Connect with us

GRTech

Flutterwave Closes USD $250m in Series D Funding, Valuation Rises to Over USD $3bn

Published

on

Olugbenga GB Agboola, CEO Flutterwave


Flutterwave, a leading technology company, announced today that it has raised USD $250 million in Series D funding, valuing the company at over $3 billion as the brand continues to transform the way Africans transact on the continent and worldwide 

Flutterwave has become the highest valued African start-up with this investment. It is a validation of African talent, innovation and its young inspiring people. It is also a huge endorsement in the growth of the business, innovation and technology landscape in Africa.

Flutterwave’s latest backers include some of the world’s most respected investors led by B Capital Group, and with participation from Alta Park Capital, Whale Rock Capital, Lux Capital, among others. Several existing investors who also participated in previous rounds also followed this round, including, Glynn Capital, Avenir Growth, Tiger Global, Green Visor Capital and Salesforce Ventures. The new funds will drive Flutterwave’s ambitious expansion plan to accelerate customer acquisition in existing markets and growth through M&A, and develop complementary products while encouraging new innovations in its products and services development.  The Company will share more details during the Flutterwave 3.0 event. The virtual event is billed for 18th February 2022 and members of the public can RSVP here . 

Since its inception in 2016, the Flutterwave team has been on a mission to create endless possibilities for customers and businesses in Africa and the emerging markets. The Series D fundraise comes on the back of an impressive run of five years in which Flutterwave has processed over 200M transactions worth over USD $16B to date across 34 countries in Africa. It also follows a year of rapid growth for the brand which now serves over 900,000 businesses across the globe. 

In 2021, Flutterwave launched a range of new products including Flutterwave Market for merchants to sell their goods via an online marketplace and, most recently, Send, a remittance service that empowers customers to seamlessly send money to recipients to and from Africa. Flutterwave has also partnered with leading global and pan-African technology and telecommunication companies such as PayPal, MTN, Airtel Africa to drive financial inclusion on the continent and create endless possibilities for customers who can build customisable payment applications through its APIs.

Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, said “Our story is that of resilience and hard work. Our growth so far is due to the support of our customers, our partners, the banks, the public, the regulators, and importantly our people. The Central Bank of Nigeria, under the leadership of Dr. Godwin Emefiele, laid the vision of a transformational Payment System in Nigeria, provided the framework for innovation in this space, and has continued to create regulations that have enabled us to grow and thrive. We are grateful to them and to all the other Central Banks in all the countries where we operate. We set out to build a platform that simplifies payments for everyone and today, our solutions are used across the globe to connect Africans to the world and the world to Africans. We are delighted that investors believe in us and our story and are committing their resources to this belief. This latest funding demonstrates the conviction of some of the world’s leading investors in both our business model, team and the Africa technology market. It gives Flutterwave the much-needed support to deliver on our plans to provide the best experience for our merchants and customers around the world.”

Matt Levinson, Partner at B Capital said, “At B Capital, we seek to back generational companies with broad platform potential. Flutterwave has a unique opportunity to accomplish this as the dominant payments infrastructure provider across Africa. In addition to their emergence as the leading enterprise payments processor for the continent, Flutterwave is innovating at breakneck speed with novel fintech solutions for large corporates, SMEs and consumers. I’ve had the pleasure of backing this world-class team since 2017 and couldn’t be more thrilled that B Capital is leading their Series D. Flutterwave may ultimately build one of the most consequential fintech business in the world, enabling hundreds of thousands of merchants to transact online and connect Africa to the global economy.”

David Glynn, Managing Partner of Glynn Capital, said: “We believe the digitization of payments globally is one of the largest and most important trends in technology. Having been investors in Flutterwave since 2017, we have had a front row seat in seeing Flutterwave establish itself as a leading payments company in Africa as it drives adoption of seamless digital payments experiences for merchants and consumers alike. We look forward to supporting the company as it addresses its significant growth opportunity in the years ahead.”

This latest fundraising has seen Flutterwave’s valuation more than triple since its last funding round in March last year when it became one of Africa’s fastest-growing Unicorn. 

