GRBusiness
Curacel Secures $450,000 Pre-seed Funding To Drive Insurance Inclusion In Africa
Curacel, an AI-powered platform for claims processing and fraud management in Africa, has raised $450,000 pre-seed funding in a round that was led by Atlantica Venturesand Consonance with participation from Kepple Ventures and other African angel investors. The new investment will be used to accelerate Curacel’s expansion across Africa and facilitate the goal of becoming Africa’s premier provider of embedded finance technology for insurance.
The insurtech startup already works with some of the biggest insurers on the continent, including AXA Mansard, Liberty Health and Old Mutual, as well as more than 800 hospitals in Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda. It plans to expand into 10 new African countries by the end of 2021.
Every year, African insurers lose more than $12 billion to fraudulent, wasteful, and abusive claims. Curacel’s flagship CLAIMS platform acts as a bridge between primary care hospitals and Africa’s insurance companies, using advanced artificial intelligence to ensure that insurance companies only pay claims for the correct treatment, appropriate medications and recommended patient therapies.
Curacel is also scheduled to launch Curacel Capital, a cash advance product that makes it easier for healthcare providers to access working capital to mitigate financial challenges. Delayed payments and other inefficiencies in the payment process means many African healthcare providers often have to make the difficult choice between keeping the books balanced or providing healthcare at a loss. With Curacel Capital, healthcare providers can access lump sums of up to three times their average monthly billings, based on claims processed on the Curacel portal, ensuring that they can continue to deliver essential services without undue disruption.
With insurance penetration at just 2.8% across the continent, many Africans are one accident or health emergency away from poverty. And in Africa’s communal societies, tragedy impacts entire communities, with people emptying their savings to pay for medical expenses, burials or other disaster relief for family members and kin. By leveraging Curacel’s products and services, insurers across the continent are better equipped to close the insurance gap and safeguard prosperity.
According to Curacel Co-founder and CEO, Henry Mascot, “we are excited to have these investors on board and we are looking forward to partnering with them to drive our vision of improving insurance inclusion across Africa. At Curacel, we are uniquely positioned to safeguard livelihoods and increase the quality of life through our unique, market-leading products and services”.
IK Kanu, Partner at Atlantica Ventures noted that, “the African insurance market represents a significant growth opportunity and we are delighted to be partnering with Curacel to drive growth in this sector. There is an opportunity to create an entirely new market of products and services here and we look forward to supporting the team to improve health outcomes across the continent.”
“We believe the Curacel team has what it takes to be market leaders and we are excited to support them. They have a great product and we are delighted to be coming onboard at this early stage, ” Mobolaji Adeoye, Managing Partner at Consonance added.
Energy
AVEVA is providing data management support for renewable natural gas projects
Reporter: Godwin Ezeh
Key Highlights
● AVEVA’s industrial information infrastructure has been selected by Archaea Energy to provide key data management support
● AVEVA’s industrial software to optimize performance across Archaea’s RNG plants
AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software driving digital transformation and sustainability, has been selected by Archaea Energy, the largest renewable natural gas (RNG) producer in the US, to build a comprehensive operations data management infrastructure.
Using AVEVA’s software, Archaea Energy can collect, enrich and visualize its real-time operations data, enabling performance analysis across its growing network of plants.
Using AVEVA PI Data Infrastructure, a hybrid solution with cloud data services, the plants will be able to share data to highlight operational opportunities and optimize efficiency.
Caspar Herzberg, CEO, AVEVA, stated,
“Through this collaboration and the use of AVEVA PI Data Infrastructure, Archaea’s growing network of plants will have streamlined operations with accurate performance analysis throughout the expansion. AVEVA’s CONNECT software platform leverages industrial intelligence from a central location, making it easier to deploy additional digital solutions in the future.”
“As the largest RNG producer in the United States, we are dedicated to delivering reliable, clean energy,” said Starlee Sykes, chief executive officer of Archaea Energy. “This relationship will allow us to optimize operations and offer detailed performance analysis as we continue to expand across the country.”
Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(SMBs) are the backbone of most economies accounting for 90% of businesses, over 70% of employment, and 50% of global GDP, according to the United Nations. They drive growth, innovation, and job creation worldwide.
In Nigeria, they play a crucial role in stimulating local economies and contributing to the country’s GDP.
