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Afreximbank Becomes Official Partner of African Energy Week 2022

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4 years ago

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Afreximbank

Through the partnership, a new era of energy deals, intra-African trade local content and making energy poverty history in Africa is on the horizon

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 25, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has officially partnered with the continent’s premier energy event, African Energy Week (AEW) 2022 (AECWeek.com) – which takes place from October 18-21 in Cape Town – in a move expected to reawaken a new era of deal-signing, local content and multi-sector expansion. Under a mandate to make energy poverty history in Africa by 2030, the partnership will see both AEW and Afreximbank uniting the power of investment and value creation, driving stronger energy developments in 2022 and beyond.

As a leading pan-African financial services provider, Afreximbank has established itself as a major player and key facilitator of Africa’s trade finance sector. From funding key projects to creating opportunities for capital partnerships and deals, the bank has and continues to drive multi-sector growth in Africa. On the energy front, the bank has emerged as a top financial services provider, with notable deals including the $200 million loan facility agreement signed with the Egyptian General Petroleum Company to enhance the expansion of power generation and distribution in Egypt; $400 million in loans and guarantees to support Mozambique’s liquified natural gas project; $700 million to support Sudan’s energy and communications expansion; $250 million credit to Trans Niger Oil and Gas Ltd to help facilitate the acquisition of a 45% stake in the OML 17 onshore oilfield; and a $500 million financing facility to assist the government of South Sudan in power transmission, infrastructure and agriculture projects. With the partnership, both AEW and the bank are committed to seeing even more deals on the table, with the conference providing the most suitable platform for deals to be signed, sealed and delivered.

Meanwhile, having made significant progress in financing and promoting intra-African trade and local content, the Afreximbank recognizes the need for an intra-African energy push, one built against improved trade, finance and collaboration. With the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in January 2021, new opportunities for continental trade have emerged and during AEW 2022, the bank will make a strong case for regional cooperation and commerce. Just last month, the Afreximbank Board of Directors approved the renewal of a $1 billion facility to operationalize the AfCFTA, demonstrating its commitment to financing trade in Africa. As countries, stakeholders and companies capitalize on the opportunities of the agreement, the partnership between AEW and the Afreximbank will only strengthen intra-African trade, as the bank continues to finance the growth of the continent alongside AEW.

The Afreximbank, alongside initiatives like Team Energy Africa will be key for ensuring Africa realizes the full potential of its energy and economic sectors

On the local content front, the Afreximbank has advanced the role of local companies in Africa’s energy future, providing critical capital required for growth, asset acquisition and expansion. By providing funding to both new and mature enterprises, covering both the energy and trade spectrums, the bank represents a key driver of the continent’s economic expansion.

In strengthening capacity building and local content, last week the Afreximbank announced a grant to the Grand Africa Initiative to train 200 young African entrepreneurs on business and intra-African trade for three months while the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board announced that the Afreximbank invested more than $42 billion in support of African businesses between 2016 and 2020. With this number expected to grow as the bank continues its local content and intra-African development drive, AEW 2022 offers a platform to invest, partner and progress.

“This partnership is what the African energy sector needs at this time. With significant, untapped resources covering the entire energy spectrum as well as opportunities across the entire energy value chain, the future of the African energy sector will be largely driven by the continent’s ability to finance its own development. This is what the Afreximbank is all about and with its partnership with AEW 2022, a wave of deals, capital commitments, just energy transition and progress can be expected,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC), adding that, “The spirit of starting and signing deals will drive AEW both during this year’s conference and every conference that follows. We have already identified various agreements and consider this partnership to be key for making these agreements a reality. The Afreximbank, alongside initiatives like Team Energy Africa – aimed at mobilizing private sector financing for accelerated clean energy deployment across Africa – will be key for ensuring Africa realizes the full potential of its energy and economic sectors.”

The Afreximbank-AEW partnership will strengthen the continent’s manufacturing industry, improve local content, drive asset acquisition and African independent participation while accelerating a just and inclusive energy transition and making energy poverty history in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Week (AEW).

