A Kenyan firm – Alatpres – that happens to be a public safety and data analytics startup has come up with a medium to improve safety, especially during emergencies.

The startup has launched a mobile solution that provides swift and reliable emergency notification and management for citizens, businesses, and public safety agencies.

Alatpres, which started operations in 2020, develops technologies to enhance public safety by empowering the public in ways that reduce casualties during emergencies.

‘’We aim to foster more collaboration between communities and safety providers as well as promoting a data-driven and pro-active approach to public safety in Kenya and Africa,’’ said founder and CEO of Alatpres, Benedict Njue.

The Alatpres app consolidates the provision of a crowd-sourced response and intelligence system through increasing community and institutional engagement in fast reporting.

The CEO mentioned that the community policing concept is the inspiration behind the Alatpres app. The initiative will propagate fast reporting and responses to security concerns, safety issues, and other events of public interest.

The app allows users to create response groups within their environment like their homes, workplaces, places of worship, and learning institutions.

‘’Alatpres enables faster sharing of alerts, intelligence and situational information to a pre-configured response group. And this method enables faster response,’’ said Njue.

‘’We believe having a pre-configured and swift response system can make all the difference in any distress situation. The goal is to limit the number of losses to the minimum.’’ Njue concluded.

Many times, finding the space that suits your needs and specifications can be difficult and time-consuming.

The stress involved in looking for a place suitable for you is one of the cons of searching for space.

Today, the advent of technology is tackling the problem of stress in every aspect of life.

In that vein, a South African startup – SpaceMatch – has employed technological tools to provide a solution for people searching for space.

The startup has launched an online platform that allows landlords to list their available spaces online.

SpaceMatch helps prospective tenants to view and secure any space they desire. This initiative reduces stress and also simplifies the rental process for both parties.

Further, the startup also allows retail, popup, and exhibition spaces owners to list their properties on the platform for free.

To secure a space, a prospective tenant must register on the SpaceMatch platform to view and apply for rent spaces that they desire.

Meanwhile, the space owners dictate how and when their spaces can be used.

The beauty of it all is that the entire transaction – including legal contracts and FICA verifications – can be completed online and concluded in a matter of days.

‘’Think about it as a matchmaking for landlords and tenants that offers the convenience of Airbnb,’’ said CEO of SpaceMatch, Kevin Singer.

‘’Retail is an industry in flux, and SpaceMatch is entering the market to provide a new platform for landlords and tenants in search of space.’’

Kevin mentioned that the website is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and contains information on industry trends.

Currently, SpaceMatch has over 120 properties listed on its platform; and the firm aims to increase the count to 1,000 by the middle of the year.

Zambia’s WidEnergy and Rwanda’s Munyax Eco have secured funding from a female-focused funds platform – Opes-LCEF.

Opes-LCEF is an impact investor that helps new startups in emerging markets to scale and grow. The platform achieves this by providing early-stage social enterprises with catalytic capital.

Presently, Opes-LCEF has a portfolio of 17 investments across 11 countries. Seven of its portfolios operates in East Africa.

Now, the platform has established the Restart East Africa Initiate – a programme aimed at addressing female underrepresentation in the renewable energy sector.

Restart East Africa Initiative is supported by other programmes like the DOEN Foundation and Good Energies Foundation.

The Initiative has now invested in two companies. And the funding is in the form of a zero per cent interest loan.

The two companies include Munyax Eco and Zambia’s WidEnergy.

Munyax Eco installs solar water heaters and has a portfolio of over 1,200 B2B and B2C clients. The firm also deals in solar street lights and photovoltaic off-grid systems.

Munyax Eco mentioned that the capital would help the company expand its product line, finance inventories, and work through the COVID-19 crisis in general.

On the other hand, WidEnergy utilizes a PAYG model to provide last-mile clean energy solutions.

The firm’s innovation allows off-grid households to access solar power.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WidEnergy recorded a drop in sales last year. And the capital from Restart East Africa Initiate is aimed towards extending the firm’s distribution network.

