Category: Business

  • IHS Nigeria Signs MoU with NSCDC to Protect Over 16,000 Telecom Towers from Vandalism

    IHS Nigeria Signs MoU with NSCDC to Protect Over 16,000 Telecom Towers from Vandalism

    IHS Nigeria has sealed a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to enhance the protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure across Nigeria.

    The TowerCo is part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) (“IHS Towers”) group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count.

    IHS Nigeria, which owns and operates over 16,000 towers in Nigeria and has deployed over 15,000km of fiber, and the NSCDC, the security agency assigned with responsibility for the protection of critical national information infrastructure, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (“MoU”) to formalize their collaboration.

    This collaboration seeks to tackle the challenges of theft and sabotage affecting tower sites, fiber optic cables and other telecommunications infrastructure, and highlights their shared commitment to ensuring the security of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.

    Under the terms of the MoU, the firm and the Corps intend to work together to develop and implement strategies aimed at safeguarding the firm’s assets and other telecommunications infrastructure, which are protected by law and vital for the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.

    The Corps will aim to support the towerco in the areas of site surveillance, emergency responses and incident reporting.

    This includes assisting in all matters related to tower decommissioning as well as investigating, apprehending and prosecuting alleged site violators.

    Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria, commented,

    “At IHS we are key enablers of connectivity, and this partnership with the NSCDC is for us an important step towards enhancing the resilience, reliability and availability of telecommunications connectivity in Nigeria. By working closely with the NSCDC, which enforces the law that designates telecommunication towers as critical national information infrastructure, we aim to create a safer and more secure environment for our operations, including our infrastructure, and more importantly, ensure better quality of service for all users in Nigeria.”

    IHS Nigeria and NSCDC
    L-r: Ogun State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Remilekun Omolade; Chief Commercial Officer, IHS Nigeria, Akeem Adeshina; Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Services Officer, IHS Nigeria, Dapo Otunla; Commandant General, NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi; Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish; Acting Deputy Commandant General, NSCDC, Dr. Eze Benito; Director, Legal, IHS Nigeria, Yemisi Diya-Salawu, and Commandant, Lagos Liason Command, Modupe Onilede at the MoU signing between IHS Nigeria and NSCDC, held at IHS Nigeria’s corporate office on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

    Ahmad Abubakar, commandant general, NSCDC, commented,

    “The Corp has a mandate to safeguard critical national infrastructure, and IHS Nigeria’s extensive telecommunications assets and network falls squarely within this mandate. We consider IHS to be a strategic partner whose infrastructure is essential to the operations of many organizations across the country. We aim to provide a heightened level of operational excellence and support, focused on securing telecommunications infrastructure more effectively than ever before. Our doors remain open for collaboration, and we look forward to working even more closely with IHS Nigeria”.

    Loading

  • Glance Launches AI-Native Shopping App Backed by Google

    Glance Launches AI-Native Shopping App Backed by Google

    Glance, a consumer technology company backed by Google, has unveiled Glance AI, an AI-native commerce platform powered by its most advanced proprietary AI models. 

    Built to enhance how people shop and reshape how intelligence drives decisions and economies, Glance AI moves online shopping beyond search to an inspiration-led discovery experience. 

    It also marks the emergence of the ‘AI consumer’, one who doesn’t wait to browse, but expects the technology to understand them, imagine for them, and spark desire even before they know what they want.   

    Glance Launches AI-Native Shopping App Backed by Google

    The standalone app launches today available worldwide on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store, with deeper integrations rolling out to Android handset makers and telecom operators. 

    While the initial model is trained on fashion, Glance plans to extend the same experience to categories such as beauty, accessories, and travel later this year, setting a new benchmark in AI commerce.  

    Unlike conventional e-commerce stores that simply display multiple products to browse or search for, Glance AI lets users discover their AI-curated stylized looks. By simply taking a selfie or uploading an image, Glance AI immerses them in a visual world where they take centre stage. 

    Each experience is generated in real-time with an AI-native commerce engine using advanced diffusion models, personalization engines, and a live commerce layer that maps each user’s unique AI look to real, shoppable products from curated brands across the globe. 

    With one tap, users can now explore looks and products tailored to their preferences and complete purchases seamlessly from 400+ global brands. All of this while the user retains control over their data.  

    Glance Launches AI-Native Shopping App Backed by Google

    Naveen Tewari, founder & CEO of InMobi & Glanceshared, “The internet is being rewritten from curated feeds to AI-generated realities. At Glance, we’re proud to lead this transformation with our most advanced AI-native commerce platform yet. Glance AI reimagines how billions of consumers worldwide will discover, visualize and shop, replacing intent with inspiration and search with intelligent, autonomous agents. 

    “Embedded across phones, TVs and brand stores, Glance AI marks a paradigm shift in commerce. It is one of the most ambitious technological efforts in our journey and a bold step toward shaping the future of AI-driven consumer experiences.”   

    At its core, Glance AI is built on a three-layered deep tech architecture:   

    • Commerce Intelligence Model: trained on decades of global commerce data, learning from new trends, cultures, and consumer behavior.  
    • GenAI Experience Model: generating hyper-realistic visualization based on thousands of parameters such as gender, body type, ethnicity, skin tone, fit, style and season to simulate how a particular clothing will look on an individual.  
    • Transaction Journey Model: an agent that understands shopping intent before consumers do, pairing visualizations with best matched product from millions of catalogues globally.  

    Glance AI has integrated its proprietary models with cutting-edge platforms including Google Gemini and Imagen on Vertex AI delivering hyper-realistic, personalized experiences to users. 

    Glance AI is a fully opt-in platform, with privacy and user control built into its core design. Users can explore looks, save or share them, set them as wallpapers, and visualize themselves in unique looks and collections driven by global trends and occasions.   

    Glance AI is beyond the app experience. It is built on an open architecture with deep integrations across hardware and software with manufacturers, telecom operators, and brands. It turns phones into AI phones, TVs into household commerce devices and brand stores into AI shopfronts.  

    Early results from Glance AI’s U.S. trials signal strong consumer engagement for inspiration-led shopping. In just a few weeks, the platform has attracted more than 1.5 million active users, half of whom return weekly after trying the experience. 

    Engagement runs deep: Users have generated over 40 million style requests, 50% download or share their personalized styles, 40% tap through to begin a shopping journey, setting a new benchmark for stickiness and social virality in AI commerce apps.  

    Loading

  • Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Prices Nationwide

    Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Prices Nationwide

    The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has cut the pump price of petrol across Nigeria, announcing new rates that vary by region. 

    In Lagos, motorists will now pay ₦875 per litre, down from ₦890. In other regions, the new prices range from ₦885 to ₦905 per litre.

    The announcement was made on Thursday via the company’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, confirming that the reduced prices apply across all stations operated by Dangote’s distribution partners. These include MRS, Ardova, Heyden, Optima Energy, Techno Oil, and Hyde Energy.

