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It’s a Wrap for Cohort 2 of the Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Accelerator

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The event took place on 6 July 2022 at Hotel Terrou Bi in Dakar, Senegal, and representatives from key partners, investment funds, government officials and ecosystem supporters were in attendance

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 6, 2022/APO Group/ — 

In 2022, the global tech ecosystem has been plagued with uncertainties and what seems like a funding regression. The African ecosystem has grown against this tide and African startups raised more than double what they did last year. The success of earlier-stage businesses is unprecedented! According to Africa: The Big Deal’s (https://bit.ly/3IgZxUY) Max Cuvellier, startups in Africa are breaking new records every month so far in 2022!

This is one of the reasons why Demo Day for the Telecel Group (http://TelecelGroup.com) Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) (http://ASIProgram.com), powered by leading tech accelerator, Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech (https://bit.ly/2SxNwkd) was a resounding success. For the top eleven startups selected from a pool of over 2,500 applications, the day represented the culmination of three months of hard work, great effort, and the promise of a bigger future.

The event took place on 6 July 2022 at Hotel Terrou Bi in Dakar, Senegal, and representatives from key partners, investment funds, government officials and ecosystem supporters were in attendance. Speaking at the event, the Minister in charge of the General Delegation for the Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth (DER/FJ) (https://DER.sn/), Mama Aby Seye said,

“Senegal has the honor of hosting for 3 months 11 startups in acceleration on the Dhub innovation platform housed at DER/FJ. They are among the most promising of the continent. This is a strong signal for all African startups in search of an environment conducive to supporting their expansion. Telecel Group, Startupbootcamp, and DER/FJ are joining forces to create this environment through the ASIP program, to source and support the highest potential African startups to scale. I am delighted with the quality of the talented entrepreneurs accompanied on this cohort and I invite those interested in the program to apply for the 2 upcoming cohorts.”

DER/FJ’s (https://DER.sn) innovation space, which was commissioned by the President of Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall, the DHub also acted as a campus for Cohort 2, and this led to collaboration and pilots facilitated by the government entity.

Speaking on a successful Cohort 2, The Startupbootcamp Program Manager Henry Ojuor had this to say; “This cohort was made up of a diverse group that was working in major developmental sectors that include Agriculture, Insurance, health, education, and sustainability. This demonstrates the dynamism of the African Tech Ecosystem as well as the increasing sophistication of solutions built by and for the African market. We’re immensely proud & honored to have been a part of the journey of our incredible startups and we also continue to stand proud in our methodology and process.”

Telecel Group also announced the launch of their pan-African customer-centric mobile application, “Telecel Play” at the event.

Speaking to this, Telecel Play Stephane Dine said, “Telecel Play is the only social marketplace where consumers also make money with their community. This super-app, which also includes a chat and a wallet, has been specially designed to allow you to sell and buy alone or in a group easily and quickly. This application will be launched in the B2B model by the end of the year, then will be open to consumers early next year in several African countries.”

Telecel Group reinforced its unwavering support for the development of startups in Africa and played a crucial role in assisting the top 11 in their proof of concepts and pilots.

ASIP Director Eleanor Azar had this to say:

Telecel Group reinforced its unwavering support for the development of startups in Africa and played a crucial role in assisting the top 11 in their proof of concepts and pilots

“Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program is as proud of the graduates of Cohort 2 as the alumni of cohort 1, we seem to continuously find the best businesses who will help shape the future. Current developments in technology are changing the way we live, communicate, and do business, thus disrupting traditional industries and redefining work relationships; Startups coming out of the Telecel Group ASIP program powered by SBC AfriTech have been introduced to the forward-thinking methods which will equip them with the new skill sets required for the 21st Century”.

“Senegal has been a game-changer for eCampus (https://eCampus.camp),” says CEO Cecil Nutakor. With the assistance of Telecel Group, the AI-powered platform designed to monitor educational performance has managed to launch in Senegal and is thriving in Ghana.

Africa’s health care sector has been a cause for concern for decades and Neural Labs (https://bit.ly/3ynZDFO) spent the 12 weeks of the program in Dakar and Neural Labs managed to partner with the Ministry of Health to perform clinical trials in Senegal. The startup also received a $50,000 equity-free grant from UNICEF and was accepted into General Electric’s Eddison Program.

