HexGn launches virtual accelerator programme for African entrepreneurs. 2 other things and a trivia

These latest stories from the tech space will keep you updated with trends today.

1. HexGn launches virtual accelerator programme for African entrepreneurs

HexGn, globally-renowned virtual accelerator, has announced the launching of its flagship Startup Ready programme for African entrepreneurs.

The initiative, Startup Ready, comes in partnership with Lagos-based hubs Passion Incubator, Leadspace, and HubOne by First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

Startup Ready is an online acceleration programme created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs to help participants transform ideas into businesses.

According to press, the idea is aimed at anyone in the early stages of building a company with global ambitions, with the programme helping early-stage entrepreneurs release MVPs in order to receive feedback and gain validation.

The three-month programme activities are focused on helping participants refine their concept, solidify their business model and enhance their readiness level for global investors.

Tech Trivia: Who launched the very first website?

A. Xerox

B. CERN

C. Stanford

D. MIT

Answer: See end of post.

2. Ethiopian fintech startup ArifPay secures $3.5m funding

Newly-launched ArifPay, Ethiopia’s first mobile point of sale (MPOS) system, has secured $3.5 million in funding.

The funding, which is expected to facilitate the startup’s nationwide expansion, came from 31 individual investors.

Press noted that the startup was built by the team behind taxi app ZayRide, explaining that it was established as a business in February.

READ ALSO: Savannah Fund launches $25m fund for African startups. 2 other things and a trivia

According to the board, it hopes to launch operations in April once it receives its licence from the National Bank of Ethiopia – the first one for a fintech startup in the country.

ArifPay has developed an MPOS system that will allow ATM cardholders to make electronic transactions on smartphones, and aims to deliver convenient, innovative, safe and secure payment processing services and platforms to the Ethiopian market.

3. Rwanda’s Inuma launches smart city solutions to residents of Kigali

Rwandan startup Inuma Technology has launched a portfolio of solutions designed to bring the concept of the smart city to Kigali’s residents.

The four-year-old startup has developed a host of products with a common goal – of providing smart and “radically helpful” solutions to Rwandans.

It focused on smart city solutions including Inumastore, a drop-shipping service linking Amazon.com with Kigali.

The startup’s Inuma Smart House looks into creating connected homes with a smart assistant.

Another solution the startup is offering is Inuma GPS, which is a fleet services, asset management, and wildlife tracking solution.

By developing solutions locally, Inuma is looking to overcome smart city challenges as it looks to take on venture capital this year.

Tech Trivia Answer: CERN

Proposed by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee in March 1989, the World Wide Web (WWW) was invented as a means of sharing information between scientists. Within a year- and- a- half, Berners-Lee built the web’s early infrastructure including HTTP and HTML.

The first website was hosted for employees on Berners-Lee’s NeXT computer at CERN’s Geneva headquarters on December 20, 1990, before being publicly announced through an alt.hypertext Usenet posting on August 6, 1991.

Currently hosted at https://info.cern.ch, the first website provided instructions accessing documents and setting up your own server.

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