    We looked at the new regional breakdown: South-West now sells at ₦885, North-West and Central zones at ₦895, while both the South-East and South-South regions, along with the North-East, are at ₦905. 

    Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Prices Nationwide

    The company advised buyers to use only authorised stations, warning that any outlet not leveraging the new price should be reported directly via the provided helplines.

    This reduction follows a trend by the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery, which began refining petrol locally in January. Prior to this, the company had slashed ex-depot prices in April to ₦835 per litre, its second reduction in under a week. 

    That came on the heels of an earlier price drop from ₦880 to ₦865. According to Dangote Group’s Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, the new prices will continue to apply across all partner retail stations.

    These price reductions reaffirm our commitment to providing high-quality petrol at affordable rates, benefiting consumers across the nation,” he stated.

    Just days ago, Nigeria’s independent marketers resumed large-scale petrol importation. Data from Blue Sea Maritime shows that over 496 million litres of fuel were delivered to local depots between 11 and 20 May. At least 370,000 metric tonnes were discharged at seaports within that period.

    However, Dangote’s strategy appears to go beyond price competition. The refinery explained that its naira-for-crude supply deal, through which it sources crude in local currency, has enabled it to reduce costs significantly. 

    This structure, according to the company, makes its pricing model more resilient to fluctuations in global crude oil prices.

    While consumers have complained that pump reductions announced by refineries are not always so on the ground, Dangote is putting pressure on its retail partners to comply. 

    The company reaffirmed its goal to maintain affordable prices despite market volatility, stating: “Dangote Petroleum Refinery has consistently worked to reduce the prices of petrol and other refined petroleum products, ensuring the continued benefit of Nigerian consumers.”

    In February alone, the company says it reduced prices by ₦125 in two separate moves. This, according to the management, is part of its goal to stabilise fuel costs and protect Nigerian consumers from the ripple effects of foreign exchange shocks.

    Loading

  • Lagos Tops Global List of Fastest-Growing Tech Ecosystems in 2025

    Lagos Tops Global List of Fastest-Growing Tech Ecosystems in 2025

    Lagos has been named the world’s fastest-growing tech ecosystem in 2025, securing the top position in Dealroom’s Global Tech Ecosystem Index, outpacing global cities across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. 

    The report tracks 288 tech hubs across 69 countries and ranks them based on growth in enterprise value, unicorn creation, and economic factors like cost of living and GDP per capita.

    Lagos has grown its startup ecosystem valuation by 11.6 times since 2017 and produced five unicorns within the same period. 

    Companies like Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, and Interswitch have played huge roles in ensuring this growth. Dealroom places Lagos above Istanbul, Pune, Belo Horizonte, and Mumbai in the “Rising Stars” category, a segment that spotlights cities with speedy acceleration in innovation and venture value.

    Lagos Tops Global List of Fastest-Growing Tech Ecosystems in 2025
    Source: Dealroom

    As stated in the report, “What sets Lagos apart is its ability to adapt quickly, develop locally relevant innovations, and scale despite systemic obstacles. This agility continues to propel the ecosystem forward, reinforcing the city’s status as a leading hub for technology and entrepreneurship in Africa.”

    Lagos now holds an enterprise value of $15.3 billion, with five unicorns, and has achieved a threefold increase in unicorn production since the previous assessment period. 

    Its cost of living was just 22% that of New York City, giving it a competitive edge for startup scalability. With a population of 21.3 million and a GDP per capita of $1,600, Lagos is working hard to overcome economic odds.

    Lagos Tops Global List of Fastest-Growing Tech Ecosystems in 2025
    Source: Dealroom

    While Lagos shows impressive growth, several challenges threaten to hinder sustained progress. Infrastructure remains a major concern-frequent power outages, high cost of data and unreliable internet can slow operations and increase costs. Additionally, talent retention is becoming an issue with relocation driven by working conditions and remuneration.” said Etemore Glover of the Impact Investors Foundation.

    Nonetheless, Lagos is bolstering Africa’s innovation record. It is the only sub-Saharan African city featured at the top of any global category in the report, even outranking tech-forward cities like Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Cape Town.

    For an ecosystem long overlooked in mainstream global innovation rankings, this is a commendable statement for Lagos State and its growth drive across the tech sector in 2025 and beyond.

    Loading

  • Sophos Accelerates Business Growth and Profitability for MSPs with the Launch of MSP Elevate Program

    Sophos Accelerates Business Growth and Profitability for MSPs with the Launch of MSP Elevate Program

    Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, has launched MSP Elevate, a new business-accelerating program for managed service providers (MSPs).

    With the new program, Sophos enables MSPs to expand their business with high-value, differentiated cybersecurity offerings that elevate their customers’ cyber defenses and rewards growth with additional investment to fuel further success.

    With the increasing complexity and sophistication of today’s cyberattacks, organizations are increasingly turning to MSPs for 24/7, human-led monitoring and management of their cybersecurity environments.

    This has made Managed Detection and Response (MDR) a major focus for MSPs with 81% currently offering a MDR service, according to the Sophos MSP Perspectives 2024 report.

    MSP Elevate helps MSPs to differentiate themselves as a high-value provider to customers by delivering unique business-enhancing benefits, including an exclusive high-value Sophos MDR service offering.

    Managing multiple cybersecurity platforms is a major overhead for MSPs and consumes valuable billable hours. MSPs estimate that consolidating on a single platform would slash their day-to-day management time by 48%.

    MSP Elevate includes Network-in-a-Box bundles that enable MSPs to manage the full network stack through the unified Sophos Central platform, freeing-up staff for business generation activities.

    Furthermore, the single biggest perceived risk to MSP’s businesses is the shortage of in-house cybersecurity expertise.

    Sophos’ network solutions respond automatically to threats across the customer environment, enabling MSPs to elevate their customers’ defenses without adding workload.

    Chris Bell - Sophos
    Chris Bell, senior vice president, Global Channel, Alliances and Corporate Development, Sophos

    “MSP Elevate is the first of many business-driving MSP programs following the powerhouse union of Sophos and Secureworks,” said Chris Bell, senior vice president of global channel, alliances and corporate development. “As a channel-first organization that defends more than 250,000 customers of MSPs, we are constantly looking for opportunities to reward our partners and invest in their success when they grow their business with us. MSP Elevate fuels long-term growth for our partners by providing MSPs with exclusive solution access, discounts, rebates and training to deliver the best possible value to customers.”