Recognising their impact, WhatsApp is committed to empowering SMBs with the tools to succeed through the WhatsApp Business App, by reaching their customers where they already are.
WhatsApp continues to be the best way for people and businesses to get business done in Nigeria. With its efficient features, the WhatsApp Business App has become an indispensable tool for small businesses, helping them streamline communication, enhance customer engagement and drive sales. And we know customers love communicating with businesses over WhatsApp too, as nearly 80% of people globally message with a business at least once a week.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to optimise your business operations, here are five essential WhatsApp Business features that can elevate your efficiency and customer interactions.
1. Catalog – Showcase Your Products and Services
Gone are the days of sending multiple images and descriptions individually to customers. With the Catalog feature, you can create a digital storefront where customers can browse your offerings within WhatsApp. This is just like a mini-website which makes it easier to showcase your products, prices and descriptions in an organised way.
How to Use It: Go to Business Tools > Catalog. Add product images, videos, names, descriptions and pricing.
2. Quick Replies – Save Time on Repetitive Questions
Answering the same customer questions repeatedly? Quick Replies let you create preset responses for frequently asked questions, saving you time and ensuring fast customer service.
How to Use It:Go to Settings > Business Tools > Quick Replies. Create and save responses such as a greeting message or order confirmation. Use the shortcut “/” to insert a quick reply in any chat
3. Labels – Stay Organised and Track Conversations
Managing multiple customer interactions can be overwhelming, but the Labels feature helps by categorising chats in different ways, such as order status or customer type. You can create labels with different colors or names and add the conversations to an entire chat. This keeps your inbox organised and ensures no customer is left waiting.
How to Use It: Open a chat, tap on the three-dot menu > Label Chat. Assign relevant labels like New Customer, Order Placed, Pending Payment.
4. Away Messages – Engage Customers Even When You’re Away
Never miss a customer inquiry again. Away Messages allow you to set up a greeting or away message, ensuring customers receive timely responses even outside business hours.
How to Use It: Go to Business Tools > Away Message / Greeting Message. Set up a custom message and schedule when it should be sent.
5. Meta Verified – For Enhanced Protection and Account Support
A paid subscription that helps your business build credibility with new audiences, Meta Verified can help drive more engagement and grow your brand. With Meta Verified, you’ll receive enhanced account support, can use WhatsApp across multiple devices and easily create a professional WhatsApp web page that’s tailored to you.
How to Use It: Go to Settings or Business Tools > tap Meta Verified.
WhatsApp Business is packed with features designed to help small businesses grow, stay organised, and engage with customers effortlessly. By leveraging these features, you can enhance your customer experience, increase efficiency and ultimately drive more sales. Start your own journey with the WhatsApp Business app here.
Bolt, the leading ride-hailing platform, on Thursday, 19th of March hosted an Iftar gathering in Kano to bring together Muslim drivers during the holy month of Ramadan.
The event was not only an opportunity to share a meal but also served as a platform for open dialogue, feedback exchange, and community building within the Bolt driver network.
The Iftar event, held in recognition of the significance of Ramadan, reinforced Bolt’s commitment to supporting its driver-partners and fostering inclusivity across all communities. The gathering provided an environment for drivers to voice their concerns, share their experiences, and engage directly with the Bolt team in a collaborative discussion about improving their experience on the platform.
Speaking during the event, Osi Oguah, the general manager for Bolt Nigeria said: “At Bolt, we recognize the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive environment for our driver-partners.
This Iftar event was more than just a meal, it was a chance to connect, listen, and understand the challenges and needs of our drivers in Kano. We appreciate their dedication, especially during this sacred period of Ramadan.”
Drivers in attendance expressed their appreciation for the initiative, highlighting the sense of belonging and recognition the event fostered. Many also welcomed the opportunity to discuss ways to improve their overall experience on the Bolt platform, making it a productive and meaningful engagement for all participants.
Nura Muhammed, a driver-partner said: “We want to say thank you to Bolt for this initiative, if my knowledge serves me right, this is the first time a ride-hailing company will organize such an event in Kano. This event has also made it possible for us to share some feedback to them physically and we drivers mostly get to connect through our online platform but today, we’re able to meet physically, mingle and exchange pleasantries”
Bolt remains committed to strengthening driver engagement and well-being, and this Iftar gathering is part of a broader effort to continuously support and empower driver-partners across Nigeria.
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