LATEST TECH NEWS: Nigeria, 29 others make Seedstars regional finals. 2 other things and a trivia you need to know today, December 7, 2020

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

1. Nigeria, 29 others make Seedstars regional finals

The Seedstars World competition has shortlisted thirty startups from across Africa, including a Nigerian startup, as regional finalists. Each startup, in the contest, competes to secure US$500,000 in funding.

The annual Seedstars World competition reportedly received over 5,000 applicants from across the world, with 94 startups from emerging markets advancing to the regional stage.

Although, taking place virtually for this cycle, local winners are set to represent their respective countries as they compete for a spot at the global final, where the grand prize is US$500,000 in funding.

Previously, African startups Giraffe and AgroCenta have won the contest. In the current, thirty of the local winners are from Africa, with a number of those focus on e-health, namely HMO-Africa (Burundi), Rohobot Home Based Health Care Service (Ethiopia).

Nigeria’s Ladda features amongst crowdfunding and payments solutions category alongside Astech-Congo – Umoja Funding (DRC), BrilliantTS Africa (Mauritius), and Sparco (Zambia).

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Tech Trivia:

What is the website with the highest traffic in Nigeria?

A. Facebook
B. Google
C. 9jaBet
D. Instagram

Answer: See end of post.

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2. Nigerian pharma startup Medsaf announces movement into big data

Nigerian startup Medsaf has announced intent to raise seed round as it pushes to move into the lucrative big data space. Founded three years ago by Vivian Nwakah, the startup connects pharmaceutical suppliers with hospitals and pharmacies. According to the founder, the initiative was founded after she had a friend die from taking fake medication. Today, Medsaf has grown into a controlled pharmaceutical ecosystem, built to facilitate and finance the movement of medications through complicated supply chains. It connects suppliers to hospitals and pharmacies directly.

Read also: LATEST TECH NEWS: S’Africa’s inQuba lands expansion capital funding round. 2 other things and a trivia you need to know today, December 4, 2020

Speaking on the scope, the founder stated that the problem the startup was addressing is the war against fake and substandard medications. She said: “The lack of proper supply chain infrastructure drives health care stakeholders to the open drug markets to find their medications and consumables. The gap in the market was that there was no entity properly addressing the motivating factors for the state of the pharmaceutical industry. Issues around how all players in the supply chain interact with each other and the reasons why there are severe lapses within the pharmaceutical supply chain.”

3. Nigeria’s Trueflutter secures funding from 3 angel networks

Nigeria’s dating app and startup Trueflutter has secured funding from three local angel networks. The matchmaking app, designed specifically for Africans across the world, was built for singles who are searching for long-term relationships and life partners. According to review, Trueflutter was designed to be compatible with African culture and value systems, using an advanced matching algorithm, powerful filters and high-end security features. Raising funds from three angel networks – Lagos Angel Network (LAN), SSE Angel Network (SSEAN), and SGC7375, Trueflutter will use the investment to accelerate its growth plans.

Speaking on the development, Dare Olatoye, Trueflutter’s co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) noted that the idea was to build a product with people in mind. He said: “At Trueflutter, we strongly believe that people should never settle in relationships, and have set out to help Africans across the world find life partners. We know our people, understand their preferences, and have put that knowledge into building the world’s most culturally compatible matchmaking app. The backing of these networks is an important milestone in our mission to make the Trueflutter platform available to Africans globally.”

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Tech Trivia Answer: Google

Google.com, according to recent traffic search log obtainable from Alexa and SimilarWeb, is the most visited website in Nigeria. It leads the pack where betting website Bet9ja.com is the next in line.

Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, a search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware.

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