    Sophos MSP Elevate program benefits include:

    • Exclusive Access to the Sophos MDR Bundle for MSP: Includes access to Sophos MDR Complete premium service tier with 24/7 incident response, 1 year data retention, Sophos Network Detection and Response (NDR), and all Sophos integration packs, enabling defenders to leverage all available telemetry from across the customer environment to accelerate threat detection and response.
    • Simplified Sales Process: Speeds up time to deployment and reduces MSP overhead. With the new MDR Bundle for MSP, partners can quickly and easily allocate a single SKU to the customer for all their current and future MDR needs.
    • Discounted Network-in-a-Box Hardware Bundle: Access to Sophos’ advanced network security solutions, including Sophos Firewall, Sophos Switch and Sophos Wireless Access Points at a significant discount. These products work together to automate threat response and are managed through Sophos Central.
    • Growth-Based Rebates: As part of our commitment to grow with and invest in our partners, the program will recognize and reward MSPs that increase their Sophos MSP monthly billings.
    • Architect-Level Training Courses: Equip MSPs to increase their in-house services delivery capabilities with trainings on Sophos Endpoint and Sophos Firewall.
    • Invite-Only Access to Sophos Summits: Gain exclusive access to hands-on training and enablement, Ask the Experts sessions, attend exclusive Sophos events and meet with Sophos executive leadership to influence the Sophos roadmap and MSP strategy.
    • Future benefits: Introduction of new program benefits to increase MSP’s profitability, customer defenses and overall value as a service provider.

    “MSP Elevate enables MSPs to quickly deploy a comprehensive MDR service that eliminates blind spots by leveraging all available telemetry from across the customers’ environment,” said Raja Patel, chief product officer, Sophos. “This enhanced visibility accelerates threat detection and response while delivering improved return for customers on their existing technology investments. Furthermore, the service adapts seamlessly as the technology environment evolves over time, future-proofing customers’ defenses and providing both commercial and cybersecurity peace of mind.”

    MSP Elevate is a non-exclusive commitment to sell Sophos’ best-in-class cybersecurity solutions available on the Sophos Central platform, including Sophos MDRSophos Endpoint powered by Intercept X, and Sophos Firewall.

    To access the program benefits, MSPs need to commit to a minimum monthly spend for a 12-month period. As a pre-requisite to joining MSP Elevate, partners need to be part of the MSP Flex program, which enables MSPs to offer Sophos solutions on a monthly billing basis.

    “Joining MSP Elevate is a no-brainer. This new program adds further rocket fuel to the MSP growth trajectory we’ve enjoyed with Sophos over the last 17 years.

    Not all MDR offerings are the same, and I’m excited to be able to offer a superior service based around value and quality of outcomes that will elevate my customers’ defenses and differentiate my business in this increasingly crowded market,” said Craig Faiers, sales director, Arc.

    With 80% of MSPs offering MDR through a specialist vendor for delivery*, partners can choose to have Sophos fully deliver the MDR service or to use Sophos to augment in-house teams, including for the provision of out-of-hours coverage.

    This is particularly important considering 88% of ransomware attacks start outside of standard business hours, according to Sophos’ Active Adversary report.

    Sophos MDR is the service most trusted by MSPs to secure their clients and currently defends more than 18,000 MSP-managed customer environments against advanced threats, including ransomware.

    This unmatched breadth of customer coverage delivers unparalleled insights into attacks on MSP-managed environments that are continually leveraged to update customers’ defenses in real-time, optimizing their protection from ever-evolving attacks.

    Loading

  • Mart Networks Unveils Comprehensive Cybersecurity Offering Tailored for Fintechs

    Mart Networks Unveils Comprehensive Cybersecurity Offering Tailored for Fintechs

    Mart Networks, a leading cybersecurity distributor in Africa and Middle East, has announced the launch of a dedicated cybersecurity offering specifically designed for fintech companies.

    This new solution is powered by Invinsense, Infopercept’s unified cybersecurity platform.

    Purpose-Built Security for Fintechs

    The new fintech package delivers full-spectrum cybersecurity through managed services integrated into four core areas of the Invinsense platform:

    1. Tailored Security Across the Stack

      • Invinsense XDR + Managed Detection & Response: Real-time threat monitoring, incident response, and custom log ingestion across infrastructure, APIs, applications, and cloud environments.
      • Invinsense OXDR + Exposure Management: Continuous evaluation of vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, attack surfaces, and third-party risks.
      • Invinsense GSOS + Security Compliance Management: End-to-end support for adhering to local and global regulatory requirements.
      • Cybersecurity Awareness Programs: Built-in training modules covering phishing, smishing, vishing, and other attack vectors—empowering fintech teams to stay cyber-resilient.

    2. Deep Visibility for Custom Applications and Logs

    Fintech platforms are often custom-built. Invinsense SIEM provides flexible log ingestion and monitoring aligned to fintech-specific application logic and workflows.

    3. Engineering-Led Remediation

    Infopercept’s engineering team actively delivers patches, code-level fixes, and infrastructure security enhancements to ensure rapid remediation.

    4. Cloud and SaaS Security from Code to Cloud

    Invinsense provides full-stack protection including:

      • CNAPP (Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform)
      • API Security
      • CIEM (Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management)
      • ASPM (Application Security Posture Management)
      • CDR (Cloud Detection & Response)
      • DevSecOps, IaC scanning, and more

    “Fintech companies operate at the intersection of innovation and high-stakes regulation. Unlike traditional enterprises, they face immense scrutiny from regulators and enterprise clients—often banks or NBFCs—making cybersecurity foundational to their business,” said Moiz Maloo, managing director, Mart Networks. “Most fintechs don’t have the luxury of multiple internal security teams or system integrators. With this focused offering, we’re providing an all-in-one platform with managed services built specifically for the fintech environment.”

    Loading

  • Is GenAI Actually Paying Off? Pay-i Just Raised $4.9M to Find Out

    Is GenAI Actually Paying Off? Pay-i Just Raised $4.9M to Find Out

    Enterprise spending on GenAI is surging, but clear proof of ROI remains elusive. Most companies can’t answer the simplest question boards are now asking: is this actually working? 

    Pay-i, a new value-intelligence platform for GenAI, is coming out of stealth today with $4.9 million in seed funding to solve that.

    The round was co-led by Fuse Partners and Tola Capital, with participation from Firestreak, Pear VC, Gaia Capital, and angel investors from Fortune 100 companies.

    Today, most teams still measure success of their AI initiatives in token counts or latency – metrics that don’t capture business value or justify costs. 

    Pay-i gives product, finance, and engineering leaders a real-time dashboard that links every model call, prompt, and token to measurable business outcomes for specific use cases, like revenue growth, task completion time, or CSAT uplift. 

    Users can assign explicit dollar or time values to KPIs, compare multiple versions of a use case, and instantly see which model, agent, or prompt delivers the strongest return. 

    A built-in forecasting engine then projects those returns forward – so companies can prioritize what works, sunset what doesn’t, and scale GenAI with confidence before it even goes into production. 

    The C-suite doesn’t need another usage chart – they need proof and a forecast,” said David Tepper, co-founder and CEO of Pay-i.

    Pay-i pinpoints which GenAI use cases create net-new value today, quantifies that value in dollars or hours, and predicts how it will compound tomorrow. Leaders can double-down on winners and reach ROI faster.”