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Novum Studio Secures New Funding to Launch Ahoy Project, an AI-Native Enterprise Transformation Platform, Building on Its 20-Million-User Gen Z App Frog

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2 days ago

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July 24, 2026

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Novum Studio
  • Novum Studio has raised a new round of funding to launch Ahoy Project, its enterprise AI solution, with internal testing scheduled for July 2026.
  • Ahoy Project is positioned as the infrastructure for AI-native enterprise transformation – an AI-native communication platform serving as the underlying system, delivered as an end-to-end tailored solution.
  • The launch expands the company beyond Frog, its Gen Z consumer social app that has reached 20 million users across the U.S. and Europe.
  • Novum Studio said it is applying lessons from operating high-frequency social platforms at scale to workplace communication and knowledge systems.

NEW YORK, USA – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 July 2026 – Novum Studio, the company behind Frog – a Gen Z social app often described as a “new-generation Snapchat” – said it has raised a new round of funding and will use the proceeds to launch Ahoy Project, an AI-native enterprise communication and collaboration platform, with internal testing scheduled for July 2026.

The Novum Studio team at London Tech Week 2025.

Unlike conventional workplace software, Ahoy Project will not be sold as a standalone software subscription, the company said. Novum Studio provides the infrastructure and a full tailored solution for enterprises undergoing AI-native transformation, with the communication platform serving as the underlying system on which that transformation is built.

Founded as a consumer social company, Novum Studio has reached more than 20 million users across the U.S. and Europe. Frog gained traction among younger users through spontaneous, real-time sharing designed around authenticity and low-pressure interaction. The company said its experience building large-scale social “spaces” – where millions of people communicate, form groups and coordinate in real time — directly informs its approach to enterprise collaboration.

The new funding will support the launch and international expansion of the enterprise business as artificial intelligence reshapes how organizations communicate, collaborate and operate, the company said.

Novum Studio was founded by Anna Danyi, who graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2018 and began her career in consulting and technology. Before founding Novum Studio, she built multiple consumer applications and exited through an acquisition. In 2025, Forbes China recognized her among the Top 100 most influential global Chinese figures in AI digital products area.

“We spent years understanding how millions of users communicate online,” Anna Danyi said. “In the AI era, communication itself is becoming intelligent. We believe the next generation of platforms will not only connect people — they will understand workflows, collaboration and organizational behavior.”

From Consumer Social to Enterprise AI

Modern organizations face growing challenges as critical knowledge, decisions and workflows become fragmented across chats, meetings and disconnected tools, the company said. Ahoy Project addresses this as a conversation-driven, AI-native collaboration layer: it captures context from day-to-day communication to build a searchable enterprise knowledge base and support workflow coordination.

Core capabilities include conversation-based knowledge organization, AI-assisted collaboration and workflow support integrated directly into team communication. Because the platform sits at the layer where work is discussed and decided, it can serve as the foundation for a broader AI-native operating model – with Novum Studio designing and delivering the surrounding transformation solution for each enterprise client.

Ahoy (Popeye AI) turns everyday team conversations into a searchable enterprise knowledge base.

A New Direction for Social Technology

Novum Studio said its expansion reflects a broader shift across the technology industry. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram defined how content was distributed and consumed in the mobile social era; as AI becomes embedded in digital products, the company believes the next stage will center less on feeds and more on intelligent systems that understand communication and coordination.

“We are no longer just building products where people post content,” Anna Danyi said. “We are building systems that understand how humans communicate and operate together.”
 

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Energy

Venezuela Energy Week to Host Houston Industry Showcase, Unlocking United States (U.S.) Commercial Engagement Ahead of October Summit

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2 days ago

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July 24, 2026

By

African Energy Chamber

Ahead of Venezuela Energy Week 2026, U.S. exploration companies, independent operators, oilfield service providers and investors are invited to explore commercial opportunities across Venezuela’s upstream sector at the Houston Industry Showcase next month

HOUSTON, United States of America, July 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Venezuela Energy Week will host an Industry Showcase in Houston on August 18, 2026: a targeted industry roadshow designed to engage U.S. energy stakeholders ahead of the October summit. Held at The Post Oak Hotel, the showcase will convene senior representatives from across the U.S. upstream ecosystem – including exploration and production companies, Texas-based independents, oilfield service companies, engineering and technology firms, commercial banks, private equity firms and family offices – to assess commercial pathways for participation in Venezuela’s energy sector.

 

As Venezuela looks to expand production, U.S. companies remain well positioned to contribute technical expertise, capital and operational capabilities across the upstream value chain. Chevron’s longstanding presence in the country highlights the continued importance of U.S. industry participation, while the scale of Venezuela’s resource base continues to attract interest from major international energy companies, including ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. Opportunities extend across exploration, field development, production optimization, infrastructure rehabilitation and digital modernization as Venezuela seeks to strengthen its energy sector.

