company enabled them while driving. Tesla Tesla is formally under investigation by the US government over video games. The electric car manufacturer has drawn the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because its vehicles currently allow occupants to play
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