    The product is already being used by enterprise teams to assign hard dollar values to GenAI-enhanced features – like customer support copilots or AI-generated reports – then A/B test different agents or prompts in production. 

    Pay-i tracks how each change impacts task completion time, revenue conversion, or KPIs like CSAT – and forecasts the business impact before full rollout.

    Tepper previously spent 19 years at Microsoft and was a leader in Azure’s internal GenAI consumption strategy. His first patent on GenAI dates back to 2011. He’s since briefed F500 boards, universities, members of Congress, and UN delegations on AI economics. 

    He co-founded Pay-i alongside CTO Doron Holan, who spent 27 years at Microsoft and was a core architect for Windows and Azure’s throttling layer, and COO Erik Winters, a veteran operator who scaled early-stage companies across finance and SaaS.

    The product reflects what they learned working with the largest cloud buyers in the world: traditional cost tooling stops at usage, while real decision-making happens where cost meets value. 

    That’s especially true in GenAI, where token-based billing, multimodal inputs, reasoning models, and agentic workflows have made unit economics opaque and ROI harder to track than ever.

    With traditional software, we could track exactly how features were used,” added Holan. “But with GenAI, that visibility gets lost. Pay-i closes that gap and shows exactly where value is being created, in real time.”

    The need for clarity is only growing. IDC projects enterprise GenAI investment will top $632 billion by 2028, but 72% of CIOs cite ROI measurement and forecasting as their #1 blocker. 

    Generative AI is graduating from pilots to mission-critical production. Enterprises are rolling out knowledge augmentation tools, automated workflows, and starting to create agentic services that re-shape core operations and customer journeys.

    “Scaling and managing this responsibly requires two disciplines: high-fidelity observability of entire GenAI use cases and rigorous focus on the impact of these systems through understanding the unit economics and business KPIs affected.” said Lari Hämäläinen, senior partner at McKinsey. 

    Across the C-suite, patience for open-ended GenAI spending is wearing thin. Pay-i finally gives leaders the data-backed clarity to invest with conviction, transforming GenAI from an opaque cost center into a growth engine,” said John Connors, former CFO of Microsoft and operating partner at Fuse Partners.

    Pay-i turns every AI decision into a clear cost-to-value ratio, letting enterprises see, in real time, how model and design choices affect their metrics. This transparency enables businesses to control their AI spend and allocate resources optimally. Pay-i provides a roadmap for the all-important transition to AI,” said Sheila Gulati, managing director at Tola Capital. 

    With the new funding, Pay-i will accelerate product development, and bring its platform to more enterprise teams looking to scale GenAI with precision. 

    Already live with early customers, Pay-i is now generally available across all major cloud providers and models – offering decision-makers a long-overdue solution to the GenAI value gap. 

    Pay-i and AWS ProServe are providing a customer solution that combines AWS ProServe’s expertise consulting customers on value tracking with Pay-i’s software to instrument GenAI value metrics. Pay-i is deployed to customers on AWS and can instrument Bedrock workloads. 

    As Tepper puts it: “the companies that treat GenAI as an economic strategy, not just a technical one, will win this decade.” Pay-i is building the operating system for that shift – one where every GenAI investment comes with a business case, a benchmark, and a blueprint to scale.

    Loading

  • Zoca Raises $6M from Accel to Transform Local Businesses Using Agentic AI

    Zoca Raises $6M from Accel to Transform Local Businesses Using Agentic AI

    For decades, local service businesses have been overlooked by tech, expected to juggle bloated marketing tools, overpriced agencies, and underwhelming results. 

    Today, Zoca has closed a $6 million round to flip that script. The company is building an AI-first growth platform to help hyperlocal service businesses get discovered, booked, and rebooked, promising one outcome: more paying clients, guaranteed. 

    The funding round was led by Accel with participation from GTMfund, Elevation Capital and Better Capital.

    While most software hands small business owners a tool and wishes them luck, Zoca takes a different approach. Its AI agents manage the entire growth funnel, automatically identifying what services are in demand in a specific neighborhood, optimizing for discovery, converting leads into bookings, and re-engaging clients at just the right time. 

    The result is a done-for-you system that fills calendars and drives real revenue, not just clicks or leads. Zoca has already helped over 1,000 local beauty & wellness businesses generate $10M+ in revenue, book more than 120,000 appointments, and save hundreds of hours on manual marketing tasks.

    Founded in 2024 by longtime friends and IIT Kharagpur classmates Ashish Verma and Robin Chauhan, Zoca was born out of a fundamental realization: while local service professionals are masters of their craft, the systems meant to support their growth simply weren’t designed with them in mind. 

    As more professionals left salon chains to open independent businesses, the gap became clear. These entrepreneurs weren’t failing because of talent – they were being failed by a system that never prioritized helping them get found, booked, and consistently in demand.

    We saw a fundamental disconnect,” says Ashish Verma, Zoca’s co-founder and CEO. “These entrepreneurs are selling time, not products. Every empty chair is revenue they’ll never recover.

    “The real challenge isn’t just visibility anymore—it’s everything that comes after it. Being found is one part, but converting leads, filling schedules, and retaining clients is where businesses either grow or stall.

    “What makes this space unique is the business model itself. These service professionals aren’t focused on selling more units—they’re maximizing their available time. So the ROI on every lead, every appointment, and every repeat visit directly impacts their bottom line. That’s why we built a system that addresses the entire customer journey, not just one piece of it.”

    Zoca fixes this with what it calls hyperlocal intelligence – a proprietary engine that detects neighborhood-level demand patterns for services like “lymphatic drainage massage” or “glycolic facial” that vary dramatically from block to block. 

    The company’s data shows that demand for “lymphatic drainage massage” can be 3x higher in one part of a city versus another area just miles away, while terms like “glycolic facial” follow entirely different patterns depending on local demographics. 

    Instead of relying on generic keywords or city-wide trends, Zoca builds individualized strategies based on what people are actually searching for within a 5-mile radius and then executes it all automatically using its AI agents workforce.

    That includes optimizing across 50+ local ranking factors, building mobile-first websites, responding to leads 24/7 through conversational AI, and sending personalized retention SMS and email campaigns timed to each customer’s history. 

    Zoca has recently launched AI agents for paid ads and social media management taking charge over the entire marketing value chain for a small local business. With Zoca, businesses get what used to require five tools, an agency retainer, and hours of work every week.

    Gail Aungst, co-owner of Ohana Sun Tanning, commented: “Google search is really important and so keywords are critical for us. One of them is ‘tanning near me’. Zoca has helped us stay on top and win. They are totally helping us with our rankings”. 

    Latasha Seawood, owner of Slay by Vashae, said: “The first 30 days of using Zoca, my business went from maybe 3-4 people a day, into a queue. I was forced to turn people away. No lie. It was like a 30 day turnaround. If you search “sew-in” in your area, I pop up. And that’s because of Zoca.”