Continue Reading

TechNews

Samsung Launches Vision AI TV: A New Era in Home Entertainment, Celebrating 19 Consecutive Years as the Global No. 1 TV Brand

Published

on

Samsung Launches Vision AI TV
L-r: Ikechukwu Ijeh, Head of Retail, Samsund Consumer Electronics; Jingak Chung, CE Product Manager, Samsung Electronics West Africa; Oge Maduagwu, Head of Marketing Communications Samsung Electronics West Africa; Tae Sun Lee, CEO Samsung Electronics West Africa; Harris Kwak, Business Manager Samsung Electronics West Africa; Ajay David, Head Consumer electronics ,Samsung West Africa, and Adekunle Adewale, Management Strategy, Samsung Consumer Electronics, Samsung West Africa, at the launch of Samsung Vision AI TV in Lagos

Samsung Electronics has announced the launch of its groundbreaking Samsung Vision AI TV, marking a bold new chapter in the company’s history of innovation and leadership in the television industry.

For 19 consecutive years, Samsung has held the position of the world’s No. 1 TV brand, a testament to its unwavering commitment to quality, design, and user experience. This remarkable journey of excellence has been defined by a series of world first innovations that have consistently set new standards in the industry.

From the debut of the Bordeaux LCD TV in 2006, admired for the world’s first sensuous design, to other breakthroughs like the first edge type LED TV, the first Smart TV with applications, the brilliance of 100% Color Volume QLED technology, and the refined Curved UHD TV, Samsung has never stopped setting new standards for what a TV can achieve.

Now in 2025, the company has taken another bold step forward with Samsung Vision AI which positions Samsung TVs as more than entertainment devices. They enhance content interaction, smart home functionality and synergy across devices, while maintaining strong privacy with the Samsung Knox security.

“Our mission has always been to create technology that feels personal, intuitive, and inspiring,” said Tae Sun Lee, CEO of Samsung Electronics West Africa. “With Vision AI, we’re not just offering a TV, we’re introducing a smarter, more connected way to live, building on almost two decades of global leadership.”

Samsung Vision AI is packed with features designed to make the TV experience smarter and more personal:

•            Click to Search – Find information and personalized content recommendations about what you’re watching instantly, with just one click.

•            Future-Proof Design – Enjoy 7 years of free OS updates so that your TV keeps evolving, unlocking new AI-powered experiences over time.

•            Smart Home Control Tower – Effortlessly connect and control your Galaxy devices, Bespoke appliances, and other IoT products through SmartThings.

•            Knox Security – Advanced protection to keep your personal information safe while you stay connected.

•            Art & Entertainment – Seamlessly integrates with the Samsung Art TV lineup and offers immersive gaming, making it a hub for both creativity and play.

According to Oge Maduagwu, Head of Marketing & Communications, Samsung Electronics West Africa, “These new TVs are intelligent lifestyle hubs as they leverage Vision AI to deliver personalized, contextual, and seamless experiences that redefine television. Combining TV, AI Art, Live translations and sleek designs to set our TVs miles ahead of others”.

Continuing she said:

“Samsung’s 2025 TV lineup delivers our most advanced viewing experience yet, with innovations across OLED, Neo QLED, QLED, and lifestyle models. This year, we’ve introduced glare-free OLED and expanded anti-glare technology to more Neo QLED models, boosted brightness by up to 30%, and added high refresh rates up to 240Hz for ultra-smooth motion. Our new Vision AI enhances picture, sound, and even integrates smart home features like pet and family care monitoring.

“We’ve launched premium additions such as Neo QLED Mini-LED with  wireless One Connect, plus Nigeria’s first 100-inch Neo QLED. From breathtaking picture quality to intelligent home integration, 2025 Samsung TVs are designed to deliver unmatched clarity, style, and connectivity.”

She reiterated Samsung’s commitment to shaping the viewing experience of tomorrow, with innovations designed to bring joy, connection, and inspiration to households worldwide.