A Nigerian startup has developed an online platform that allows its customers to buy appliances and make payment weekly or monthly.

Besides the flexible payment option, the startup offers its customers this grand opportunity with no interest – how fascinating.

On the online marketplace, CDcare combines savings and loans to allow users of the service to pay a specific amount – either weekly or monthly – towards purchasing an appliance.

When a user saves up to half of the amount of the appliance, the item is shipped. And the automatic payments continue until full payment is made.

CDcare started operations in February 2020. And it was co-founded by Oluwatobi Odukoya and Farohun Ayodeji.

So far, the startup has shipped over 1,000 appliances across 20 Nigerian states since it started operation.

‘’Deji and I were classmates at the university. Our friendship began when he patronized the loan-a-laptop scheme that I created at the university. He later became operations manager of the scheme,’’ said Odukoya.

‘’Together, we built Computer Doctor – the first mobile computer repair workshop in Africa. Within two years, we fixed over 10,000 units of computers for firms and individuals across Nigeria.’’

‘’Some of the firms we’ve worked with include Cowrywise, Paystack, Aella Credit, and Flutterwave,’’ he added.

The pair are now committed to solving a significant problem in the country by joining elements of savings and lending platforms.

‘’In Africa, the majority of the people get paid monthly. And there is no way for Africans to make payments for purchases in instalments as it is in other countries,’’ said Odukoya.

‘’We only have lending platforms that are either difficult to access or have high-interest rates. This problem has pushed many Africans to settle for less or buy substandard products because they can’t afford to pay a large sum at once for what they desire.’’

Hence, the duo came up with CDcare – a payment plan that allows the buyer to save half and get a loan for the other half at zero interest.

‘’We make a profit of at least 10% of the total cost of each item delivered on CDcare,’’ Odukoya concluded. 

Classes.ng is one of the many Nigerian startups that leveraged the lockdown period to create something unique.

The firm is on a mission to ensure that learning continues at all levels of educations through online platforms despite the challenges faced by students due to the pandemic.

Classes.ng started in September 2020. So far, the startup has been growing steadily and now, it has unveiled its free marketplace for learning.

According to the firm, the platform comprises a list of tutorial centres, freelance tutors, training institutions, schools, universities, and programmes available for registration in the learning centres.

The startup aims to provide a listing platform for all kinds of classes. And to channel more students to the listed tutors and institutions.

‘’Unlike conventional on-demand tutoring platforms, we do not take part in the training. Neither do we receive commissions on bookings.’’

‘’The platform is a free and open medium. And we generate revenue primarily from traffic with only a few institutions benefiting from the commission model,’’ said Daniel Osi, co-founder of Classes.ng.

On average, the startup records about ten enquiries per day, and it experiences roughly 1,500 unique hits per month.

Following the latest development, Classes.ng hopes to record better numbers.

‘’We are currently operating in Nigeria; however, we have a global target. Recently, we acquired a couple of highly relevant domains in preparation for scale,’’ Daniel concluded.

iXperience was co-founded in 2013 by Rafi Khan and Aaron Fuchs. The Cape-Town based firm started as a coding Bootcamp. And since then, iXperience has turned out as a leading startup in career-focused skills training.

To scale internationally and build out its products, the startup has secured a $2.5m Series A funding round.

The firm partners with individuals and institutions to bridge the gap between traditional learning processes and the skills required in today’s evolving workforce.

iXperience has over 2,500 alumni, and it uses proprietary technology mechanism to ensure the success of students through the learning process.

The startup plans to use the capital raised from the Series A funding round to grow its team and continue its investment in innovative technology platforms.

iXperience also plans to launch programmes across several markets and develop its global strategic partnership divisions.

‘’The world is evolving at an exceptional rate, and the current education system is lagging,’’ Fuchs said.

‘’In the next century, we believe that learning won’t be concentrated on the youth alone but it would be interwoven through a person’s life as they transition across careers and life priorities,’’ Fuchs added.

‘’Our mission is to build immersive and transformational learning experiences that offer our students the best possible life,’’ Fuch concluded.