    AI is the reason this is possible now. Zoca’s model turns high-cost services into software margins, unlocking growth for a market that’s historically been considered too fragmented and low-margin to serve.

    Zoca is driving business outcomes for the underserved $750B local services market,” says Manasi Shah, partner at Accel. “Ashish and the team have the highest customer obsession with a deep understanding of AI in automating a significant number of use cases applicable to the local services market. Growth AI agents are just the beginning, Zoca will create an agent-led OS for every hyperlocal business to achieve full potential.”

     Paul Irving, partner at GTMfund, added: “These businesses are the cornerstones of their communities, but most are being left behind in a digital and AI-first world. Zoca allows them to focus on what matters most: delivering an exceptional service to their customers.

    “The growth, the customer retention and engagement – all on auto-pilot with Zoca’s AI platform. It’s a total game changer for these local businesses, and we couldn’t be more excited to support the Zoca team on their mission.”

    Poorvi Vijay, principal, Elevation Capital, said: “Zoca arms every neighbourhood business with a 24/7 AI growth engine. Ashish and Robin’s passion and unique insights to serve this underserved market and help them transform with AI is truly outstanding. We are thrilled to back them as they build the operating system for hyperlocal services worldwide.”

    Looking ahead, Zoca plans to expand its agent architecture, deepen its platform integrations, and bring its system to more verticals where professionals face the same time-based growth challenge. 

    The company believes the future of local business will be powered by invisible AI infrastructure – not dashboards, but agents quietly working in the background to drive outcomes.

    In the next decade, the top local businesses around us won’t be big chains. Instead, they’ll be local professionals — quietly supercharged by AI that helps them attract more clients, keep them coming back, and grow faster than ever.

    “At Zoca, we are making it possible for independent businesses to thrive without all the tech headaches and focus on delivering exceptional experiences to their customers.” said Ashish Verma. 

    Loading

  • Uber Freight Launches AI Tools to Tackle Supply Chain Challenges

    Uber Freight Launches AI Tools to Tackle Supply Chain Challenges

    Uber Freight, the logistics arm of Uber Technologies, has rolled out a comprehensive set of artificial intelligence tools designed to tackle one of the most challenging elements in business: supply chain logistics.

    Having built a logistics-specific large language model embedded within Uber Freight’s transportation management system (TMS) and digital logistics platform, the company announced the launch of what it calls the world’s first scaled AI logistics network. 

    This innovation, as we see it, aims to reframe how companies, including small businesses and Fortune 500 giants, approach freight, disruptions, and decision-making.

    This is the inflection point we’ve been building toward,” said Lior Ron, founder and CEO of Uber Freight. “With the launch of our AI logistics network and reimagined TMS, we’re not just automating tasks—we’re enabling a new level of agility, foresight, and competitive advantage for our customers.”

    Over the past year, Uber Freight has quietly tested its technology with select enterprise partners. Now it’s making it available globally. 

    The suite includes over 30 AI agents that can autonomously handle procurement, tracking, payments, and analytics across the shipping lifecycle. These agents function in real-time, offering solutions, adjusting to disruptions, and predicting next steps before issues escalate.

    By the end of 2025, Uber Freight says its TMS will evolve into what it calls a real-time logistics command centre, not just a system of record. 

    With full integration of Insights AI and its AI agent ecosystem, the system aims to guide users with live data and automated decisions that would normally require hours of manual effort.

    Colgate-Palmolive, a global consumer goods leader, has already seen good results. As one of Uber Freight’s flagship partners in its Design Partners Programme, the company has been using Insights AI within its logistics teams for a year.

    Colgate-Palmolive is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all. We advance our purpose by selling our essential health & hygiene products in more than 200 countries and territories, with a global supply chain to support this reach,” said Tatiana Martinez, vice president, North America Customer Service & Logistics, North America, Colgate-Palmolive. 

    With the scale and complexity of our operations, the collaboration with Uber Freight on Insights AI has helped empower our team to access timely information, analyse our network, and make strategic decisions that drive faster growth. Insights AI has helped us plan with greater confidence and respond more effectively to disruptions, all in service of our ongoing commitment to customer centricity and operational efficiency.”

    What’s unique here isn’t just the technology but the volume of freight it’s been applied to. Over $1.6 billion worth of goods moved through Uber Freight’s AI-powered infrastructure in just the last 12 months. 

    The AI models backing this system have been trained on data from almost $20 billion in freight, including activity from one in three Fortune 500 companies.

    Again, what’s different here is the model’s ability to interpret the nuance of logistics data. Uber Freight claims this isn’t generic automation, it’s a domain-specific system designed by logistics professionals who understand the volatility and timing of supply chain decisions.

    Logistics is one of the most complex, data-rich industries on Earth, and it demands AI that’s purpose-built to understand it,” said Raj Subbiah, chief product officer of Uber Freight. “We built a domain-specific model that thinks like a logistics expert. That foundation enables us to proactively and continuously optimise our customers’ networks.”

    Uber Freight’s journey started in 2017 as a simple broker between long-haul truckers and shippers. Today, it’s operating at a scale and complexity that few could have predicted. Its evolution into a full-service logistics intelligence provider has been steady, deliberate, and driven by years of embedded machine learning.

    With Insights AI, customers can now pull up performance metrics, shipment patterns, and cost anomalies instantly. For example, you can ask the system to show all shipments made to CVS in 2023 or identify the worst-performing routes. What once took weeks and several layers of analysis can now be surfaced within seconds.

    Ron explained: “Gain insights on your network much faster, at close to 100% accuracy instantly, versus formulating what you want to know, sending it to some analysts, and waiting for two weeks for the PowerPoint presentation to come back to have a discussion.”

    For companies like Colgate-Palmolive, the AI system has already proven useful in flagging underperforming logistics partners. That insight allows them to take action immediately, either to resolve the issue or cut ties and shift strategy.

    It’s a shift from reactive logistics to predictive operations. Alerts about overspending, inefficient routes, or delays can now land in a decision-maker’s inbox before the loss is incurred.

    Loading

  • Hytera’s SA Summit Signals Breakthrough in Professional communication Technologies in Africa

    Hytera’s SA Summit Signals Breakthrough in Professional communication Technologies in Africa

    Pioneering leaders in the world of professional communication technologies recently converged at the Hytera Global Partner Summit (HGPS) in Cape Town for the first-ever Hytera summit on African soil, a successful event heralding the dawn of a new era of innovation in professional communication technologies on the continent.

    Yelin Jiang, CEO at Hytera, said at the summit that the global leader in professional communications technologies and solutions, with 90 offices worldwide serving 120 countries, chose South Africa because of the strides made in the country, as well as Hytera’s significant progress in the South African market, particularly in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

    This, he said, made South Africa a successful choice, especially for first-time African visitors who came to the Summit to learn about the cutting-edge strides made in the field of communications.

