Cameroonian start-up Agrix Tech has developed a mobile app that helps farmers to prevent and treat crop diseases utilising machine learning technologies. Founded in August 2018, Agrix Tech is using mobile and machine learning technologies to overcome vital agricultural challenges on the continent.
Business is booming in Latin America: Startups raised $9.3 billion in the first six months of 2021, and the region has produced a record number of unicorns, including Nubank, Rappi and iFood. The growth has caught the eyes and pockets of foreign investors, too, with SoftBank announcing its Latin America Fund II, committing $3 billion to tech companies there.
Nigerian blockchain-based Wi-Fi sharing start-up Wicrypt has closed a strategic US$1.5 million funding round to help it expand into new countries. Wicrypt is a decentralised mobile internet sharing and monetisation network that allows anyone to get paid for sharing their Wi-Fi. Users download the Wicrypt app and provide Wi-Fi through their mobile device or by purchasing a unique, custom-built Wicrypt Hotspot Creator device.
Netherlands-based retention management platform Retail Rocket just raised a $24 Million Series A, and immediately spent some of it to buy Sailplay, a New York-based marketing automation vendor that will grow its U.S. presence. Retail Rocket builds unified customer profiles in a module it charmingly calls Data Warehouse, and has other modules for AI-driven personalization, segmentation, and campaign management. The company has more than 1,000 global clients across Europe and South America.