Why Africa?A lot has been written about the emerging tech ecosystem in Africa recently. After reading multiple articles and books including “The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa’s Economic Miracle“ by Ashish Thakkar, we were inspired to see it for ourselves. Danny from our team booked a one-way ticket to Sub-Saharan Africa, and arranged to meet with… Continue reading Opportunities, Insights And Observations On African Tech Innovation In 2017
Author: DannyOBrien
“Reporting in America is strong right now”
We started our Future-C conference this week with a warmup discussion at the Ford Foundation in midtown Manhattan. Joi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab, and journalist Jeff Howe, presented their book Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future. As the director of the MIT Media Lab and a director on the board of the… Continue reading “Reporting in America is strong right now”
Facebook Launches TV App
Facebook this week announced the launch of their new TV app which will let Facebook users watch videos from their friends and their “liked” pages on TV, as well as watching the top live videos. Facebook also said that it will recommend videos based on ones users have already watched. The app will be available on Apple TVs,… Continue reading Facebook Launches TV App
5 African Startups solving African Problems
I’m sitting in a bar next to the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali, Rwanda as I write this article. The hotel is a bland 4-star hotel no different from any other you could see anywhere in the world. However, if you have ever seen the film Hotel Rwanda, you will know the significance of… Continue reading 5 African Startups solving African Problems
The Future of Media
Recently, Jon Steinberg, founder and CEO of Cheddar (“the CNBC for millennials”), and Adam Singolda, founder and CEO of Taboola (a content discovery platform that will achieve $500M+ revenue in 2016), met to discuss the future of media. The conversation, held at Knotel in downtown Manhattan, was wide-ranging. The two men discussed content in an… Continue reading The Future of Media
Addis Ababa: A City Under Construction
Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) was the first stop on the trip. While the tech ecosystem here is not as advanced as others in Africa such as Nairobi or Kigali, there is a bright future ahead when you consider some of the macro factors.At present, almost everything is imported. Even things they don’t need to such as… Continue reading Addis Ababa: A City Under Construction
Highlights from Asia: VR
[WIT Asia series] Want to know what tech we will be using in 2 years time? Chances are it’s already in Shenzhen’s electronics market. We constantly hear of the new innovations coming out of Asia, but to truly understand what’s going on, you have to witness it. The proliferation of VR technology was unmistakable. Everyone from… Continue reading Highlights from Asia: VR
World Innovation Tour Asia: Shenzhen
[WIT Asia series] We arrived in Shenzhen taking the train from Hong Hum in Hong Kong. Transfer time to the border is about 45 minutes and getting a 5 day entry visa takes another 45 mins approx. The price of this visa varies by country but is no more than $50 USD. US Citizens were… Continue reading World Innovation Tour Asia: Shenzhen
World Innovation Tour Asia: Hong Kong
[WIT Asia series] Hong Kong is a short two hour flight from Taipei and is a city that has many advantages for international companies who wish to do business there. It truly feels like a crucible where Chinese and western culture meet. You have the international brands, the Starbucks, but also the delights of Chinese… Continue reading World Innovation Tour Asia: Hong Kong
World Innovation Tour Asia: Taiwan
[WIT Asia series] The first stop on our World Innovation tour was Taipei, a 16 hour direct flight from New York. Given the ease of access and somewhat westernized culture that exists, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Taiwan is renowned as a route into mainland China for US companies. Give the recognition as a state by… Continue reading World Innovation Tour Asia: Taiwan