CDP Institute

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has today launched a US$225 million venture capital platform to back early-stage startups in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, and Pakistan.

New York-based venture platform Modus has launched Modus Africa, a venture capital fund for AI and blockchain startups across sub-Saharan Africa. The fund is expected to reach its first close in the first quarter of next year.

Lentra, an Indian embedded AI-based finance startup, has raised $60 million — a Series B that values the startup at “over $400 million. Existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners and Susquehanna International Group (SIG) led the round with strategic participation also from Citi Ventures, a subsidiary of the New York-based investment banking giant Citigroup.

As Bharti Airtel rolls out 5G services in select cities in India, Cloud major Oracle is busy helping the telecom operator in its digital metamorphosis, internally as well as externally, to serve its stakeholders and customers better as it transitions from 4G to 5G. Oracle and Airtel announced new cloud and data centre deals to help boost digital economy and empower 1 million enterprise customers.

Contentstack, India’s largest homegrown content management system and composable architecture pioneer, has announced $80 million in Series C funding.  The Company will use the funds to continue supporting enterprise companies on their path to composable, empowering them to meet consumer demand for omnichannel and personalized experiences.

Antavo, closed a Series A round at €10 million led by Euroventures alongside Lead Ventures, iEurope, Innovation Nest and private investors. The new investment will enable Antavo to continue reinvesting in its technology for greater omnichannel capabilities and superior integration, while expanding its global presence. In 2022, the company signed major global brand customers including BMW, KFC, Kathmandu and BrewDog, resulting in 3.2X year-on-year growth and a 3-fold increase in headcount.

Dialpad for Good, which has increased tech accessibility for businesses throughout Canada, the US and the UK, is now available to businesses in Australia and New Zealand via its Dialpad for Startups program. Dialpad for Startups helps startups and their backers by removing communication obstacles and freeing up time and resources to focus on product development, including acquiring customers, and hiring talent. Eligible businesses accepted into the program will receive an award-winning business communication package, encompassing seamless and reliable voice calls, business text messaging, and video conferencing.