Agri-tech Agrodata received a donation for the fabrication and installation of 200 iSmarthives. “Telecel Group ASIP and Startupbootcamp AfriTech helped us to spread the word about our innovations and because of the publicity, we managed to get multiple partners to help us optimize farmlands with the iSmartHive to use honeybees as pollinators,” says CEO Olumide Ogubanjo.

Since joining the ASIP program, financial inclusion through investment startup Crowdyvest (www.Crowdyvest.com) managed to add an important feature to their value proposition. “With the help of ASIP, we will be able to add software as a service feature to our product offering, says CEO Tope Omotolani.” This means more people on the continent will have access to our products.

Ronald Mugaiga CEO at Ecomak Recyclers (www.EcomakRecyclers.com) cherishes the deep dives that the team took into his startup, and he believes fine-tuning his business model is the reason that they were selected to join the Africa Summit 2022.

For Senegalese transport startup Parcsmart (bit.ly/3In1I9p), the program illuminated the key factors in their unique selling proposition. The team won the GITEX North Star Dubai and was selected for the Google for Startups SDG program.

Rural Farmers Hub (https://RuralFarmersHub.com) managed to close a pre-seed round of $500,000. These funds will further advance the use of web and mobile-based technology to increase agricultural productivity in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, and other countries that Segun Adegun, Gabriel Eze, and team intend to penetrate in the next few years.

Insure-tech startup Vooli (https://bit.ly/3NGJPDG) managed to get pre-qualified for 5 country government contracts and they also onboarded 30 underwriting companies. The app uses valuation API technology to evaluate premiums for insurance companies and uses information processing to create the most cost-effective and efficient insurance coverage.

Nigerian startup Powerstove (https://Powerstove.com.ng) won the GSMA Innovation Fund and has made progress with a 500,000 Accredited certification program which will soon make them the biggest Carbon Credit Buying player & one of the biggest sustainability players in Africa. The startup’s patented innovative IoT-enabled smokeless stove that reduces energy costs and CHG emissions received a much-needed boost, helping them scale.

With the help of Telecel Group ASIP and Startupbootcamp, AfriTech, Edtech startup Qataloog (https://Qataloog.com) has begun an ambitious entry into Francophone Africa, especially Senegal where students are able to access digital libraries and avoid the continuously rising costs of physical textbooks. They’ve secured major partnerships with regional universities and have become a reason for excitement amongst local researchers, authors & publishers who see the value in helping their books get massive visibility & patronage via digital libraries across Africa on the Qataloog Platform. The market-maker for academic literature for students at colleges and universities has 38 universities and colleges as paying customers and they have also onboarded more than 2,800 academic publishers.

B2B eCommerce platform Proxalys (www.Proxalys.net) has scaled into Congo in addition to Senegal. The startup won the first prize at the Free au Senegal #FixChallenge pitch event.

In his closing remarks, SBC AfriTech CEO and Co-Founder, Philip Kiracofe said: “We are incredibly proud of this cohort and how their products and services will improve our lives. These founders are delivering solutions in their local communities and scaling across Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Startupbootcamp AfriTech.

Events

The 6th Cross-Strait Sun Yat-sen Forum Successfully Held in Zhongshan, Guangdong

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Sun Yat-sen Forum

ZHONGSHAN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 July 2026 – As 2026 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the 6th Cross-Strait Sun Yat-sen Forum was held in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province—the hometown of the great pioneer—from June 27 to 29 under the theme “Carrying Forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Spirit of Endeavor and Working Together for the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation”. This year’s forum was the largest in its history, attracting the broadest participation from Taiwan compatriots and the highest proportion of young participants to date. Around 2,000 representatives from across the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao attended the event. Centered on cultural heritage and driven by economic and trade cooperation, the forum established a multi-level platform for cross-strait exchanges and collaboration while fostering broader consensus on integrated cross-strait development.

