LATEST TECH NEWS: Rocket Internet sells stake in Jumia. 4 other things and a trivia you need to know today, April 7, 2020

These 5 latest stories from the tech space will keep you updated with trends today.

1. Antler pledges $500,000 to fund up to 5 startups battling Covid-19

Singapore headquartered early-stage venture capital (VC) company, Antler, has pledged $500k in commitment to fund up to 5 startups dedicated in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Antler disclosed this in a statement, inviting startups to propose solutions in four areas of interest that are capable of generating revenue.

Commenting on the areas of interest, Antler noted that the 5 startups would be selected from areas such as Mitigation (masks, contact tracing, surveillance, data infrastructure), Medical Equipment (test kits, protective devices, ventilators), Remote Health (telehealth, remote patient monitoring, symptom checkers), and Digital Tools (remote work, smart delivery, e-learning). According to Antler, the purpose of the funding and support was targeted to contribute towards the path to recovery from the crisis.

2. Rocket Internet sells stake in Jumia

Rocket Internet, a German venture builder, has sold its stake in African ecommerce company Jumia. This development was confirmed by Bettina Curtze, Rocket Internet’s head of finance and investments.

According to a statement, the investment firm sold its share around 8 November, when it held an 11% stake in the company, and the onset to the coronavirus. Although, Curtze declined to reveal what proceeds Rocket Internet made from the sale. However, it was revealed that the company was included in the 2.1 billion euros ($2.3-billion) of net cash the company had as of 31 March.

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Tech Trivia:

Who is known as the inventor of computer mouse?

A. Herman Hollerith
B. Tom Cranston
C. Jack kilby
D. Douglas Engelbart

Answer: See end of post.

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3. South Africa’s Denel to make ventilators as local coronavirus cases rise

In response to the pandemic, South Africa’s arms manufacturer Denel has allocated resources and expertise to design and develop medical ventilators locally as the country’s coronavirus infections increased by 70 cases to 1655. As of Sunday, April 5, South Africa has recorded a total of 11 deaths, a statement from health minister Zweli Mkhize stated in an e-mailed.

According to Denel’s plans, it intends to make ventilators to increase the capacity of medical equipment to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking on the development, Denel CEO, Danie Du Toit, noted that the project is in its early stage. “We are still in the early stages of the project, but we are optimistic that this local initiative will help to alleviate the dire need for medical ventilators that are required in great numbers at both public and private hospitals.”

4. Agritech startup DeHaat raises $12m to scale up in India

Full-stack agricultural service provider, DeHaat, has raised $12 million as it looks to scale its network across India. The Series A financial round was led by Sequoia Capital India. According to press, Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO, and existing investors Omnivore and AgFunder, participated in the round.

Read also: LATEST TECH NEWS: 5 things you need to know today, April 1, 2020

The 8 year old startup, which began to seek funding from external investors last year, has raised $16 million to date and $3 million in venture debt. The platform reportedly helps farmers secure thousands of agri-input products, including seeds and fertilizers, and receive tailored advisory on the crop they should sow in a season.

5. Koch Industries closes nearly $13 billion Infor acquisition

Koch Industries on Tuesday, April 7, announced it had closed on the acquisition of Infor, which was earlier announced in February. Although, the company did not officially announced the purchase price, sources indicated that it was close to $13 billion, putting it in line to be one of the top 10 enterprise acquisitions this year. Koch Industries’ aggression to lead markets has been striking in recent times. This has earlier been conveyed in the statement from the company when its spokesman Samuelson boasted that its company was a subsidiary of a $110 billion revenue company.

Samuelson stated: “As a subsidiary of a $110 billion+ revenue company that re-invests 90% of earnings back into its businesses, we will be in the unique position to drive digital transformation in the markets we serve.” According to the company, Infor is helping customers move to the cloud, even in industries like manufacturing, distribution and finance that might otherwise be stuck on legacy systems.

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Tech Trivia Answer: Douglas Engelbart

The computer mouse as we know it today was invented and developed by Douglas Engelbart, with the assistance of Bill English, during the 1960s. Mice (plural for mouse) originally used a ball rolling on a surface to detect motion, but modern mice often have optical sensors that have no moving parts. This term for this “Computer-Aided Display Control” likely originated from its resemblance to the shape and size of a mouse, a rodent, with the cord resembling its tail.

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