LATEST TECH NEWS: Nigerian anti-counterfeiting firm, Chekkit, expands to Afghanistan. 2 other things and a trivia you need to know today, September 7, 2020

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

1. Nigerian anti-counterfeiting company Chekkit expands to Afghanistan

Chekkit, Nigerian anti-counterfeiting company, has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health. According to Chekkit, the development was born in a bid to help tackle the problem of counterfeit medications in the country using its blockchain-based system. The startup, which was formed at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) in Accra, Ghana, built a platform that tracks product movement and the parties involved in the transfer of products from warehouse to distributor, and on to the final consumer.

Reviews from the public revealed that the company is an anti-counterfeiting, asset tracking and consumer feedback analytics tool. By producing tamper-proof unique ID labels, either as QR codes or numeric codes, which can be placed on premium packaged food and beverage products, it facilitates supply chain and consumer feedback tracking. Industry insights, however, noted that the startup’s Afghan pilot can be traced back to a partnership agreed with blockchain ecosystem Fantom after Chekkit was a strong performer at a challenge run by the company at the AfricArena event in Cape Town last year.

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Tech Trivia:

Which of the following is the first search engine on the web.

A. Archie
B. Google
C. WAIS
D. Altavista

Answer: See end of post.

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2. Nigeria’s ColdHubs emerges winner of FCMB Agritech EPIC Pitch 2020

Nigerian social enterprise ColdHubs has emerged winner of the FCMB Agritech EPIC Pitch 2020 competition. The social enterprise, by virtue of the win, received NGN1 million (US$2,600) in prize money as well as access to workspace and networks for innovation and collaboration. Recall that Nigeria’s First City Monument Bank (FCMB) had, in July, partnered Passion Incubator to launch the third edition of the competition, setting aside NGN1.5 million (US$3,900) to support the top two startups in the programme.

Read also: LATEST TECH NEWS: Jobberman Nigeria acquires Ngcareers. 2 other things and a trivia you need to know today, September 4, 2020

FCMB, the awarding organisation, noted that aside the cash reward, other benefits for winners include mentor support, workspace, and access to market and networks, while entrepreneurs will also have access to Passion Incubator’s resources, partner organisation support, and business development services. Before the eventual win by the ColdHubs, the application phase saw close to 2,000 agri-tech startup applications from over 16 countries around the world. A shortlist of 10 startups was published to enter semi-finals after which six from the list progressed to the final.

3. Samsung wins 5G contract worth over USD6 billion

Korean multinational technology company, Samsung, has won a US$6.6-billion contract order to provide 5G wireless solutions to Verizon Communications in the US. The contract, which was finalised on Friday, September 4, will be valid from 30 June to December 2025. While it is considered as a big win for the electronics giant’s networking gear business, it marks one of Samsung’s biggest 5G contracts since Korea’s largest corporation decided years ago to invest in networking and compete with global players like Nokia and Ericsson.

Financially, the deal is expected to lift Samsung’s market share in the wireless industry at a time leader Huawei Technologies is reportedly “grappling with US sanctions and Washington’s effort to get allies around the world to shut out the Chinese company.” Speaking on the development, the company expressed its excitement as it pushes beyond boundaries to facilitate 5G coverage. A read from the company read in part: “With this latest long-term strategic contract, we will continue to push the boundaries of 5G innovation to enhance mobile experiences for Verizon’s customers.”

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Tech Trivia Answer: Archie

The Internet’s first search engine appeared in 1989 and was invented by Alan Emtage, a computer science student from Barbados studying at McGill University. Emtage dubbed his invention Archie, a contraction of the word “archives” to fit the shortened naming conventions of the UNIX operating system.

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