Distinguished guests from both sides of the Taiwan Strait attended the opening ceremony and noted in their remarks that Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a revered national pioneer shared by compatriots on both sides of the Strait. His vision of rejuvenating China remains a common spiritual legacy, and people across the Strait should carry forward his ideals and work hand in hand toward national rejuvenation. During the opening ceremony, Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government and the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland signed the Strategic Framework Agreement on Deepening Zhongshan-Taiwan Economic and Trade Cooperation to Promote Integrated Development, laying a solid institutional foundation for long-term industrial cooperation across the Strait.

A series of cultural exchange activities also took place throughout the forum. Participants enjoyed an evening tour of the century-old Sunwen West Road Arcade Pedestrian Street, immersing themselves in Zhongshan’s rich historical heritage and the vibrant cultural and tourism scene of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. They also visited the Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, where they studied revolutionary historical archives, bowed before Dr. Sun’s bronze statue to pay homage, and gained a deeper appreciation of his enduring ideals of “All Under Heaven Belong to the People” and “Revitalize China”. Many participants remarked that these activities provided an excellent platform for sustained exchanges among young people across the Strait and that their shared cultural roots and common heritage form a solid foundation for advancing cross-strait spiritual integration.

To further strengthen cross-strait economic cooperation and advance industrial integration between Shenzhen and Zhongshan, the forum also featured the “Taiwan Businesses Gather in Zhongshan, Industries Glow in the Greater Bay Area” 2026 Guangdong-Taiwan Economic and Trade Exchange Conference and Investment Promotion Event Celebrating the Second Anniversary of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. A total of 19 industrial projects were signed during the event. The first group comprised seven Taiwan-invested projects spanning semiconductor supporting industries, electronic components, smart home products, high-end fitness equipment, and medical devices. The second and third groups included 12 Shenzhen-Zhongshan collaborative projects covering new energy vehicle components, industrial robotics, memory chip packaging, advanced specialty materials, and integrated cultural, tourism, and commercial developments.

During the investment promotion event, Taiwan business representatives spoke highly of Zhongshan’s business environment. Zhang Congyuan, Chairman of Huali Industrial Group, which has operated in Zhongshan for more than two decades, praised the city’s enterprise service philosophy of “staying out of businesses’ way when everything runs smoothly while providing prompt support whenever needed”. He noted that this business-friendly environment has helped the company grow into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of athletic footwear.

Guo Wenhai, secretary of the CPC Zhongshan Municipal Committee, extended a sincere invitation to Taiwan businesses and entrepreneurs to invest and establish operations in Zhongshan. He emphasized that the city offers not only strong industrial infrastructure but also high-quality government services. Zhongshan will continue to provide proactive, efficient, and dedicated support for businesses while continuously improving both its hard and soft investment environment. Leveraging the opportunities created by the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, the city aims to create broader prospects for cooperation and shared growth for enterprises from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Participants and Taiwan business representatives agreed that, taking the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s birth as an important milestone, this year’s forum created new channels for both cultural exchanges and industrial cooperation across the Strait. Looking ahead, Zhongshan will continue to organize regular initiatives, including entrepreneurship support programs for young people from Taiwan, youth exchange activities, and Guangdong-Taiwan industrial matchmaking events. By carrying forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s spirit, embracing the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area, and strengthening both economic cooperation and people-to-people ties, the city will continue to contribute to a new chapter of integrated cross-strait development.

 

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Toblerone Presents ” The Ultimate Gift “: The Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski

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Swarovski

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 July 2026 – An iconic Swiss chocolate brand meets one of the world’s most celebrated names in crystal artistry to bring ‘Never Square’ to life. Creating something unexpected, something beautiful, and something that gives back: Toblerone today announces The Ultimate Gift.

The centrepiece is the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski: an exceptionally rare series of hand-made crystal replicas of the original Toblerone chocolate bar – the gift many associate with travel. Familiar in form. Remarkable in execution. Individually numbered, certified, and utterly one-of-a-kind.

The Ultimate Gift: A Global Auction for Good

From 1st July to 31st July 2026, travellers passing through some of the world’s most iconic airports (Athens, Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Madrid, New York JFK, Singapore and Zurich) will encounter a mesmerising pop-up experience celebrating both brands and, above all, will have the chance to bid in person on the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski.

