💰 Sabou Capital to Invest Up to $1.5M in 25 African SMEs

Today’s Menu ☕️

💰 Sabou Capital Plans to Invest Up to $1.5M in 25 African SMEs Across Key Sectors
📺 MTN to Launch Streaming Platform to rival Netflix, Showmax
💵 IFC Invests $12 Million in Pee Cee Holding to Launch Sierra Leone’s First Large-Scale Onion Farm
🏆 EyOne’s Henri Ousmane Gueye Wins $300K Grand Prize at 2024 Africa’s Business Heroes competition
🤖 Midjourney Launches Alpha Test of V7 Model, Featuring Personalization, Draft Mode, and Enhanced Image Quality

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💰 FUNDING

Sabou Capital Plans to Invest Up to $1.5M in 25 African SMEs Across Key Sectors

African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often caught between being too large for microfinance and too unconventional for venture capital. Sabou Capital, a newly launched fund led by entrepreneur Surayyah Ahmad, is stepping in to fill that gap—bringing smart capital and tailored support to the region’s most promising businesses.

The fund plans to invest between $350,000 and $1.5 million in 25 SMEs across agriculture, agro-processing, renewable energy, supply chain, logistics, and climate-aligned sectors. Its unique approach combines funding with operational assistance, targeting businesses that are ready to scale but lack access to structured private investment.

Unlike traditional VC funds chasing tech unicorns, Sabou positions itself as a micro-private equity firm, investing in companies that leverage technology to enhance operations, rather than those developing tech products as their core....…continue reading

📺 VIDEO STREAMING

MTN to Launch Streaming Platform to rival Netflix, Showmax

MTN Group, the continent’s largest mobile network operator, announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with UK-based video software giant Synamedia to develop a new streaming platform tailored to African audiences.

According to the telecoms giant, this new platform is designed to address a growing appetite for video content among African users, while also promoting digital inclusion. It will offer a hybrid model of live TV and on-demand video, blending traditional and modern viewing habits into a seamless digital experience.

MTN’s move places it in direct competition with established players like Showmax, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Disney+, all of which have been expanding their African footprints. However, MTN and Synamedia are betting that their local-first approach, combined with their deep market reach, will give them a competitive edge.......…continue reading

🧑🏽‍💻 TRAININGS 

Get Ready for upcoming Product Trainings from Tenth Code Media this April

As we enter a new quarter, it's the perfect time to refocus, set goals, and invest in career growth. Our upcoming training offers valuable insights into product development and design, equipping you with the skills to enhance strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, or transition into product management.

Introducing 2 awesome training courses:

1️⃣ New Product Development & Management Fundamentals
What You’ll Learn: The key stages of product development from idea to launch
Learn how to create and manage effective product roadmaps that align with business goals, conduct market research to develop products that truly resonate with users, and apply best practices in product lifecycle management to ensure long-term success.

🗓️ Date: Wednesday 10th – Thursday 11th April, 2025
📍Location: Canton Concourse, Oniru, Victoria Island - Lagos. 
✍🏽Registration Link: bit.ly/TCNPD0425 

2️⃣ Product Design Fundamentals
What You’ll Learn: The principles of user-centered design
Learn how to transform ideas into wireframes and prototypes, master essential UI/UX design tools and techniques, and gain industry insights to kickstart or advance your career in product design.

🗓️ Start Date: Saturday 27th April, 2025 (6 consecutive Saturdays), 
💻 Location: Online
✍🏽Registration Link: bit.ly/TCPD0125 

 💵 INVESTMENTS

IFC Invests $12 Million in Pee Cee Holding to Launch Sierra Leone’s First Large-Scale Onion Farm

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed $12 million to support the development of Sierra Leone’s first commercial-scale onion farming operation, in partnership with Pee Cee Holding Ltd. (PCH). The investment is expected to transform the country’s agricultural landscape, boost local food production, and reduce dependence on imported onions.

The funding will go to Pee Cee Agriculture (PCA), the agribusiness subsidiary of PCH, to establish a fully irrigated and mechanized 500-hectare farm. The facility will produce over 40,000 tons of onions annually, alongside other essential crops such as maize and potatoes. Designed to operate year-round, the project integrates precision irrigation technology, modern machinery, and advanced storage systems to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance supply chain efficiency......…continue reading

🏆 BUSINESS

EyOne’s Henri Ousmane Gueye Wins $300K Grand Prize at 2024 Africa’s Business Heroes competition

After two previous attempts, Senegalese entrepreneur Henri Ousmane Gueye has finally claimed the spotlight as the grand prize winner ($300,000) of the 2024 Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, a major continental initiative recognizing entrepreneurs driving positive change across Africa.

Henri, a trained software engineer with a clear vision for digital transformation in healthcare, leads Eyone, a health-tech company revolutionizing access to medical records in Senegal. His win is not just a personal milestone—it’s a victory for innovation in African healthcare.

Selected from nearly 20,000 applicants, Henri emerged victorious among ten finalists who pitched their businesses at the ABH Grand Finale in Kigali, Rwanda, competing for a share of $1.5 million in grant funding.........…continue reading

 🤖 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Midjourney Launches Alpha Test of V7 Model, Featuring Personalization, Draft Mode, and Enhanced Image Quality

Midjourney, the AI-powered visual generation platform known for pushing the boundaries of imagination, has announced the alpha release of its highly anticipated V7 model, inviting the community to test-drive a host of powerful new features. From smarter text interpretation to image realism upgrades and game-changing iteration tools, V7 sets a new benchmark in AI-generated art.

The team behind Midjourney describes V7 as their most advanced model yet. Designed to deliver superior coherence, higher-resolution details, and enhanced texture rendering, V7 makes a noticeable leap in generating lifelike images. Whether it’s hands, bodies, or complex objects, the new model produces more consistent results with fewer common errors that have previously challenged AI-generated visuals.

Image prompts also see a significant upgrade, and text prompts benefit from improved interpretability, allowing users to express their creative ideas with more nuance and clarity.........continue reading

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