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OpenseedVC, run by Europe’s first Black solo general partner, has raised $10 million in its first close. Per its LinkedIn, the London, England-based firm exists to invest dollars in operators, those previously involved in daily operations of a startup, who are launching new technology companies across Africa and Europe. “We exist to back the most talented and experienced operators from day zero,” OpenseedVC Founder Maria Rotilu wrote on LinkedIn. “ As an angel-style fund, we are designed for one founder profile. Operators just as they take the leap to start their tech companies. We are driven by *pure merit* (hence the name OpenseedVC), and our goal is to back the most experienced operators and builders as first investors, especially at a time where the need to build truly groundbreaking and impactful solutions is critical.” She continued, “It is a tough fundraising climate, for funds and startups alike. However, we believe this is the best time to invest in the most visionary and...
For those planning future travels within the European Union, your experience might become a little more interesting. Last week, the European Parliament voted to connect border-control, migration, and law enforcement systems into a database on both EU and non-EU citizens. The Common Identity Repository (CIR) will combine biographical identities, compile biometric data, and make it available to law enforcement and border authorities. In a statement , Rapporteur Jeroen Lenaers said: “Without changing access rights or endangering the data protection rules that govern them, interoperability will ensure faster, more systematic and more complete access to EU information systems for professionals on the ground: police officers, border guards, migration officers and consulate staff members, in order for them to do their job better. Better decisions can be made on the basis of better information.” Generally, biometric data refers to physical characters that can be measured or calculated. In...
In the weeks following the Christchurch shooting — which spread rapidly across the internet — countries around the world have considered implementing new laws to prevent a repeat. Australia even proposed a bill that included possible prison time for executives whose companies failed to “expeditiously” remove violent content. On the other hand, the European Union, actually passed a new law. On Wednesday, the EU Parliament voted to fine big companies — like Facebook, Google, and Twitter — if they failed to quickly remove requested content. Under the law, “terrorist content,” should be removed within an hour. That includes any text, images, sound recordings or video that incites or solicits terrorist offenses, provides instructions to commit such offenses, or solicits the participation in activities of a terrorist group. Any companies who “systematically and persistently” fail to do so may face fines of up to 4 percent of their global turnover. However, for small companies who haven’t...
The European Union seems to have lost all patience for playing games with big tech companies. Today, the European Union announced that it fined Google €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion). It’s the company’s third antitrust violation in the country since 2017. The fine came because Google was blocking rival online search advertisers. In a statement, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said, “Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites.” Through Google’s AdSense for Search, the company provided ads for websites, like those of newspapers, with a search function that also comes up with results and ads. Google would stop publishers from including any search ads from its competitors on their page results. This meant the publishers were relying on Google in order to profit from ads. In addition, a 2009 clause also made publishers seek Google’s...
Microsoft announced it is increasing its cybersecurity for think tanks in the U.S. and abroad, ahead of the European Parliament elections. The company said that it has detected attacks against employees of the German Council on Foreign Relations, The Aspen Institutes in Europe, and The German Marshall Fund through its Threat Intelligence Center and Digital Crimes Unit. “We believe the work of organizations like The German Marshall Fund and its Alliance for Securing Democracy are an essential part of efforts to secure democracies against those who seek to undermine it,” Microsoft Customer Security & Trust Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post . “Many organizations essential to democracy do not have the resources or expertise to defend themselves against cyberattacks.” The cyber attack targeted more than 100 accounts across Europe between September and December 2018. Microsoft said its ongoing investigation leads it to believe that Strontium, a Russian-linked hacker group,...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Last week, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would sell “gold card” visas for over $5 million to wealthy foreigners to alleviate the country’s trillion dollars in debt. As he continues to align himself with billionaire oligarchs, sycophants like Vladimir Putin—it’s clear that Trump has never cared for ordinary people. In his statement, he claimed that this new initiative had never been done before. But as always, he is mistaken. Investing large sums of money in citizenship has been in place in various countries across Europe and the Caribbean. The incentive of citizenship for pay—with advantages like limited restrictions and more flexibility—can open the door for wealthy yet dubious individuals to perform illicit activities. While no one can assume that every person who pays upwards of millions of dollars for foreign citizenship is a criminal, the lack of regulations opens up the EU,...
Google is using artificial intelligence (AI) to save lives, successfully implementing Loss of Pulse Detection in the Pixel Watch 3. Initially announced in 2024 for the Pixel Watch 3 in the European Union, Google shared on Feb. 26, 2025, that it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement the “first-of-its-kind feature” and begin its rollout in the United States at the end of March. In a previous blog post, Google explained that a loss of pulse happens when the heart suddenly stops beating. The condition can affect people at any age and may be caused by various issues, including primary cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning. When such a situation occurs, the watch automatically prompts a call to emergency services, potentially providing life-saving assistance. “For three years, Pixel Watch has given people peace of mind with safety and health features like Car Crash Detection, Fall Detection, Irregular...
