Circle Ventures, the investment arm of USDC stablecoin issuer Circle, has invested in the USD 20 M African Blockchain Fund run by CV VC (Crypto Valley Venture Capital), marking a pivotal bet on Africa’s growing stablecoin-driven digital asset ecosystem.

The Cayman-Islands–domiciled fund focuses on early-stage African startups using blockchain for fintech, payments, and data infrastructure. This shift towards infrastructure investment follows a wave of crypto exchange shutdowns across the continent, as capital now flows to startups tackling structural issues like currency volatility, cross-border payment friction, and financial exclusion.

Launched in 2022 by CV VC Africa Managing Partner Gideon Greaves, the African Blockchain Fund has previously backed ventures in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. Circle’s participation signals growing confidence from global players that Africa’s digital asset future will be built on stablecoin-powered utility rather than speculative trading.

This comes as stablecoins now account for 43% of all crypto transaction volume in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Chainalysis, with Nigerians receiving UD 24 B in stablecoins in 2024 alone; the second highest globally.

The post Circle Ventures Backs CV VC’s USD 20 M African Blockchain Fund appeared first on WeeTracker.

A new study by Cisco has revealed that a major architectural shift is underway across enterprise networks. As AI assistants,...

Source

Salus Cloud, a South African startup aiming to become the go-to DevOps platform for Africa’s developers, has raised USD 3.7 M in seed funding to accelerate product development and scale its presence across the continent.

The round was co-led by Atlantica Ventures and P1 Ventures, with backing from LoftyInc’s Idris Bello, Everywhere Ventures, and Essence VC’s Timothy Chen.

Built by Andrew Mori, also the founder of Deimos (one of Google Cloud’s largest partners in Africa), Salus Cloud wants to solve a stubborn but overlooked pain point in the continent’s tech stack: secure, scalable, affordable DevOps.

As more startups emerge across Africa, many are forced to either jury-rig insecure manual deployments or overpay for CI/CD tools built for Silicon Valley scale and pricing, neither of which suits the lean realities of African tech companies.

Salus Cloud offers an AI-native, developer-first platform that automates security fixes, simplifies software delivery, and packages it all at a price startups can actually afford.

Its self-service tier starts at USD 9.00 per developer, while its enterprise package, at USD 5 K per month, is pitched as cheaper than hiring one DevOps engineer in Lagos or Nairobi. Five enterprise clients are already onboard, with fintechs leading the early charge.

But the startup aims to go beyond cost-cutting, its founder emphasises, as the goal is to give African startups the infrastructure to move fast without breaking things, or budgets.

Mori says the goal is to support 50–500 enterprise teams and tens of thousands of developers by 2026. And unlike many imported tools, Salus is purpose-built for the continent’s realities, where connectivity is patchy, teams are small, and every dollar spent on tooling must show ROI.

This funding signals a broader shift in how investors are thinking about Africa’s tech ecosystem. The boom in startups is creating downstream demand for infrastructure: dev tools, cloud platforms, and scalable workflows that can handle hypergrowth without burning capital. Salus Cloud sits squarely in that opportunity space.

The post From Deimos To DevOps: SA Founder Bags USD 3.7 M For Next Big Bet, Salus Cloud appeared first on WeeTracker.

SORA Technology, a Japan-born Africa-focused startup integrating drones and AI to combat infectious diseases and climate change, has raised USD 4.8 M in a late seed funding round.

The round included participation from Nissay Capital’s Sustainability Challenge Fund, SMBC Venture Capital, DRONE FUND, Central Japan Seed Fund, and Rheos Capital Works, bringing the company’s total funding to approximately JPY 670 M (approx. USD 4.8 M), including debt financing.

SORA’s flagship initiative, SORA Malaria Control, employs drones and AI to identify and manage mosquito breeding sites, optimising Larval Source Management (LSM) by reducing insecticide use by approximately 70% and labour costs by about 50%.

The company is active in six African countries—Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, DRC, Senegal, and Kenya—collaborating with governments and institutions to implement drone-based malaria control and AI-powered disease forecasting systems .

The new funding will be utilised to enhance AI algorithms for infectious disease prediction, expand field operations across African partner countries, strengthen partnerships with international institutions and governments, and improve drone systems and local deployment capabilities.

SORA’s approach has garnered international recognition, including being awarded the iF Social Impact Prize for its innovative use of drones and AI in combating malaria.

This investment shows growing international recognition of SORA’s mission to build resilient, technology-enabled infrastructure for global health and climate resilience. The participation of sustainability-focused investors reflects strong alignment with SORA’s values and long-term vision.

As the intersection of public health, climate action, and technology becomes a key priority in sustainable development, SORA Technology stands in a unique position, leveraging advanced technology to address pressing global challenges.

The post SORA Technology Secures USD 4.8 M For AI-Driven Drone Health Infrastructure In Africa appeared first on WeeTracker.

25 years of cybersecurity experience and firsthand observations from his inaugural trip to Ghana in 2023 painted a sobering picture...

Source