Tech

Toro Orero walks away from his CEO role at Nigeria’s Zone Tech Park

Published

6 years ago

September 14, 2018

Toro Orero quietly walked away as CEO of Zone Tech Park, a new venture builder for start-ups in Nigeria which was officially opened for business in Lagos last month to turn great ideas into products and services quickly, efficiently – and profitably.

Orero tweeted,”FYI: Last week I stepped down as CEO of ZoneTechPark. On SpeedUPAfrica acquisition I joined the Board of Directors and became CEO-but it became clearer as I worked there that I and the Board were fundamentally misaligned on the direction of the company. Yeah I know this happened fast (spending 2.5 months there…) but this decision although unfortunate was necessary. I had to stay true to myself and my beliefs. I’ll continue with the cool stuff we’re doing at DDF plus more time to focus on a new (stealth) startup I have been working on.”

Orero is the Managing Partner, DDF – a Silicon Valley Venture Capital fund (backed by Tim Draper, Founder, DFJ) investing in Africa’s most promising early stage technology startups such as SweepSouth, Paystack, Tizeti, Spreebie, VugaPay, Swiftly, TuseApp, Zagace, SliideAirtime and Startup Studio.

Though nothing has been said about Orero’s departure and or his replacement, Zone Tech Park is still open for startups and entrepreneurs to give them access to the tech hub’s multitude of services and advisers, a network of more than 400 corporations, market for their products as well as helping them to scale faster and raise more funding for growth.

Prior to its official launch, Zone Tech ran a small pilot program and has built Peerless, a learning management system that already has 10,000+ users and revenues of 100,000 USD and Outwork, a staff on-demand solution with 7,000+ users.

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Tech

Tanzania to host 6th Ocean Innovation Africa summit in February

Published

22 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been selected to host the sixth edition of the Ocean Innovation Africa (OIA) summit from February 24-28, 2025, as a flagship event within Regenerative Ocean Week.

The Ocean Innovation Africa is set to be Africa’s most significant platform for Ocean Innovation conservation, and sustainable development in the blue economy. OIA2025 will be co-organised with leading partners, including IUCN, GIZ, OceanHub Africa, Catalyze and the Ocean-Climate Platform.

With the theme, “Science-to-Solution”, the Regenerative Ocean Week will present a line-up of sessions designed to bridge the gap between scientific research, business innovation, policy, and community engagement.

According to the organizers of the event, it will bring together African ocean innovators, investors, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to explore practical solutions that can be applied across the continent.

“These include the OIA Pitch Competition, which is a platform for Africa-based startups and entrepreneurs to showcase breakthrough ideas in ocean-impact solutions, allowing them to connect with investors and industry leaders and emphasizing Africa’s role in driving sustainable ocean initiatives,” the organizers said in a statement.

Tech

Orange Egypt earmarks $52.7m to support African startups

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Orange Egypt has earmarked the sum of $52.7 million to support African startups in what is going to be the largest investment to drive a youth-focused tech revolution.

According to the company, the mammoth investment will see over 40 startups benefitting from the funds, with most of them being Egyptian companies.

‘It’s a boost for Egypt’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and a step closer to cementing its spot as a top startup hub in Africa,” the company said in a statement.

The investment is coming on the heels of the telco signing a deal with the Egyptian government to roll out the second phase of its 5G licensing.

The statement noted that with Egypt’s startup game already strong and ranking as the third most funded country in the MENA region, “the numbers speak for themselves.”

“In 2022, Egyptian startups closed 143 funding deals worth nearly $766.7 million, outpacing the $606.79 million raised the year before.

“Plus over 2,100 startups employing more than 50,000 people, the country’s ecosystem is one of the top 10 emerging startup hubs globally.

“The Egyptian government is all in on this. And since launching initiatives like Egypt Ventures in 2017, they’ve been backing startups to drive innovation and growth in the tech space.

“Orange Egypt’s latest move only adds fuel to this already blazing fire, paving the way for more opportunities and a stronger startup culture across Africa,” it added.