 

Demand is also expected to grow for oilfield service companies, engineering firms, technology providers and financial institutions that can support upstream investment and project execution. Companies including SLB, Halliburton and Baker Hughes have been identified as potential partners in advancing production optimization and infrastructure rehabilitation, while commercial banks, private equity firms and family offices will play an important role in financing future investment opportunities.

 

Against this backdrop, the Houston Industry Showcase will provide a structured engagement platform at a time when select international operators continue to operate under U.S. Treasury-authorized frameworks, and where policy considerations in the U.S. continue to shape engagement parameters in Venezuela’s energy sector.

 

The event will enable U.S. exploration companies, independent operators, oilfield service providers and investors to assess technical and commercial pathways across exploration, field services, project delivery and broader supply chain opportunities, while supporting early-stage dialogue between international investors and Venezuela-focused stakeholders in a structured commercial environment ahead of the October summit.

 

To register for the Houston Industry Showcase on August 18, visit www.venezuelaenergyweek.com/rsvp-houston. To learn more about delegate, sponsorship and partnership opportunities for the showcase or to secure your place at Venezuela Energy Week 2026 in Caracas this October, contact info@venezuelaenergyweek.com.

 

Supporting Venezuela’s Earthquake Recovery

 

Our thoughts are with the people and communities affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. As the country begins the long process of recovery, we encourage members of the global energy community to support relief and reconstruction efforts through the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela, which channels contributions from individuals, companies and organizations to emergency assistance, essential services and long-term rebuilding efforts.

 

To learn more or make a contribution, please visit the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela (https://apo-opa.co/4fM0rLr).

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Business

Africa Trade Gateway Delivers US$5.3-Million Cross-Border Transaction in First Energy Sector Trade in Southern Africa

Published

2 days ago

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July 24, 2026

By

Afreximbank

The transaction represents an important milestone for both the participating institu-tions and the ATG ecosystem as it marked Innbucks Microbank’s first completed transaction through the platform and the ATG’s first recorded energy-sector transac-tion in Southern Africa

HARARE, Zimbabwe, July 23, 2026/APO Group/ –A US$5.3-million cross-border fuel (gasoil) trade transaction has been successfully completed with support of the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank’s) (www.Afreximbank.com) flagship digital trade ecosystem, demonstrating the value and efficacy of the Gateway in powering African trade.

The transaction, which saw Zimbabwean fuel importer Witeva Trading source a gasoil shipment from a leading commodity trader and supplier in Switzerland, with Innbucks Microbank Ltd. participating as the local issuing financial institution and Afreximbank providing confirmation support under agreed trade finance structure, demonstrates how African businesses can leverage one connected ecosystem to identify opportunities, access finance and complete international trade more efficiently.

The ATG made it possible for the commercial opportunity to be connected to the right ecosystem participants, bringing together the buyer, supplier and participating financial institutions to support a successful execution of the transaction.

The transaction represents an important milestone for both the participating institutions and the ATG ecosystem as it marked Innbucks Microbank’s first completed transaction through the platform and the ATG’s first recorded energy-sector transaction in Southern Africa.

This transaction demonstrates the value of bringing African businesses and financial institutions together through one connected trade ecosystem

It also demonstrates how African Businesses can use a single digital ecosystem to identify commercial opportunities, connect with verified counterparties, access trade-finance support and execute cross-border transactions more efficiently.

Peter Olowononi, Director, Regional Operations, Southern Africa, at Afreximbank, said:

“This transaction demonstrates the value of bringing African businesses and financial institutions together through one connected trade ecosystem. By creating a digital ecosystem to expand access to trade finance, Afreximbank is enabling more businesses to participate easily in regional and international trade.”

Emeka Onyia, Director, Digital Business, at Afreximbank, added:

“The Africa Trade Gateway is more than a mere digital platform; it is the ecosystem that helps trade happen. We help businesses discover opportunities, connect with trusted buyers, suppliers and financial institutions, and facilitate the journey from commercial opportunity to completed transactions. Every successful deal strengthens the network, attracts new participants and creates more opportunities for African trade.”

“As more businesses, banks and trade partners join the ecosystem, every successful transaction expands the marketplace, strengthens trust across the network and increases opportunities for future trade,” Mr. Onyia added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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