Ethiopian startup eQub is the winner of the fintech pitch-off at 4YFN 2024, Mobile World Congress’ startup event.
The startup’s name is an Amharic word referring to a local form of peer-to-peer credit, Michael said.
An Equb is a group of people who join forces to save money, which is then distributed on a rotating basis.
Starting with an app, it targets users among the growing number of Ethiopians who have bank accounts and mobile phones, but limited access to credit.
Making an Equb digital is an improvement in itself: For eQub members with bank accounts, they can add money without having to go to an ATM.
Investing app Grifin today officially launched its anticipated investing model called “Adaptive Investing,” which enables you to automatically invest in your favorite brands that you frequently shop from.
“Investing, and even having a healthy positive relationship with money, is an incredibly difficult thing to do and achieve,” co-founder Aaron Froug tells TechCrunch.
It also introduces a “Secret Cash” function, allowing for non-public purchases and putting more money away as cash for their future.
“I’ve been personally using our app for a little over two years and I’ve invested in 115 unique companies,” he notes.
Additionally, Grifin is planning a redesign of its app, which will include a premium version as well as an AI chatbot to help people learn how to invest.
Why are ransomware gangs making so much money?
2023 was a lucrative year for ransomware gangs, fueled by an escalation in threats and tacticsFor many organizations and startups, 2023 was a rough year financially, with companies struggling to raise money and others making cuts to survive.
While 2023 was overall a bumper year for ransomware gangs, other hacker-watchers observed a drop in payments toward the end of the year.
Record-breaking ransomsWhile more ransomware victims are refusing to line the pockets of hackers, ransomware gangs are compensating for this drop in earnings by increasing the number of victims they target.
The company also predicts that a ransom payments ban would lead to the overnight creation of a large illegal market for facilitating ransomware payments.
It’s a story as old as time: Startup founder raises giant sack of that sweet, sweet VC money.
If you throw enough money at advertising, anyone can get the growth chart to go up and to the right.
But the thing is, you need to find the right way to do growth, and that’s a lot harder.
In his new book, “Growth Levers and How to Find Them,” he makes a case for finding the right way to sell your product.
And that actually worked.
Brex and the curse of having too much moneyListen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
From there we turned to fintech (generally) and Brex (more specifically).
In short, Brex is a big company today but not one that is having a lot of fun at the moment, it appears.
(generally) and Brex (more specifically).
In short, Brex is a big company today but not one that is having a lot of fun at the moment, it appears.
YC’s Tom Blomfield will speak at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 about raising money with no regretsWhat does it take to raise your first round of funding?
That’s just one of the many topics that will be featured at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 on April 25 in Boston.
Get to know Tom Blomfield: Group partner at Y CombinatorPrior to joining Y Combinator, Tom Blomfield, a British entrepreneur, founded two companies valued at more than $1 billion.
TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 takes place on April 25, 2024, in Boston.
Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TC Early Stage 2024?
For two years, Netflix subscribers have been able to download tons of mobile games, all included for free with their subscription.
Netflix has developed more than 75 mobile games, boasting popular IPs like Grand Theft Auto, Love is Blind, Monument Valley, and Oxenfree, among many others.
Now, Netflix could potentially be exploring ways to generate revenue from its gaming business, a recent report suggests.
These methods are common (and effective) in the mobile gaming world, with consumers expected to spend $111.4 billion on mobile games in 2024.
Netflix appeared to shut down the idea of ads and in-game payments during an earnings call in April 2023.
EUR wallets also come with bank details, which means that Zing customers can receive SEPA payments to their EUR wallet directly.
When it comes to sending money, Zing supports dozens of currencies — more currencies than the ten I listed above.
When you convert GBP to EUR, Zing charges 0.6% in exchange fees.
Plus accounts can exchange up to £3,000 per month without exchange fees.
Premium, Metal and Ultra customers don’t pay exchange fees, but they pay £7.99 to £45 per month in subscription fees.
You may be looking to switch out your current budgeting app for a better one, or perhaps you’re someone who has traditionally relied on spreadsheets.
For individuals, a good budgeting app can help you save money by creating and sticking to a monthly budget.
For startups and small businesses, a good budgeting app can help you understand your company’s financial health and make informed decisions.
Best apps for startups and small businessesFreshBooksFreshBooks is a simple tool that can help startups and small businesses create a budget and stick to it.
Although it’s marketed as a personal budgeting app, Toshl can be a good tool for new startups looking to understand and manage their finances for a fraction of the cost of budgeting apps marketed toward small businesses.
Love ’em or hate ’em, NFTs can survive thanks to the communities that drive themNFTs have suffered everything from ridicule and scams to a broad dip in demand due to the crypto winter.
Sometimes it almost feels like some of the projects in the space are kept going simply on hopes and dreams.
Most people are holding on to their NFTs regardless of their monetary value, according to Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands.
Making money from NFTs validates their holders’ conviction, but Siu thinks there are more important factors driving the persistent ownership.
“It’s not a crazy idea, but NFTs make [the experience] more powerful by bonding them together.