“For years, customers have put their trust in Samsung TVs, trusting them to get quality and value for their money, thus, making them the global No.1 TV brand for 19 years consecutively and the brand continues to honor that trust by delivering products that exceed expectations.

“The new Neo QLED 8K, OLED, Neo QLED 4K, QLED & Crystal UHD TVs are now available at all authorized Samsung stores nationwide”, she Maduagwu added.

Continue Reading

GRTech

Ransomware in the Crosshairs: Sophos and Halcyon Announce New Intelligence-Sharing and Mutual Anti-Tamper Protection Initiative

…Joint Collaboration Enables Real-Time Intelligence Sharing and Mutual Anti-Tamper Protections to Accelerate Ransomware Detection and Response, reports SANDRA ANI

Published

on

Sophos and Halcyon

Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, has announced a strategic threat intelligence sharing partnership with Halcyon, the leading anti-ransomware solution provider.

This collaboration brings together two of the most experienced teams in ransomware defense to accelerate detection, enhance protection, and improve response capabilities for more than 300,000 organizations worldwide.

The collaboration between Sophos and Halcyon will exchange threat intelligence in real time, including indicators of compromise (IOCs), adversary behaviors, and attack patterns, to enhance ransomware prevention and accelerate response time.

Following Halcyon’s recent announcement of a community-focused Ransomware Research Center, this data-sharing initiative will inform defenses across both Sophos’ and Halcyon’s solutions.

It will benefit customers using Sophos Endpoint powered by Intercept X, as well as Sophos Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Sophos XDR, Halcyon’s Anti-Ransomware Platform, and other joint capabilities.

As part of the collaboration, Halcyon and Sophos will also implement mutual anti-tamper protections that allow each platform to monitor and safeguard the other’s agents in customer environments.

This helps ensure that organizations using both solutions benefit from added resilience, reducing the risk of ransomware interfering with security defenses and preserving the integrity of their overall protection strategy.

The threat intelligence collaboration is part of Sophos’ broader strategy to expand the reach and speed of its threat response through strategic partnerships.

Sophos X-Ops, the company’s cross-functional threat intelligence unit, will work closely with Halcyon’s research and engineering teams to share and operationalize ransomware-related insights across a wide array of attack surfaces.

“Ransomware tools and tactics are evolving constantly, and the best defense is timely, relevant intelligence that enables defenders to act quickly and with confidence,” said Simon Reed, chief research and scientific officer, Sophos. “By sharing insights with Halcyon, we’re improving signal fidelity and accelerating detection across our systems, which strengthens protection for all the organizations we serve.” 

“Halcyon is honored to partner with Sophos. Over the last four years, based on our telemetry, Sophos has time and time again proven to be one of the most effective endpoint security platforms we have encountered, reliably performing and disrupting attackers at a level that simply outperforms the majority of the players in the next-generation antivirus and endpoint detection and response (EDR) space. Their dedication to innovate and roll out industry-leading and unique features continues to put their customers at an everyday advantage over the most sophisticated attacks affecting enterprises today,” said Jon Miller, CEO and co-founder of Halcyon. 

Key benefits of the collaboration between Sophos and Halcyon include:

  • Real-time ransomware intelligence: Sophos and Halcyon will share timely threat intelligence, including indicators of compromise (IOCs), attacker behaviors, and tools used in active ransomware campaigns. This intelligence supports earlier detection, broader visibility, and more informed responses.
  • Strengthened defenses across products and services: Shared intelligence will enhance threat detection models, enrich contextual telemetry, and accelerate protection updates within each company’s solutions, including Sophos Central and Halcyon’s Anti-Ransomware Platform.
  • Mutual anti-tamper protections: Each solution actively monitors the other’s agents to prevent tampering or disablement during ransomware attacks, helping ensure that security defenses remain intact and effective throughout an incident.

This collaboration highlights Sophos’ and Halcyon’s continued commitment to cybersecurity innovation, industry cooperation, and the mission to defeat cybercriminals. Together, Sophos and Halcyon are delivering the intelligence needed to stay one step ahead of attackers.

