Tunisia’s Bako Motors launches urban mobility drive. 3 other stories and a trivia

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

1. Tunisia’s Bako Motors launches urban mobility drive

Bako Motors, a trailblazing Tunisian-German solar car startup, has launched an urban mobility drive after making substantial strides in the road transportation sub-sector.

Boubaker Siala, CEO of Bako Motors, made this known in a press release seen by Ripples Nigeria on Monday, October 16, 2023.

Established in 2021, the company garnered international acclaim for its eco-friendly innovations, notably exemplified by the Bako B1 electric tricycle.

According to the CEO, Bako Motors is gearing up to introduce its second model, poised to redefine last-mile delivery and introduce a novel passenger transport option.

The Bako B1, the company’s inaugural foray into sustainable mobility, according to analysts, has proven to be a game-changer in urban transportation.

Tailored specifically for last-mile delivery and small business operations, this electric tricycle features a photovoltaic panel that affords up to 50 kilometers of daily free driving.

One of the standout attributes of the Bako B1 is its affordability, notes Boubaker Siala, CEO of Bako Motors.

Priced at a modest 4,000 Euros (approximately $4,200), this electric tricycle presents an economical and environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional fuel-powered vehicles.

Trivia: Both Windows and macOS save screenshots using what image file format?

A. JPEG

B. BMP

C. TIFF

D. PNG

Find answer below

2. Sony unveils $10m to support African entertainment startups

Sony Group has unveiled a $10 million innovation fund earmarked for African entertainment startups.

Building upon its track record of investment initiatives, such as the Sony Innovation Fund in 2016, the Innovation Growth Fund in 2019, and the Sony Innovation Fund: Environment in 2020, this latest endeavor, dubbed the Sony Innovation Fund: Africa, has been designed to bolster the burgeoning entertainment landscape in Africa.

The fund will concentrate its investments in early-stage startups operating within the realms of gaming, music, film, and content distribution across the continent, with an initial allocation of $10 million.

This partnership goes beyond mere financial support, aiming to fortify Africa’s entertainment industry by leveraging the respective strengths of both entities.

Toshimoto Mitomo, Executive Deputy President and Chief Strategy Officer of Sony Group Corporation, expressed the company’s commitment to nurturing next-generation technologies and startups through its corporate venture capital endeavors.

The collaboration with IFC, renowned for its presence in emerging markets, is poised to further bolster these efforts through a synergistic partnership.

3. Nigeria’s Haba secures $75,000 in Pre-Seed funding

Haba, a Nigerian insurtech startup founded in 2022 by Constance Oshafi, Stephen Onwe, and Paul Showemimo, hasraised $75,000 in a pre-seed funding round.

This funding injection is part of the company’s strategy to expand its offerings and redefine the insurance landscape in West Africa.

Haba has emerged as a force in the industry, offering a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of both individuals and businesses in Nigeria.

The $75,000 secured in this pre-seed funding round will be channeled towards fortifying Haba’s service capabilities, reinforcing its technical team, and amplifying its marketing endeavors to extend its reach to a wider spectrum of individual customers.

The company’s vision is to empower policyholders and play a pivotal role in the evolution of the insurance sector within the country.

4. Saudi AI startup, Cycls, secures $1m in Pre-Seed funding

Saudi Arabia-based AI startup Cycls has announced a pre-seed funding round, raising $1 million from angel investors, as confirmed in a company statement.

Cycls seeks to integrate with a diverse array of services spanning industries such as e-commerce, telecommunications, travel, and personal finance.

The capital injection will facilitate the development of Cycls’ new product, “Sarya,” a chat-based generative AI tool, and support their expansion into the United Arab Emirates.

Co-founded by Mohammed Alrujayi and Khalid Alrasheed, Cycls has recently unveiled “Sarya, the Superchat,” which has gained widespread adoption among users.

Speaking on the development, Mohammed Alrujayi, Co-Founder and CEO of Cycls said: “Stepping into a world where technology understands you, not the other way around – it’s not just an idea, it’s our reality. And now, with Sarya, it’s yours too.”

Mohammed emphasizes their ambitious yet practical goal, stating, “It’s admittedly an ambitious goal, but a practical one — we simply see service providers wrapped in conversations, with zero learning curve for the user.”

Trivia Answer: PNG

A screenshot is an image taken of the contents of a computer’s screen. It may include the entire screen — including the desktop, all open windows and menus, and even the mouse cursor — or it may include only a limited selection or a single window. Taking a screenshot is an easy way to save what you see on the screen in order to share it with someone else or reference it later.

Screenshots taken of a computer’s screen are either copied to the clipboard or saved as a file (typically a PNG image).

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