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🧑🏽‍🌾 Complete Farmer secures $2.5m investment

🧑🏽‍🌾 Complete Farmer secures $2.5m investment

Plus: 🩺 Lagos State Launches HaemoCentral

Innovation Village
June 27, 2025

Today’s Menu ☕️

🧑🏽‍🌾 Complete Farmer secures $2.5m investment to expand agritech in Northern Ghana
🩺 Lagos State Launches HaemoCentral to Revolutionize Blood Transfusion Services
🛒 Takealot Group posts loss, but eyes profitability in 2026
🏦 Ethiopia opens banking sector to foreign investors in landmark reform
🚚 Senegalese logistics startup Logidoo expands trade corridor to Europe
💃 Will Google’s Doppl App Disrupt Fashion Styling — or Empower It?

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🧑🏽‍🌾 AGRITECH

Complete Farmer secures $2.5m investment to expand agritech in Northern Ghana

Complete farmer team

Ghanaian agritech startup Complete Farmer has secured a €2.2 million (approximately $2.5 million) investment from the European Union’s AgriFI initiative, marking a major milestone in the advancement of technology-driven agriculture and rural development in West Africa. The funding, managed by EDFI Management Company, will support the construction of agricultural fulfilment centres and the expansion of Complete Farmer’s digital platform to reach over 5,000 smallholder farmers across Ghana’s five northern regions.

This investment is part of the AgriFI Ghana Country Window, a €10 million facility aimed at boosting smallholder farmer incomes through sustainable, inclusive agricultural modernization. For Complete Farmer, the capital will fund the development of six fulfilment centres—logistics hubs that will offer storage, quality control, and input distribution services. These centres are expected to significantly enhance local value chains, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve market access for farmers in underserved areas......…...…continue reading

🩺 HEALTHTECH

Lagos State Launches HaemoCentral to Revolutionize Blood Transfusion Services

The Lagos State Government has launched HaemoCentral, a digital Blood Inventory Management System, to enhance patient safety and improve the efficiency of blood transfusion services across public and private health facilities. As part of the THEMES Plus Agenda, the platform supports donor registration, blood screening, inventory tracking, and transfusion monitoring.

Key features include donor appointment booking, barcode traceability, secure role-based data access, and integration with the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP). Speaking at the launch, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi emphasized the platform’s role in building trust and saving lives. She cited past incidents that highlighted the urgent need for better transfusion protocols.

Developed collaboratively by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, the Ministry of Health, and Digital Health Platforms, HaemoCentral has also undergone a Data Protection Impact Assessment to ensure compliance with Nigerian laws. It marks a transformative step in digital healthcare and blood safety for Lagos State...……continue reading

🛒 ECOMMERCE

Takealot Group posts loss, but eyes profitability in 2026

South Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, Takealot Group, reported a $12 million (R217 million) loss for FY2025, an improvement from its $14 million loss in 2024. Parent company Naspers remains optimistic, projecting profitability within FY2026. Revenue surged 20% year-on-year to $823 million, with strong growth in verticals like Mr D Grocery and a 13% rise in Gross Merchandise Value.

Strategic moves included divesting Superbalist, acquiring M24 Logistics, and expanding its electric vehicle fleet. Takealot.com posted 19% revenue growth, while Mr D grew 11% and achieved a $4 million profit. Investments in marketing and infrastructure aimed to strengthen market position ahead of Amazon's entry into South Africa.

The TakealotMore subscription service boosted customer loyalty and shopping frequency. While Takealot anchors Naspers’ local presence, the group’s global earnings are driven by Prosus, its Dutch-listed arm. Group-wide aEBIT rose to $130 million, and core headline earnings jumped 46% to $3.1 billion, reinforcing Naspers’ e-commerce focus....……continue reading

🏦 BANKING

Ethiopia opens banking sector to foreign investors in landmark reform

In a landmark shift, Ethiopia has opened its banking sector to foreign investors for the first time since 1974, following the release of a new directive by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) on June 25. The move, part of a broader economic liberalization agenda, allows foreign banks to establish subsidiaries, open branches, acquire equity stakes, and set up representative offices under a clear regulatory framework.

Individual foreign ownership is capped at 30%, with total foreign participation limited to 40%. The reform is expected to attract international capital, boost competition, and modernize the country’s financial system, which remains largely state-controlled. The NBE will initially issue up to five foreign banking licenses over five years to ensure a phased rollout.

This policy change aligns with Ethiopia’s wider economic reforms, including debt restructuring and a $3.4 billion IMF agreement, and has drawn interest from banks like KCB Group and Standard Bank eager to enter the market..……continue reading

🚚 LOGISTICS

Senegalese logistics startup Logidoo expands trade corridor to Europe

Logidoo, a Senegal-based logistics and cross-border trade platform, has expanded its operations with a new trade corridor connecting Belgium to West Africa via Morocco. This move extends its existing Casablanca–Dakar route, creating a seamless logistics link between Europe, North Africa, and West Africa.

Founded in 2020 by Tamsir Ousmane Traoré, Logidoo offers end-to-end logistics services—covering transportation, warehousing, cash management, and last-mile delivery—integrating both formal and informal players across the value chain. The company operates in Senegal, Morocco, Ivory Coast, and Tunisia, having onboarded over 3,000 logistics providers, executed 100,000+ operations, and served more than 400 clients.

Following a $1.5 million funding round in 2023, Logidoo also launched Afridoo, a tool to support African merchants in online sales. The new Belgium–Casablanca–Dakar corridor, developed in partnership with a leading Belgian logistics firm, aims to support European businesses entering African markets and reinforce Morocco’s role as a regional logistics hub...……continue reading

💃 FASHION + AI

Will Google’s Doppl App Disrupt Fashion Styling — or Empower It?

Google’s new Doppl app, launched under Google Labs, lets users virtually try on outfits using AI by uploading photos or screenshots. While this might seem like a threat to fashion stylists, it could actually enhance their work. Doppl enables users to instantly visualize how clothing looks on a digital, animated version of themselves, even generating videos to show how outfits move.

Stylists can leverage this tool to offer clients more interactive experiences—creating quick, personalized looks without needing physical inventory. It also lowers entry barriers for emerging stylists and enhances collaboration by helping clients better understand proposed styles. However, challenges remain. The app can’t fully replicate fit, texture, or real-world fabric movement.

Stylists must adapt by positioning themselves as expert advisors who bring taste, curation, and brand knowledge beyond what AI can offer. Ultimately, Doppl represents a shift—not a threat—encouraging stylists to embrace digital tools and redefine their value in a tech-enhanced fashion world....……continue reading