byOuut - startup news, analysis for emerging markets around the world

Sign in Subscribe

MTC Namibia and BoFiNet Forge Landmark MoU to Boost Cross-Border Fibre Connectivity in Southern Africa

MTC Namibia and BoFiNet Forge Landmark MoU to Boost Cross-Border Fibre Connectivity in Southern Africa

Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC Namibia) and Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which is aimed at building a cross-border digital connectivity between Namibia and Botswana. The agreement, formalized in Gaborone, establishes a framework for cooperation on fibre interconnection, IP transit, and wholesale capacity exchange.

Flextock Secures $12.6M to Unified E-Commerce Infrastructure

Flextock Secures $12.6M to Unified E-Commerce Infrastructure

Flextock, the Cairo-based startup streamlining the digital supply chain, announced today it has closed a $12.6 million Series A funding round. The investment, led by TLcom Capital, marks a significant vote of confidence in the fragmented MENA logistics sector. The round saw a heavy bench of international and regional

Why Embedded Finance is Exploding Across West Africa

Why Embedded Finance is Exploding Across West Africa

Global Ericsson–Mastercard Collaboration Kicks Off in Middle East and Africa to Drive Financial Inclusion

Global Ericsson–Mastercard Collaboration Kicks Off in Middle East and Africa to Drive Financial Inclusion

Ericsson and Mastercard have disclosed ongoing landmark collaborations designed to reshape the global money movement and accelerate digital finance as well. At an event in Stockholm, it was stated that the partnership integrates the Ericsson Fintech Platform (Mobile Financial Services) with Mastercard Move, the company’s portfolio of advanced payment

DEWA’s Expanding EV Network Signals Dubai’s Commitment to Clean Transport Infrastructure

DEWA’s Expanding EV Network Signals Dubai’s Commitment to Clean Transport Infrastructure

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced the expansion of its EV Green Charger network, emphasizing the emirate’s commitment to sustainable mobility and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative now boasts more than 1,860 charging points across Dubai, helping to support a growing fleet of electric

Ethio telecom Taps Africa Finance Corporation to Accelerate Digital Ethiopia 2030 Goals

Ethio telecom Taps Africa Finance Corporation to Accelerate Digital Ethiopia 2030 Goals

Ethio telecom has introduced high-level strategic talks with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to develop a transformative financing partnership aimed at improving Ethiopia's digital infrastructure and connectivity goals. This discussion, which took place at Addis Ababa, was led by Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru and AFC President and

Iraqi-UAE Consortium Launches $700M WorldLink Cable to Transform Middle East Connectivity

Iraqi-UAE Consortium Launches $700M WorldLink Cable to Transform Middle East Connectivity

An Iraqi-Emirati consortium has unveiled plans for a $700 million subsea and terrestrial data cable project to link the United Arab Emirates to Turkey via Iraq. This initiative, which was branded by WordLink, is structured to transform regional connectivity and position Iraq as a crucial hub in the Middle East’

Arc Ride Builds on Nairobi Infrastructure as It Targets Regional EV Growth

Arc Ride Builds on Nairobi Infrastructure as It Targets Regional EV Growth

Kenyan electric mobility startup Arc Ride has secured a $5 million equity commitment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), exhibiting a major milestone in its move to scale across East Africa. The investment, which is a part of Arc Ride’s upcoming Series A round, will support the expansion of

The Rise of Application Security in MEA: How Strategic Cybersecurity Partnerships Are Closing the Region's Growing Digital Vulnerability Gap

The Rise of Application Security in MEA: How Strategic Cybersecurity Partnerships Are Closing the Region's Growing Digital Vulnerability Gap

CyberKnight, a leading cybersecurity-focused value-added distributor (VAD) with its headquarters in Dubai has entered into a strategic distribution agreement with Invicti Security, a global leader in dynamic application security testing (DAST). The aim of this partnership is to bring advanced web application and API security capabilities to enterprise and government

Fintech Meets Crypto: Beyon Money and BitOasis Partnership Signals New Era for GCC Digital Finance

Fintech Meets Crypto: Beyon Money and BitOasis Partnership Signals New Era for GCC Digital Finance

In a landmark move for the Gulf’s financial technological sector, a part of Beyon Group, Beyon Money Business has announced a partnership with BitOasis Bahrain W.L.L., one of the region’s leading crypto platforms. Here is a collaboration which is targeted towards securely connecting traditional finance with

FinTech Giant Valu Disrupts Egyptian Lending with Instant "Large-Ticket" Financing

FinTech Giant Valu Disrupts Egyptian Lending with Instant "Large-Ticket" Financing

In an aggressive bid to dismantle the traditional barriers of the Egyptian credit market, financial technology leader Valu, has unveiled an automated underwriting engine capable of approving high-value loans using nothing more than a National ID. This digital-first approach marks a significant departure from the document-heavy, weeks-long approval cycles that

Saudi Fintech CASHIN Secures SAR 60M to Digitalize the Kingdom's Energy Infrastructure.

Saudi Fintech CASHIN Secures SAR 60M to Digitalize the Kingdom's Energy Infrastructure.

