Kenya’s Mazi Mobility launches flagship electric motorcycle fleet. 2 other things and a trivia

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

1. Kenya’s Mazi Mobility launches flagship electric motorcycle fleet

Electric vehicle (EV) mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) startup, Mazi Mobility, on Wednesday, launched its electric motorcycle service.

The Nairobi-based startup launched the new venture as a clean, affordable and efficient form of public transport for local commuters.

According to Jesse Forrester, Co-Founder, and CEO at Mazi Mobility, the tech startup is committed to a sustainable future, informing it to implement its new fleet of electric motorcycles to reaffirm its commitment to the environment.

He said: “Mazi is not just an EV company, we are advocates for a sustainable mass mobility change.

“At Mazi, we believe that Africans should be able to move efficiently, and affordably across cities at less than the price of personal vehicle ownership while reducing CO2 emissions.

“What industry is better to see this change than the boda one? Mazi is taking a long approach to mobility, we don’t want to just have the same status quo but with electric vehicles. At Mazi we move people, data, and things. Twende Kazi na Mazi!”

Tech Trivia: The first photo shot by a camera took how many hours to shoot?

A. 2 minutes
B. 2 hours
C. 8 minutes
D. 8 hours

Answer: See end of post.

2. Uganda Green Enterprise Finance Accelerator opens call for applications

Ugandan green enterprises can apply for up to $100k funding support as the Uganda Green Enterprise Finance Accelerator (UGEFA) opens new edition.

The UGEFA is a four-year European Union (EU)-funded project supporting green enterprises with access to tailored loans and direct acceleration support.

The programme is open to enterprises looking to raise between US$10,000 to US$100,000 in financing.

The accelerator is expected to provide successful applicants with targeted support to refine their business and financial plans which support the enterprise’s loan application.

In a statement available to journalists, the organisers noted that the enterprises are matched with partner banks to access discounted loans designed to meet their financial needs.

The statement reads: “We envision a sustainable transition to a green economy driven by SMEs that work together with financial institutions to build and scale innovative products and services, and create jobs in green sectors.

“Our approach combines capacity building of post-revenue, scalable green enterprises and co-creation with financial institutions to facilitate access to tailored missing middle finance.”

READ ALSO: AlphaCode awards R2-m to support Fintech startups. 2 other things and a trivia

3. Egyptian Bosta secures $6.7m Series A funding round

Last mile delivery company Bosta has announced raising a US$6.7 million Series A funding round to scale its operations and expand into the GCC.

The Egyptian startup was founded in 2017 by Mohamed Ezzat and Ahmed Gaber to provide a full-stack delivery solution for e-commerce companies.

According to its business model, the product simplifies logistics, allowing its customers to have full control over the delivery process.

Today, Bosta currently serves more than 2,200 businesses, covering all of Egypt.

Till date, the company has delivered more than four million parcels, half of which have been completed since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The new US$6.7 million Series A funding round was led by global VC fund Silicon Badia, and saw participation from 4DX Ventures, Plug and Play Ventures, Wealthwell VC and Khawarizmi VC, as well as other regional and global investors.

Tech Trivia Answer: 8 hours

If you were to have your picture taken by the very first camera, you’d need to sit still for 8 hours.

The photo, taken by French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 or 1827, captures the view outside his window in Burgundy. He snapped the shot with a camera obscura by focusing it onto a pewter plate, with the whole process taking him about eight hours.

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