Already operational in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, the mobile app’s founders now prospect in Europe, India, and Australia. They want to make the app a reference in the car industry.

On Feb 4, 2022, the South African start-up secured $1.3 million in a follow-on round that recorded the participation of Kalon Venture Partners, Launch Africa Ventures, IDF Capital, Allan Gray E2 Ventures, and AlphaCode. The first three investors had already contributed an undisclosed amount during Carscan’s seed round in October 2020. 

Carscan is an augmented reality (AI) mobile application with integrated artificial intelligence (AI). It creates an accurate, reliable, complete, and traceable exterior or interior scan of a car. Launched in 2019 by Obins Choudhary and Chander Prakash, it helps actors of the car market buy, sell, lease, maintain, insure, finance, and auction cars with confidence.

With a database of over two million pictures of cars in different conditions, the app's technical inspection of cars helps detect modifications, dents, scratches, etc., estimate the overall condition of a car and estimate the extent of repairs needed in real-time. The app is also useful for insurers and individuals.

Chander Prakash, the co-founder of Carscan, said the company “is working with some local and international clients and has been developed in conjunction with one of the largest players in the automotive sector in South Africa.”

Explaining their interest in Carscan, Clive Butkow, CEO of Kalon Venture Partners, said the startup has demonstrated exceptional talent and its solution solves a large problem across industries. He said the new round is “testimony to the growth of the company and the Carscan’s team’s ability to deliver a solution solving a large problem across industries.” 

Within three years only, Carscan has grown considerably. The App is already available in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. This, its founders hope to expand to the European, Indian and Australian markets. 

Ruben Tchounyabe

Under the digitalization process it initiated in recent years, the Ghanaian government announced the launch of an electronic travel card for public officials and envoys.

According to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who introduced it last February 4 at the closing ceremony of the Annual Conference of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) in Cape Coast, the new instrument aims to bring further transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.

“Since independence, public officials were provided cash for their impress when they travel. This system had many associated problems, including the risks of carrying cash and fraud in the disbursement of impress […] Today, that era is coming to an end with my launch of the e-Travel Card to facilitate the cashless disbursement of travel allowance and other payments for local and foreign trips of public officials,” he said.

The Vice President said the solution will eliminate the risk of carrying cash, enable the timely retirement of accountable impress, and ease improved monitoring and control of budgetary allocations for all official travel to avoid overspending. The e-travel card was developed in partnership with Fidelity Bank. It aligns with the government strategy in place since 2006 to improve governance and development through ICTs.

Adoni Conrad Quenum

Several African countries have taken on extra debt last year to improve their digital migration readiness. Investing in the right sectors is now the next important step to hit the target. To help the countries better identify the priority sectors and make the best choices in terms of investments, Sundar Pichai (pictured), Head of the US tech giant Google, suggests four steps to follow.

In an op-ed published yesterday February 7, he reported that Africa, like India a few years ago, has the potential to boost its development by investing smartly in ICTs. He says the continent is already on the right path as it enjoys a large, full-of-energy, and ICT-savvy youth.

The very first step, according to him, is to expand affordable and reliable connectivity across the continent. He believes that many Africans will be left out if they do not have access to connectivity. “We have seen during the pandemic that digital connectivity is a lifeline, helping people find essential information and connect to critical services,” he said.

He secondly suggests that governments and relevant authorities support businesses of all sizes in their digital migration processes so that the digital divide is closed. “Closing that gap means enabling businesses to move online, training more people to pursue careers that depend on technology, and ensuring that companies take advantage of cloud computing,” Sundar Pichai added, stressing that “companies should invest in products and solutions that are fit for Africa, and African governments need to adapt regulatory environments and their own development strategies to be digital-first. Small businesses need to be at the center of digitization and training efforts, as they employ around two-thirds of the continent’s formal workforce.”

A third step will be to invest in African entrepreneurs to stimulate innovation and growth. He finally called on African governments to support nonprofits and institutions striving to address communities’ challenges through technologies.

In 2021, Google made a $1 billion investment in Africa to back the continent's digital transformation. This comes in addition to several other investments made on the continent over the past four years by the company.

In its joint report with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), "e-Conomy Africa 2020 - Africa's $180 Billion Internet Economy Future," Google points out that Africa's Internet economy has the potential to grow to $180 billion, or about 5.2% of the continent's GDP, by 2025 with an economic potential of $712 billion by 2050.

Muriel Edjo

Barely two years after launching, Amitruck already has over 8,000 vehicles registered in its database, completed 100,000 deliveries, for more than 300 corporate clients.

Amitruck is a digital trucking logistics service launched in 2019 by the eponymous Kenyan startup. On February 2, 2022, the firm raised $4 million in seed funding. Led by Better Tomorrow Ventures (BTV), with participation from Dynamo Ventures, Rackhouse Venture Capital, Flexport Inc, Knuru Capital, Launch Africa Ventures, Uncovered Fund, and strategic angel investors, the round will allow Amitruck to speed up its expansion in Africa and hire new talent.

Founded by Mark Mwangi (picture), Amitruck connects businesses and individuals, who need to move their goods, with truck owners and logistics companies. Mwangi came up with the idea after realizing that the informal logistics sector, which uses archaic manual systems, was fragmenting and unnecessarily increasing operating costs.

By integrating new technologies in transit operations, the Kenyan founder aimed to modernize and make the sector safer in Kenya. Plus, the service dealt with the issue of middlemen who raise costs of services, enabling customers to deal directly with the selected carrier. All drivers and vehicles are checked, and goods in transit are insured against loss and damage to ensure safe operations. 

Barely two years after launching, Amitruck already has over 8,000 vehicles registered in its database, completed 100,000 deliveries, for more than 300 corporate clients. To access the service, customers must first log in to the platform's web address or download the app from Play Store. Once that is done, they must create their account, which will be approved. With this account, users can book a truck, van, motorcycle, bicycle, among others, to transport their goods. Once validated and initiated, users can track their goods as they move. Payment is made only after goods are delivered and the client is satisfied.

The startup - which joined, in 2021, the Ninja Accelerator program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Google’s Black Founders Fund Accelerator, and AbInbev's Budstart Accelerator program - wants to "attract more carriers and shippers" in 2022. 

Muriel Edjo