Continue Reading

GRTech

Rubrik and Sophos to Deliver Microsoft 365 Cyber Resilience with New Partnership 

…New offering will provide streamlined security and data protection capabilities for Sophos MDR and XDR mid-market customers, SANDRA ANI reports

Published

on

Rubrik and Sophos partnership

Rubrik, the cybersecurity company, and Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, have announced a strategic partnership to provide Sophos M365 Backup and Recovery Powered by Rubrik.

This marks the first Managed Detection and Response (MDR)-optimized Microsoft 365 backup and recovery solution fully integrated into Sophos Central, Sophos’ security operations platform.

Designed to support IT and cybersecurity teams, the new offering will provide a unified global platform to enhance cyber resilience against ransomware, account compromise, insider threats, and data loss in SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive, and Teams.

“We are reshaping what it means to stay operational in a world shaped by constant digital disruption,” said Joe Levy, CEO, Sophos. “This is the future of cyber resilience: an intelligent, adaptive partnership that ensures organizations remain secure, responsive, and uninterrupted. By combining Sophos’ prevention-first approach with Rubrik’s unwavering recovery capabilities, we empower businesses to withstand attacks and maintain continuity, even under pressure.”

Sophos will offer a powerful new add-on solution for its more than 75,000 MDR and XDR customers, enabling fast, secure recovery of critical Microsoft 365 data in the event of accidental deletion or malicious compromise.

This solution integrates Rubrik’s industry-leading SaaS-based protection directly into the trusted Sophos Central platform, giving organizations the flexibility to enhance their existing security operations with robust data recovery capabilities.

The Sophos Central platform integrates over 350 different telemetry sources across endpoint, cloud, network, identity, email and business applications. The platform leverages deep learning, custom LLMs, and frontier models to detect and respond to threats across the entire attack surface, enhancing defense effectiveness.

“The reality of today’s threat landscape demands a holistic approach to cyber resilience,” said Bipul Sinha, CEO, Chairman, and Co-founder of Rubrik. “With AI-enabled attacks and sophisticated breaches on the rise, organizations need more than just prevention; they need the ability to recover rapidly and reliably. Our partnership with Sophos delivers this critical capability directly within a platform security teams already use and trust, raising the bar for Microsoft 365 resilience.”

The Evolving Threat Landscape

According to The State of Ransomware report by Sophos, nearly half of organizations impacted by ransomware chose to pay the ransom to recover their data. Despite this, only 54% of affected companies relied on backups for data restoration, highlighting a continued gap in effective cyber resilience practices.

Recent research highlights the urgent need for robust Microsoft 365 data protection: 60% of Microsoft 365 tenants have experienced account takeovers, a frequent launchpad for lateral movement within an organization, and 81% have encountered email compromise.

When global admin credentials are compromised, attackers can manipulate retention settings and permanently delete critical business data.

Existing tools were not designed for comprehensive, large-scale recovery, which requires speed, granularity, and reliability for rapid restoration.

Sophos MDR and XDR customers will benefit from:

  • Secure, immutable backups: Rubrik will isolate Microsoft 365 backups with air-gapped storage, WORM locks, and customer-held encryption keys. Multifactor authentication and data lock prevent tampering, even with compromised credentials.
  • Fast, flexible recovery: Customers will be able to restore Microsoft 365 emails, OneDrives, SharePoint sites, Teams channels, and more to original or alternate users, including inactive accounts.
  • Automated protection: Rubrik will automatically discover Microsoft 365 users, sites, and mailboxes, applies Entra ID-based policies, and supports delegated admin – all integrated with Sophos Central to reduce manual effort.
  • Unified experience: Microsoft 365 protection and security operations will be managed via Sophos Central with no extra tools.

Rubrik and Sophos’ shared commitment to helping organizations operate with confidence in the face of risk, will provide Sophos customers and partners with a powerful solution to recover with speed and precision when threats inevitably break through.

This offering will be available through Sophos’ channel partner network in the coming months.

Continue Reading

Trending