CDP Institute

Venture capital firms Seaya Ventures and Cathay Innovation have created a joint fund aimed at startups across Latin America that are redefining their industries and society.  The team’s first investment was made in September when it went in on Chilean fintech Xepelin’s $230 million round. As solo firms, both have been active in the region making other investments in Mexico’s Kueski and Lana, Brazil’s Facily and alt.bank, and Colombia’s RobinFood and Chile’s Fracttal.

There is money flowing into startups leveraging it to tackle real-world problems anywhere in the world, including in Latin America, but also in Africa. the two newly minted Latin American AI unicorns in Q3 were NotCo, a food tech company, and Unico, a digital ID provider.

South African tech talent marketplace OfferZen which is one of the beneficiaries of the growing global demand for tech workers, has raised €4.5 million ($5.07 million) in Series A funding from South African investment company Base Capital.

Germany-based VC firm GreenTec Capital Partners has announced undisclosed investments in two Nigerian startups – inter-city transport company T40 and logistics platform ShapShap. GreenTec has invested in a host of African startups, including Kenyan AI startup SuperFluid Labs, Nigerian logistics startup Parcel-it, Kenyan insurtech platform Bismart, Ivory Coast-based waste management startup Coliba, Kenyan logistics platform Amitruck, and Nigerian e-commerce startup Pricepally.

South African fintech startup mojaPay has launched a new app that aims to change the way people send, receive and save money. Formerly known as digiToken, launched last year to help users buy things like electricity and airtime online, mojaPay has rebranded and upgraded to offer seamless transactions and payments for unbanked businesses and underbanked individuals.  The app allows users, even those without a bank account or smartphone, to transact without high banking charges.