    Mark Zheng, managing director for Hytera Southern Africa, echoed those sentiments, referencing key South African case studies that were showcased at the summit.

    He says public safety stands poised to receive a significant boost.

    “Dedicated professionals throughout South Africa stand poised for immediate response, ensuring safety across diverse landscapes through reliable communication technologies, including mission-critical push-to-talk, video dispatch, and real-time location awareness. These innovations enhance accessibility and impact. In critical moments, swift and reliable communication is paramount, enabling effective action and safety,” he says.

    Mark Zheng says Hytera is also investing in a training academy and technical certification in the country.

    “Training programmes in South Africa include online learning, bi-weekly webinars, specialised certification training, and customised sessions, along with the inaugural 2025 Technical Competition. E-learning is facilitated on the Hytera partner portal which offers integrated solutions and management capabilities – we have seen a 79.8% pass rate to date with over 100 engineers receiving certificates as expert technicians,” he says.

    He says that in addition to public safety, the Summit also looked at the mining sector. Mark Zheng says:

    “There are a number of challenges inherent in a mining environment, encompassing above-ground and underground operations, dust-laden environments, signal refraction, and interference. Worker safety remains paramount, alongside the increasing demand for integrated voice, data, and video communications.”

    He says that delegates at the Summit were shown that prior to technology selection, it is pertinent to understand the contemporary trends within the mining industry.

    “These include the proliferation of IoT sensors, necessitating comprehensive system monitoring and control across expansive sites. Reliable backhaul connectivity for data is crucial. Scalable infrastructure is imperative to accommodate the addition of new systems as mines evolve. Furthermore, there is heightened scrutiny concerning environmental, social, and governance factors, necessitating improved worker safety and reduced emissions. Critical voice communication remains essential for emergency dispatch. The industry’s trajectory toward automation necessitates real-time data and video transmission, supported by a robust network. These factors collectively drive the digital transformation of modern mining operations.

    “Case studies we shared, such as the Anglo American Kolomela Mine project, demonstrate the efficacy of Hytera solutions. In this instance, a Hytera TETRA system replaced legacy PMR equipment, resolving signal interference and congestion issues. The new system enhanced uptime and provided seamless integration with the existing infrastructure.”

    Mark Zheng explains that each mining environment is unique, and that this is where specialised support needs to land on a solution that’s right for each context. “For example, DMR offers affordability, TETRA ensures safety and mission-critical capabilities, and LTE provides high data capacity. Hytera believes the future encompasses converged solutions.”

    Looking ahead

    Stanley Song, Vice President of Hytera, officially introduced the Hytera Secure Efficient Intelligent System (HySEIS) during the summit, marking a key milestone in Hytera’s innovation journey.

    He says that the Summit afforded Hytera the opportunity to formally launch new products and services that he believes will provide critical support for key sectors in Africa, including public safety, mining, game farms, utilities and more.

    “HySElS is a self-developed smart safety management system that we launched at the Summit. HySElS creates a safe and smart technology ecosystem to support more efficient, more intelligent, and safer communications,” he says.

    He explains that HySEIS is designed to establish a tri-layered architecture that connects users, terminals, and backend management.

    “By integrating innovative technologies, high-quality products, and a strong sense of social responsibility, HySEIS showcases Hytera’s multidimensional technological competitiveness — delivering a green, secure, efficient, and intelligent experience. Ultimately, HySEIS aims to deliver safer product services, higher operational efficiency, and a smarter, more convenient user experience.”

    He says that this follows hot on the heels of the business’s launch at the end of April of version 2.5 of its Commercial AP and BP series, representing an exciting moment for radio technology.

    “A primary focus of this update is to enhance the receiver sensitivity and overall interference rejection capabilities of these radios. By incorporating new, cutting-edge technology and a redesigned antenna system, we have successfully increased the communication distance achievable with these devices. Beyond range improvements, this version 2.5 also introduces highly anticipated features.

    “Notably, for our S-series commercial radios, we have implemented a channel copy functionality, designed to streamline and simplify the often time-consuming process of radio programming,” he explains.

    Stanley Song adds that Hytera is transitioning from primarily transactional models to service-based models.

    He says this shift allows customers to procure services and capabilities rather than purchasing equipment outright.

    “We are introducing five key service-based models: Software as a Service (SaaS), managed services, terminal rental or leasing, enhanced maintenance contracts, and hybrid models that combine transactional and service-based approaches,” he says.

    Another exciting development is Hytera’s Robot Dog, which offers impressive capabilities.

    “For extended operations, it features Hytera’s deployable communications, video, and AI capabilities on the quadruped robot platform. It is exciting to note that equipped with powerful facial recognition, the robot dog can autonomously patrol designated areas, identify known suspects, trigger alerts to a central command station, and even enable one-way emergency broadcasts if needed… Powered by AI, this integrated solution can assist public safety agencies in addressing potential risks early on. It enables faster responses and allows for proactive intervention before a problem escalates into a full-blown crisis,” he explains.

    All in all, explains Stanley Song, Africa is poised to enjoy a significant boost in mission-critical communications.

    “The Summit was a success and we are ecstatic to continue our great friendship with the continent and bring more of our technology to more important players across industries,” he says.

    Loading

  • Kenya Set to Reduce Issuance Times with Next-gen ePassports

    Kenya Set to Reduce Issuance Times with Next-gen ePassports

    Veridos, a global leader in integrated identity solutions, has announced a new partnership with the Government of Kenya.

    Together, they aim to further enhance the country’s already advanced electronic passports by introducing new security features, reducing issuance times, and providing citizens with secure, future-ready ID solutions.

    Kenya is committed to making regional and international travel, easier for its citizens by continuously improving its ePassport.

    The Kenyan government is integrating advanced security technologies and high-quality design elements that reflect their identity and values. The goal is for citizens to feel represented by their passports, move freely worldwide and trust in the document’s strong security.

    The Government of Kenya appreciates the company’s expertise and cutting-edge solutions, and the strategic alignment between both parties.

    As part of the project, Veridos will introduce color photos into the new Kenyan ePassports for the first time on Polycarbonate.

    The updated design will celebrate key aspects of the country’s culture, featuring the Economy, History, Heritage and Wildlife.

    Veridos is the joint venture formed by Bundesdruckerei and Giesecke+Devrient. Both partners share a core belief that the right to a unique and secure identity is a fundamental human right.

    On the security side, Veridos will implement CLIP ID, a high-resolution, full-color portrait feature that makes counterfeiting nearly impossible. Another key innovation is Spectre ID, a dynamic element that reveals matching embossed structures when the passport is tilted. In addition, the passport will include MAGIC ID, which creates animated effects throughout its pages, adding further protection against forgery.

