Issue 103: Fire Department, Microsoft, & Idir

Apologies for Shega Weekly missing its schedule last week. Rest assured, this won’t become a habit!

As always, let’s review the events of the past week in Ethiopia’s innovative ecosystem. To compensate for the missed issue, we’ve also included news from the prior week, ensuring you stay updated on everything.

Ethio Telecom Partners with City to Improve Disaster Response Time

Ethio Telecom has partnered with the Addis Abeba City Administration’s Technology & Innovation Development Bureau to digitize data collection and improve the response time of the department of Fire & Disaster Risk Management Commission. Read more.

Jami.one Secures Investment from Renew Capital Angels

Africa-focused impact investment firm Renew Capital announced its angel investors’ investment in Jami.one, a micro-insurance startup that aims to improve financial health in Ethiopia through a digital platform utilizing community data. Read more.

Ministry Eyes Partnership with Microsoft

Two weeks ago officials from the Ministry of Innovation & Technology held discussions with senior executives of Microsoft on capacity building of artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, digital infrastructure governance, and cybersecurity. Read more.

Ethiopian Electric Utility Sparks Innovation with New Technology Centre

Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) is vying to build a state-of-the-art technology incubation center in two years with a budget of 9.34 billion birr. Read more.

Wegensend Joins Digital Remittance Market in Ethiopia

Wegen Technology Solutions, in partnership with two Ethiopian commercial banks, has introduced Wegensend, a digital remittance platform that enables people to send money to Ethiopia using their cards. Read more.

AAU Named Africa Program of the Year by Hult Prize Foundation

In its 2023 global finals program, the Hult Prize Foundation has recognized Addis Ababa University as the Africa Program of the Year. The Hult Prize is a global student competition held on college and university campuses in over 100 countries, with the goal of creating businesses that can solve a wide range of social problems.