Each auction is linked to the airport’s own established charity partner – organisations already embedded in their local communities and chosen by the airports themselves. 100% of winning bids will be donated to the designated charity at each location.

However, the auction is open to everyone globally. No need to be travelling to take part. Bidding is available online (terms and conditions apply), click here to visit the auction site and here for more information on the charities.

The Story Behind the Crystal Bar

Toblerone was born in Switzerland in 1908. Its triangular shape has made it one of the most recognised silhouettes in the world. For generations of travellers, it has been the gift you bring home: a small but indulgent, reliable piece of Switzerland.

To bring the Toblerone Crystal Bar to life, Toblerone turned to Swarovski. Swarovski delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. Founded in 1895 in Austria, the company designs, manufactures and markets high-quality crystals and created stones as well as finished products such as jewelry.

The two share more than Alpine geography. They share a belief that quality is not a detail but it is the point. That the things worth making are worth making properly. And that some of the most enduring objects in the world are the ones that manage to be both beautiful and, somehow, completely unpretentious about it.

The result is the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski: Toblerone’s unmistakable triangular form, unapologetically rich on the inside, reimagined as a luxury artefact through Swarovski’s crystal craftsmanship.

Iain Livingston, President Toblerone & World Travel Retail, says: “Toblerone has always been more than a chocolate bar. It’s a ritual, a symbol of travel, and one of the world’s most recognised gifts. Creating the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski feels like a natural expression of who we are: a brand that takes quality seriously but never takes itself too seriously. The Ultimate Gift is exactly that and will raise funds to support brilliant causes that help make the world a better place.”

The Craft Behind the Crystal

Each Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski is exclusively designed and developed using Swarovski’s rich savoir-faire:
Modelled on the original Toblerone chocolate bar & manufactured in Austria
Each weighs 851g and measures 305mm in length
546 individually cut facets per bar
140 hours of development and 65 hours of production – 100% handmade
Crafted with high-precision cutting technology, characterised by unmatched brilliance

The Ultimate Gift Box: Available to All

For those who prefer to take something home immediately, Toblerone is also launching a limited-edition Ultimate Gift Box adorned with Swarovski crystals, available exclusively in World Travel Retail throughout the campaign period across airports globally.

Inside: a Milk Toblerone bar.

Crystals on the outside. Unapologetically rich on the inside. The answer, as ever, to the question every traveller eventually asks themselves at the airport: “Where is my Toblerone?”

 

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Kora highlights the growing importance of payment infrastructure as stablecoin adoption accelerates

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Kora

The conversation is shifting from what is possible to what can be implemented securely, compliantly and efficiently

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 1, 2026/APO Group/ –As stablecoins continue to gain traction across the financial services industry, businesses are increasingly focused on the infrastructure required to support their adoption at scale. The conversation is shifting from what is possible to what can be implemented securely, compliantly and efficiently.

 

This was a key theme at Money20/20 Europe 2026, where global fintech leaders gathered to discuss the future of payments. Across the event, discussions centred on artificial intelligence, regulation and reducing fragmentation across global payment systems.

Industry leaders focus on practical implementation 

As businesses explore new payment rails, the need for reliable infrastructure that connects local and global markets becomes even more important

Sessions such as the live Agentic AI demonstrations and the Policy20 regulatory roundtables highlighted the industry’s growing focus on execution rather than experimentation. Stablecoins featured prominently in conversations around faster settlements, lower costs and more efficient cross-border payments.

“Kora is well-positioned for where the industry is heading,” said Tofunmi, Head, Global Partnerships at Kora. “As businesses explore new payment rails, the need for reliable infrastructure that connects local and global markets becomes even more important.”

Connecting Africa to the future of payments 

Money20/20 Europe reinforced the importance of payment infrastructure in enabling the next generation of financial services. Throughout the event, Kora was recognised as a trusted African payment infrastructure provider, with discussions focused on the company’s expansion efforts and growing settlement capabilities.

As demand for faster and more connected payment experiences grows, Kora continues to build the infrastructure that enables businesses to collect, send and settle payments across Africa and globally.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kora.

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