    “For the next generation of Kenyan ePassports, we sought to design a passport that embodies who we are as a people by showcasing the Kenyan story and promoting inclusivity while incorporating latest technology in document design to produce a secure world class passport crafted to withstand the test of time,” says Evelyn Chegulet, director general, Directorate of Immigration Services Kenya. “We found a partner in Veridos who has the expertise and commitment to actualize our vision.”

    “This partnership marks an important milestone for Veridos,” says Mohammad Mousa, Director Business Development MEA at Veridos. “We now have the opportunity to bring real value to Kenyan citizens through our technology. Over the coming years, we will work closely with the Kenyan government to develop a progressive identity strategy that reflects the country’s values and strengthens its position as a technological pioneer.”

    Loading

  • EgyptAir Partners with SITA to Modernize Network Infrastructure

    EgyptAir Partners with SITA to Modernize Network Infrastructure

    EgyptAir, a leading airline in the Middle East and Africa, is embarking on a transformative upgrade of its network infrastructure to boost operational efficiency, increase resilience, and deliver more reliable services for passengers.

    As part of this modernization, EgyptAir has selected advanced connectivity and infrastructure solutions from SITA, the global leader in air transport technology.

    This strategic modernization equips EgyptAir with scalable, cloud-native connectivity to meet growing bandwidth, security, and automation demands.

    With SITA Connect Go, the airline will further strengthen its core infrastructure with secure airport connectivity, infrastructure protection, Secure Service Edge (SSE) management, and enhanced messaging and service assurance.

    EgyptAir’s operations will also benefit from SITA’s Community Departure Control System (DCS), which will help streamline ground processes, driving cost efficiency across its network.

    Together, these improvements will help EGYPTAIR reduce reliance on aging legacy systems, increase network visibility, and mitigate operational risks.

    Capt. Ahmed Adel, chairman & CEO of EGYPTAIR Holding Company, and Selim Bouri, President Middle East and Africa at SITA, attended a signing ceremony of the strategic agreement.

    The agreement was signed in Cairo by Eng. Yasser Omran, Head of the Information Sector at EGYPTAIR Holding Company, and Houssam Dakroub, Director, North & French speaking Africa at SITA.

    “Airlines across the Middle East and Africa are facing a period of rapid change,” said Selim Bouri, President, Middle East & Africa at SITA. “Passenger demand is surging, airports are getting busier, and the pressure to operate more efficiently, securely, and sustainably has never been greater. Against this backdrop, EgyptAir is making a bold move to transform its network infrastructure, giving the airline the speed, resilience, and agility it needs to keep pace with market growth and rising traveler expectations. By embracing next-generation connectivity, EgyptAir is future-proofing its operations and strengthening its ability to compete in an increasingly dynamic regional aviation landscape.”

     This agreement is a continuation of the development journey of the Egyptian civil aviation sector and strengthens its competitiveness as a pivotal regional center for aviation, IT, and digital services.

    The airline’s focus on adopting the latest smart solutions, will contribute to strengthening performance efficiency and improving the passenger experience at Egyptian airports.

    The partnership is expected to bring a significant transformation in the company’s communication systems, enabling it to continue its growth plans at the regional and international levels, thanks to SITA’s extensive experience in digital services, with its information network extending to more than 200 countries and regions worldwide.

    The initiative also strengthens EGYPTAIR’s position as a regional aviation hub and aligns with the Egyptian civil aviation sector’s development goals.

    Captain Ahmed Adel, chairman & CEO of EGYPTAIR Holding Company, added:

    “This partnership with SITA is a cornerstone of our digital transformation strategy. By adopting cutting-edge solutions, we are enhancing our communication systems to support growth in tourism and travel, ensuring operational excellence and a superior passenger experience.”

    While this project is not the first of its kind for SITA globally, it underscores the company’s commitment to supporting leading airlines like EgyptAir in transforming their operations and preparing for long-term growth.

    Loading

  • Gates Foundation Awards $5m grant to Axmed as a Boost to Maternity Products in Africa

    Gates Foundation Awards $5m grant to Axmed as a Boost to Maternity Products in Africa

    As part of the global health movement to expand affordable access to high-quality medicines, the Gates Foundation has awarded a $5 million grant to Axmed, a healthcare technology company transforming how lifesaving medicines are procured across Growth Markets.

    The grant will be deployed as a matching fund, providing a 1:1 match on government procurement of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) commodities through the Axmed Medicines Platform.

    The grant is expected to unlock up to $10 million in MNCH procurement across a selection of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    It aims to strengthen national procurement capacity by offering Ministries of Health near-term liquidity, access to quality-assured MNCH commodities, and the benefits of pooled procurement and aggregated demand – driving both cost-efficiency and supply security.

    The initiative was announced during a high-level roundtable held alongside the 78th World Health Assembly, which convened Ministers of Health, national procurement leads, and representatives from key multilateral organizations and philanthropic partners.

    Reducing the number of preventable deaths of mothers and babies is key to our work in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Cynthia Mwase, director of Health, Africa, Gates Foundation. “This partnership with Axmed and local health leaders is an important step forward in ensuring that life-saving innovations reach the communities where they can make the greatest difference – so that more families can experience healthy pregnancies, safe births, and strong starts to life.”

    Addressing Persistent Gaps in Medicines Access

    Every year, 287,000 women die from pregnancy and childbirth complications, and 2.3 million newborns die in their first month—despite the availability of proven, cost-effective interventions. Weak procurement systems, constrained budgets, and fragmented supply chains continue to limit access to essential MNCH commodities across low-resource settings.

    The current global liquidity crunch, coupled with reductions in donor funding, has made it harder for governments to secure the medicines they need. This grant responds to that challenge—unlocking immediate financing while enabling longer-term procurement reforms.

    “Through our partnership with Axmed, the Government of Rwanda has shown that meaningful improvements in the efficient and sustainable delivery of high-quality medicines across multiple therapeutic areas can be achieved. Now, through this matching fund, our partnership will expand this impact even further, reaching the most vulnerable with urgency and precision. This matching fund is a strategic step forward in reimagining procurement in a new era of global health: smarter, faster, and designed to deliver measurable results across the entire health system in collaboration with partners who are both innovative and purpose-driven “ said Dr. Loko Abraham, chief executive officer for Rwanda Medical Supply. 

    The Axmed Platform: Unlocking Scale, Speed, and Savings

    Axmed’s digital marketplace connects institutional buyers directly with vetted suppliers, aggregating demand across countries and consolidating procurement at scale. In 2024, Ministries and other procurers using the platform achieved average savings of 20–30%, with select MNCH products realizing up to 80% cost reductions.

    Axmed also partners with global logistics providers to manage end-to-end delivery, from manufacturer to last-mile distribution, with full tracking and traceability.

    The platform has been deployed across multiple LMICs to support national and regional procurement strategies.