In a move that signals a deepening intersection between petroleum operations and financial technology, Saudi-based fintech firm CASHIN has successfully closed a SAR 60 million ($16 million) Series A funding round. The investment, led by Impact46, underscores the Kingdom's aggressive push toward digitalizing its energy infrastructure—a core

Cairo-Based Breadfast Bags $50M as it Eyes Continental Dominance

Cairo-Based Breadfast Bags $50M as it Eyes Continental Dominance

Breadfast resilience in digital commerce, the Egyptian e-grocery powerhouse that began as a modest bakery delivery service, has successfully closed a $50 million pre-Series C funding round. This capital injection serves as a strategic bridge for the startup as it prepares for a massive Series C debut in early 2026

Ghana's Knapsac Reinvents Business Funding with DeFi Innovation, Sets Sights on Global Expansion

Ghana's Knapsac Reinvents Business Funding with DeFi Innovation, Sets Sights on Global Expansion

Ghanaian startup Knapsac is leveraging decentralized finance (DeFi) pools to provide lower-risk funding to B2B2C players, bridging the liquidity gap for institutions. The founders of PayBox founded Knapsac, which is promoting innovation in fund transfers and cross-border payments for SMEs in several African nations. By leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence,

Gen Z-Founded African Defense-tech Terra Industries Secures $22M Follow-On Round, Valuation Exceeds $100M

Gen Z-Founded African Defense-tech Terra Industries Secures $22M Follow-On Round, Valuation Exceeds $100M

A Nigerian defense-technology startup founded by 22-year-old Nathan Nwachuku and 24-year-old Maxwell Maduka, Terra Industries has raised an additional $22 million just one month after securing $11.75 million, pushing the company's total funding to $34 million and its valuation above $100 million. The new round, completed in

UAE Digital Education Gets Boost as Ankabut Partners with Dell Technologies

UAE Digital Education Gets Boost as Ankabut Partners with Dell Technologies

The UAE’s digital education ecosystem has taken a leap forward following its new partnership between Ankabut, the national education and research network, and Dell Technologies. The two organizations came together and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase high-performance digital learning infrastructure across the country. According to the

Cairo Becomes Center Stage for AI Innovation as Egypt Hosts Global AI Everything Summit

Cairo Becomes Center Stage for AI Innovation as Egypt Hosts Global AI Everything Summit

Egypt has strengthened its position as a regional leader in artificial intelligence by holding the first-ever AI Everything Middle East & Africa (MEA) Summit, which attracted over 350 firms, international technology leaders, investors, and professionals from more than 30 countries. This summit was held at the Egypt International Exhibition Center

ByteDance Nears $7 Billion Exit from Gaming with Potential Moonton Sale to Saudi Group

ByteDance Nears $7 Billion Exit from Gaming with Potential Moonton Sale to Saudi Group

ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent of TikTok, is in the final stages of a strategic pivot that would see it divest its flagship gaming studio, Shanghai Moonton Technology, to Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group. According to Reuters sources familiar with the negotiations, the deal is valued between $6 billion

UAE Fresh Commerce Startup QuicKart Secures $1.5M to Shorten Farm-to-Fork Timeline

UAE Fresh Commerce Startup QuicKart Secures $1.5M to Shorten Farm-to-Fork Timeline

As the United Arab Emirates pivots toward food security and supply chain localization, QuicKart, a specialized fresh-commerce platform, has raised $1.5 million in seed funding to scale its direct farm-to-home operations aggressively. The funding round, led by Orbit Ventures with support from regional family offices and angel investors, signals

New du Pay–eSewa Partnership Eases Wallet-to-Wallet Remittances for Nepalese in UAE

New du Pay–eSewa Partnership Eases Wallet-to-Wallet Remittances for Nepalese in UAE

Digital financial services provider du Pay, a subsidiary of du, has made public a strategic partnership with eSewa Money Transfer, Nepal's leading digital-first remittance company. Here is a collaboration aimed at simplifying wallet-to-wallet remittances for the large Nepalese community living and working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Fintech Giant Baobab Group Acquired by Beltone Holdings in €197.6M Transaction

Fintech Giant Baobab Group Acquired by Beltone Holdings in €197.6M Transaction

Egyptian investment giant Beltone Holdings has completed the acquisition of Baobab Group, a Paris-headquartered fintech and microfinance provider, in a landmark deal valued at €197.6 million (approximately $235 million). This transaction was executed in Cairo through Beltone Capital, a subsidiary of Beltone, marking the company's first cross-border

She Wins Africa Project Targets 1,000 Women Entrepreneurs Across the Continent

She Wins Africa Project Targets 1,000 Women Entrepreneurs Across the Continent

The She Wins Africa program led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in partnership with the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), has declared a major expansion from 100 to 1,000 women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa. This scale-up follows the success of the program’s first cohort, which

New Senegalese Platform Targets Cyber Threats Against Children

New Senegalese Platform Targets Cyber Threats Against Children

Senegal has unveiled a new online platform designed to combat cybercrime targeting children, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This initiative was announced in Dakar during the “Safer Children Online” campaign, which aims to raise awareness and provide tools to report cases of online

Zimbabwe Teams Up with UNESCO to Advance Artificial Intelligence Strategy

Zimbabwe Teams Up with UNESCO to Advance Artificial Intelligence Strategy

Zimbabwe has strengthened its partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to grow its newly approved National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy (2026–2030). This partnership was made during a meeting between Zimbabwe’s Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, and UNESCO’s Assistant

National Digital Portfolio Project Kicks Off with Morocco’s ‘IDARATI x.0’ App Launch

National Digital Portfolio Project Kicks Off with Morocco’s ‘IDARATI x.0’ App Launch

Morocco has taken a bold step towards its digital transformation plan with the formal launch of the "IDARATI x.0" meta-application and a National Digital Portfolio initiative. The initiative was unveiled after the signing of eight cooperation agreements between the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, the