Cherryrock Capital has raised $172 million to support diverse founders. The venture capital firm, founded in 2023 by Stacy Brown-Philpot (Managing Partner) — head of Alphabet Inc.’s online sales and operations in India and board member at HP Inc., StockX, and Noom Inc. — provides Series A and B funding to underrepresented founders of software companies driving innovation, according to its website. The VC firm, backed by a team with over 60 years of operating experience, has closed its first fund at $172 million, Bloomberg reports. “Today, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of Cherryrock Capital, the first fund focused on investing at the Series A & B stages in underinvested entrepreneurs …Cherryrock Capital is about being the foundation of success for the next generation of entrepreneurs…We’re on a mission to change the face of wealth creation and build an enduring institution. We are looking for founders who have the courage to be audacious in their vision, accountable to their...
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has changed its stance on underwriting initial public offerings (IPOs) for companies with all-white male boards. In 2020, CEO David Solomon announced that the leading investment bank would only take a company public in the United States or Western Europe if the organization had at least two diverse board members, one of whom was a woman, AFROTECH™ previously reported. However, as of Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, Goldman’s IPO requirement is null and void, according to Bloomberg. “As a result of legal developments related to board diversity requirements, we ended our formal board diversity policy,” said Goldman spokesperson Tony Fratto, Bloomberg reported . “We continue to believe that successful boards benefit from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we will encourage them to take this approach.” Goldman’s 12-member board currently includes two people of color , one of whom is a woman. Among the bank’s executives, 73% are white, with 56% being men. Data...
Kendrick Lamar received mixed reactions from the public over his Super Bowl LIX halftime performance — but it led to a nearly 175% increase in Spotify streams across the United States. According to an Instagram post shared by Spotify on Feb. 10, 2025, several songs from Lamar’s halftime setlist experienced significant boosts. “Not Like Us” — the popular Drake-aimed diss track released in May 2024 — saw a 430% increase, followed by “HUMBLE,” which rose 300%. “DNA,” which, along with “HUMBLE,” is from the 2017 album “DAMN,” experienced a 260% increase. “Luther,” performed with SZA, and “tv off,” featuring lefty gunplay, both experienced a 170% increase in streams. SZA also benefited from the performance, with an 80% increase in her Spotify streams. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spotify News (@spotifynews) Exactly one week after winning five Grammy Awards — bringing his total to 22 — Lamar performed 10 songs at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025, including five tracks...
Gmail users may have been confused when they opened their email accounts and saw pop-ups about Gemini . Instead of Google sending out big “coming soon” announcements about their next-gen flagship artificial intelligence (AI) model, Gmail users just saw a subtle star in the right-hand corner of their screens. With Gemini, ChatGPT and China’s DeepSeek, along with plenty of other programs, it’s clear that AI is sticking around for the long haul. So is it worth newbie investors investing in AI, and how is this possible to do anyway? African-American Investors Are Getting Younger A new report from Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) confirmed that African-Americans tend to be much younger than white investors, with 49% of African-American investors between the ages of 18-34 while 51% of white investors were ages 55 and older. Growing up in a tech-dominant age, African-American investors are using social media to get their investment education and to learn about trading...
24-year-old Naomi Girma has landed a historic deal! The young soccer star was drafted to the NSWL league back in 2022 as a first-round draft pick selected by the San Diego Wave, notes NBC News. Widely regarded as one of the top defenders in the U.S., she has earned 44 national team appearances and a Paris Olympics gold — now, she’s taking her talents to Chelsea in England. “San Diego Wave has been such an important part of my journey,” said Girma, according to Forbes. “I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow here and for the incredible relationships I’ve built with my teammates, the sporting staff, and our amazing fans. I’m especially grateful to ownership and Cami for supporting my dream of playing in Europe. San Diego will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Naomi Girma (@naomi_girma) Reflecting on her transition, Girma commented, “I mean, this...
African fintech company Moniepoint has received strategic funding from Visa. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Moniepoint was reportedly the fastest-growing fintech company in 2023 and 2024. Launched by Tosin Eniolorunda (CEO) and Felix Ike (chief technology officer), the fintech company has a banking app that connects customers to a “debit card that always works,” Eniolorunda said in a YouTube video. Moniepoint’s offerings include: Banking accounts Loans Expense cards Instant payouts Accounting and bookkeeping solutions Moniepoint’s business model has been an overwhelming success. In fact, it processes over 1 billion transactions monthly, with total payments volume exceeding $22 billion, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™. As it looks to expand its efforts, the company has received a strategic investment from Visa. “We are thrilled to announce Visa’s investment in Moniepoint,” Eniolorunda said, per the press release. “Visa’s backing is a strong endorsement of our...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Overhyped tech sectors of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence have seen a recent resurgence in the past year. Most of AI’s rise can be attributed to the hype and fear that surrounds its use. If you ask OpenAI CEO Sam Altman his thoughts, he’ll tell you that AI is needed to bring us into the future, but to scientists like Dr. Joy Buolamwini who approaches the use of AI cautiously, its lack of regulation can prove harmful to people of color. Despite doubts about the use of AI technology, it’s become almost ubiquitous in culture. Students have used ChatGPT for essay assignments, workers are using ChatGPT to write emails , and others have suggested using AI to create something as simple as grocery lists and corresponding menus. But even as AI and cryptocurrency continue to experience unprecedented growth, experts predict that AI will reach its peak in 2025 and then burst. Still, a second Donald...