    Emmanuel Akpakwu, CEO and Co-founder of Axmed_vF
    Emmanuel Akpakwu, CEO and co-founder of Axmed

    This fund is a clear example of how catalytic financing and technology can work together to deliver immediate and lasting impact,” said Emmanuel Akpakwu, founder & CEO of Axmed. “Our goal is not just to deliver quality medicines faster and more affordably, but to help build more resilient and efficient procurement systems for the future.

    Loading

  • QuantumLight Closes $250M Fund, Publishes Hiring Playbook for Startups

    QuantumLight Closes $250M Fund, Publishes Hiring Playbook for Startups

    QuantumLight, the quantitative venture capital firm founded by Nik Storonsky, has reached the final close of its inaugural $250 million fund. 

    At the same time, the firm is publicly launching its second operating playbook, Hiring Top Talent, designed to help founders systematically scale world-class teams.

    The $250 million Fund I, which closed at hard cap, is backed by a global group of top-tier LPs, including billionaire tech founders and prominent institutions. Since its launch in 2023, QuantumLight has backed exceptional founders across AI, Web3, Fintech, SaaS and Healthtech. 

    Founded by Nik Storonsky, the entrepreneur behind $45bn fintech giant Revolut, QuantumLight is on a mission to bring scientific precision to venture capital. The firm’s approach is grounded in systematic investing through its proprietary AI model, Aleph, purpose-built to identify outlier growth-stage companies.

    Our ambition is to build the world’s best systematic venture capital and growth equity firm – and support the new generation of founders by sharing some of the operating principles that we developed at Revolut,” said Nik Storonsky, founder of QuantumLight and CEO & founder of Revolut.

    QuantumLight’s second public playbook, Hiring Top Talent, co-authored with Nik Storonsky is following the success of the previously released manual Driving High Performance

    The firm is unveiling the structured recruitment approach behind Revolut’s hiring engine that helped the company scale to over 10,000 employees in c. 10 years.

    The new playbook provides a practical blueprint for every stage of the hiring journey, guiding founders on how to hire at speed without compromising quality. The approach centres on identifying high-potential problem-solvers and assessing them through a highly structured, repeatable process that ensures consistency and reduces bias. 

    The playbook positions talent as a strategic function that should not be outsourced, and promotes building an internal recruitment team early on. Already in use across QuantumLight’s portfolio companies, the playbook equips teams with practical frameworks to scale with clarity and intention from day one.

    QuantumLight’s frameworks around hiring helped us bring structure and consistency to how we evaluate candidates. Leveraging the talent framework and interview playbooks gave us a clear starting point and helped us accelerate our hiring efforts. It’s been valuable to learn from the systems that helped scale Revolut into a global company,” said Mark Lee, founder & CEO of MarqVision, a QuantumLight portfolio company.

    Our goal is to make the invisible operating systems behind iconic companies like Revolut visible and replicable. Founders shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to building high-performing teams. By sharing these tools and frameworks, we’re helping scale-ups move faster from day one,” said Ilya Kondrashov, CEO of QuantumLight.

    Loading

  • Why We Introduced ‘Honeypot as a Service’ – J2 Software

    Why We Introduced ‘Honeypot as a Service’ – J2 Software

    J2 Software has introduced ‘Honeypot as a Service’, a plug-and-play solution designed to deceive attackers, gather critical threat intelligence, and ultimately strengthen an organisation’s cyber resilience.

    This new approach is particularly crucial as cyberattacks become more complex and targeted.

    A honeypot is a digital decoy that mimics a real system, such as a data store, web server, or even an entire network segment. Its primary purpose is to lure cyber attackers into interacting with a fake system rather than the real one.

    When attackers engage with these decoys, they inadvertently reveal their tactics, techniques, and motives, enabling early detection that is invaluable to organisations.

    This process allows security teams to gather vital intelligence by observing how attackers interact with the honeypot, which helps them learn about new attack methods.

    Additionally, because legitimate users never interact with the honeypot, any activity on it immediately signals a potential threat, allowing for real-time threat detection.

    The detailed insights gained also strengthen incident response, enabling quicker and more effective actions against actual threats.

    J2 Software CEO John Mc Loughlin says Honeypot as a Service is built on advanced deception technology and designed to be deployed effortlessly.

    ‘The service works by creating lifelike decoys within your network that are indistinguishable from genuine systems, effectively tricking attackers into engaging with fake data.”

    “Every interaction with these honeypots is logged, providing your security team with early warnings – much like a digital CCTV system that alerts you when an intruder is at the door, well before they reach your sensitive data,” he adds.

    In addition to its powerful deception capabilities, the service offers plug-and-play simplicity. The honeypot devices are pre-configured, requiring only minimal setup; simply plug them into the network, connect them to power, and they begin monitoring and reporting any suspicious activity.

    Furthermore, J2’s solution can be tailored to meet specific deployment needs, whether for a single office or multiple sites.

    An organisation may deploy a base unit at its head office, along with additional devices at remote sites, all of which appear as natural extensions of its environment.

    Here’s how the service improves one’s overall security posture:

    • By acting as a trap, the honeypot alerts the organisation to cyberattacks as soon as an attacker takes the bait, significantly reducing the average time needed to detect and respond to breaches.

     

    • The service provides comprehensive threat intelligence by monitoring attackers’ interactions with the decoys. This process offers valuable insights into their methods, which can be used to refine existing security measures and prevent future attacks.

     

    • The honeypot protects genuine data by diverting attackers away from real systems, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure.

     

    • For resource-constrained organisations, deploying a honeypot offers a high-impact layer of defense without requiring massive investments in additional infrastructure, making it a cost-effective security solution.

    “J2 Software’s approach is designed to be straightforward, it requires minimal technical requirements. No need for extensive technical skills, the device is delivered pre-configured. All that’s required is plugging it in and connecting it to the network,” he explains.

    More importantly, J2 Software offers flexible service terms, the service is offered on a monthly basis with a 12-month commitment. After the initial period, organisations can opt for a month-to-month service or return the device if it no longer meets their needs.

    J2 Software’s Honeypot as a Service isn’t meant to work in isolation; instead, it forms a critical part of a broader cyber resilience framework.

    By integrating honeypots with existing security measures – such as endpoint protection, intrusion detection systems, and managed security services – organisations gain a layered defence strategy that improves overall threat visibility.

    This integrated approach also reduces the number of false positives by ensuring that alerts are generated only when suspicious activity is detected, and it facilitates compliance with evolving cybersecurity regulations.

    “Cybersecurity isn’t just about having robust firewalls or antivirus software; it’s about staying one step ahead of the attackers. J2 Software’s Honeypot as a Service offers a unique, proactive approach by turning the tables on cyber criminals,” he concludes.

    By setting digital traps that not only safeguard your critical systems but also provide detailed intelligence on attacker behaviour, organisations can better prepare for and mitigate the risks of modern cyber threats.

    For businesses looking to enhance their cyber security without expanding their infrastructure extensively, this service is a strategic, cost-effective solution.

    Loading

Translate »