🛒 AXIAN Telecom Acquires 8% Stake in Jumia

Today’s Menu ☕️

🛒 AXIAN Telecom Acquires 8% Stake in Jumia
📱 Elon Musk Launches XChat: Can It Compete with WhatsApp and Telegram?
🧠 Neuralink Raises $650M at $9B Valuation to Advance Brain-Computer Interface Technology
💻 IBM Acquires Seek AI, Launches NYC AI Accelerator

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🛒 ECOMMERCE

AXIAN Telecom Acquires 8% Stake in Jumia

Pan-African telecoms operator AXIAN Telecom has acquired an 8% minority stake in Jumia Technologies AG, signaling a new chapter in the embattled e-commerce company’s turnaround journey. The acquisition, disclosed in a beneficial ownership filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), underscores AXIAN’s growing commitment to supporting Africa’s digital economy through strategic investments in transformative tech businesses.

AXIAN Telecom, which operates in nine African markets under its Yas (mobile) and Mixx by Yas (fintech) brands, described the acquisition as aligned with its vision to deliver inclusive, accessible, and innovative digital services across the continent. The company’s CEO, Hassan Jaber, emphasized that Jumia’s accomplishments in digital retail, logistics, and financial services — particularly through JumiaPay — position it as a strong catalyst for economic and financial inclusion.

AXIAN’s investment arrives at a pivotal moment for Jumia, as the company navigates significant financial headwinds and competitive pressures. Jumia reported a 26% year-over-year drop in revenue in Q1 2025, with earnings falling to $36.3 million. The decline in constant currency terms was slightly softer at 18%, but still reflected ongoing challenges in core markets and the aftermath of macroeconomic turbulence across the continent....……continue reading

📱 MESSAGING

Elon Musk Launches XChat: Can It Compete with WhatsApp and Telegram?

In his ongoing quest to reinvent the digital experience, Elon Musk has launched a new feature called XChat — an ambitious, security-focused messaging service designed to rival global giants like WhatsApp and Telegram. Introduced as part of the broader transformation of Twitter into the X platform, XChat is being positioned as more than just another messaging app — it’s a cornerstone of Musk’s effort to build a Western equivalent of China’s WeChat.

XChat is the latest addition to the X platform, and it’s already raising eyebrows for its promise of end-to-end encryption, cross-platform audio and video calls, and disappearing messages — all wrapped in a secure, fast architecture built using the Rust programming language. The feature is currently available to X Premium (paid) subscribers in a beta release and is expected to roll out more widely in the coming months.

Unlike Twitter’s traditional direct messages, XChat is a full-fledged messaging service, offering features more commonly found in modern chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. Early screenshots and leaks suggest that users can lock messages behind a four-digit passcode, activate vanish mode, and share a wide range of files securely..........…continue reading

🧠 HEALTHTECH

Neuralink Raises $650M at $9B Valuation to Advance Brain-Computer Interface Technology

Neuralink Corp., the brain-computer interface startup co-founded by Elon Musk, has raised a staggering $650 million in Series E funding, marking a pivotal moment in its mission to revolutionize how the brain connects with machines. The raise, which reportedly gives the company a pre-money valuation of $9 billion, more than doubles its previous valuation and underscores growing investor confidence in neurotechnology.

The funding round attracted participation from a notable lineup of backers including Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Thrive Capital, and ARK Invest, as well as Founders Fund. Many of these investors are no strangers to Musk-led ventures and the frontier of emerging technologies.

This significant capital injection comes amid rapid progress in Neuralink’s hardware development and clinical research. Since its $280 million Series D round in 2023 (which later saw a $43 million top-up), Neuralink has advanced its flagship product — the N1 implant — from concept into early clinical trials......…continue reading

💻 TECHNOLOGY

IBM Acquires Seek AI, Launches NYC AI Accelerator

IBM acquires Seek AI, a promising data analysis startup renowned for its state-of-the-art natural language processing capabilities. This is a daring move that highlights the company’s expanding commitment to artificial intelligence and enterprise data solutions. IBM announced the acquisition on Monday, further expanding its AI portfolio.

Notably, this acquisition positions IBM as a leader in AI innovation in both the tech and commercial sectors while also greatly enhancing the company’s technical capabilities. IBM is also prepared to provide more intelligent and user-friendly enterprise analytics solutions by using Seek AI’s potent natural language querying tools. This action unmistakably shows that IBM intends to take the lead in influencing the upcoming wave of AI-driven change.

IBM also announced the opening of Watsonx AI Labs, their brand-new AI accelerator in New York City. Seek AI’s creator and CEO, Sarah Nagy, affirmed that the company’s technology will be a key component in enabling this new endeavor. With Seek AI’s contributions forming a fundamental component of its endeavors, the lab will function as a major innovation hub for creating advanced AI applications..….…continue reading

OTHER STORIES

• Global Tech Giants Predict the End of Smartphones — But Apple Isn’t on Board Yet……continue reading

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