African startups emerge winners of VivaTech Awards. 1 other story and a trivia

This line-up of stories will help you discover the latest happenings around the tech world, today

1. African startups emerge winners of VivaTech Awards

Three African startups have been announced winners in different categories of VivaTech’s maiden edition of AfricaTech Awards.

The organising body, VivaTech, disclosed this on Thursday in a media statement to publicise the winners.

According to the team, the initiative was supported by Proparco and sponsored by Cassava Technologies, New Energy Nexus, Orange, and Deloitte Africa.

VivaTech, which is an European start-up and tech event, was launched to bring together in Paris and online the greatest business leaders, start-ups, investors, researchers and innovators to ignite positive change in business and for society.

The team noted that the maiden edition of AfricaTech Awards was launched with the support from International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Ripples Nigeria gathered that startups were selected based on needs and solutions they provide to pressing global challenges, as well as how they promote inclusion, and foster sustainable development.

One of the winning startups, Chefaa, founded in 2017 by Dr Doaa Aref, won the health tech award, while Kenya’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Centre won AfricaTech’s climate tech award.

Clinching the fintech category, Cape Town-based insurtech company Click2Sure carried the day.

Tech Trivia: What operating system includes a systray?
A Android
B iOS
C Mac OS X
D Windows
Answer: see end of post

Read also:Germany’s Wingcopter secures $42m series A funding round

2. France’s Breega closes €250 million venture fund

Paris-based VC, Breega, has closed a €250 million venture fund with the aim of financing at least 20 companies.

Ben Marrel, Co-founder and CEO at Breega, on Thursday, confirmed the development in a statement.

According to the VC, the startup’s investors include institutional players EIF (European Investment Fund) Bpifrance, Group Crédit Agricole, Amundi, LCL, Isomer Capital and a host of other European entrepreneurs.

The Paris-based VC invests in promising European high-tech startups from Pre-Seed to Series B stage.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the new fund is the fourth fundraise in seven years, helping the startup doubled the VC’s assets under management to half a billion euros.

Marrel while commenting on the latest funding said it will help the VC expand footprint in Siberian market.

He said: “Our fourth and largest fund to date will allow us to finance later stage companies at Series A stage and above and to continue to support our existing portfolio startups as they grow.

“This new money will also allow us to expand further into the increasingly dynamic Iberian tech ecosystem, one of the most dynamic in Europe.”

Trivia Answer: Windows

The systray, short for “system tray,” is located on the right side of the Windows toolbar. It is the collection of small icons on the opposite side of the Start Menu.

The volume control and the date & time are default items in the systray and many more can be added. Some common icons that get placed in the systray are virus-scan, mouse, and instant messenger icons.

By Kayode Hamsat

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