Founders · Funding · Teardowns
Ideas that build tomorrow.
Startup rounds, product teardowns and founder memos from across Africa — read clearly, without the hype.
Current briefing
"Give a Pinch" Lets Fans Back African Creators Directly, With One-Time or Monthly SupportFans can give once, support a creator monthly or help fund a dream project, and 90% of every pinch goes to the creator. Here is how it works, what it costs and what it does not promise.
Briefing01/05
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AI · Fintech · Climate · Startups
01 / Technologyopen →Lagos Life Maker Vatar Raises $500,000 in Angel Funding Nine Days After the Game LaunchedVatar, the company behind the Nigerian browser game Lagos Life, has closed a $500,000 angel round backed by the founders of Mono, Terra Industries and Flutterwave. The game has passed 5 million players since launching on 1st October.02 / Technologyopen →Creator Monetization in Nigeria: What Gumroad, Patreon and Substack Cost, and What PINCHED ChargesForeign creator tools publish their fees in dollars and add payment costs on top. Here is how the numbers compare with PINCHED's Naira plans, which keep 90% to 97% with the creator.03 / Technologyopen →Nigeria Has Fewer Working ATMs Than in 2021, and the CBN Now Wants Banks to Build MoreActive machines fell from about 22,600 to 16,714 in three years, even as ATM transactions keep growing, and a CBN rule now requires one ATM for every 7,500 cards.04 / Technologyopen →PINCHED Lets African Creators Keep 90% to 97% of What They Earn, Paid Through Naira RailsForeign platforms take a large cut, decline local cards and keep the audience out of the creator's hands. PINCHED is built as the opposite: plans from free to ₦20,000 a month, no added fees for ticket buyers and a supporter list the creator controls.
The briefing
All reports →Technology"Give a Pinch" Lets Fans Back African Creators Directly, With One-Time or Monthly Support
TechnologyLagos Life Maker Vatar Raises $500,000 in Angel Funding Nine Days After the Game Launched
TechnologyCreator Monetization in Nigeria: What Gumroad, Patreon and Substack Cost, and What PINCHED Charges
TechnologyNigeria Has Fewer Working ATMs Than in 2021, and the CBN Now Wants Banks to Build More
TechnologyPINCHED Lets African Creators Keep 90% to 97% of What They Earn, Paid Through Naira Rails
TechnologyLagos Life Creator Shalom Rayhamen: "When You Build Something That People Love, You Will Definitely Get the Numbers"
TechnologyFive Nigerian Women Founders Win $10,000 Each, and the Problems They Are Solving Are Very Different
TechnologyKenyan-Founded Satlyt Raises $8M to Run AI on Satellites After Google and SpaceX Said No to Its FounderFounder index
01Kenneth OnyebuchiCreator Monetization in Nigeria: What Gumroad, Patreon and Substack Cost, and What PINCHED Charges02Kenneth OnyebuchiNigeria Has Fewer Working ATMs Than in 2021, and the CBN Now Wants Banks to Build More03Kenneth OnyebuchiPINCHED Lets African Creators Keep 90% to 97% of What They Earn, Paid Through Naira Rails04Kenneth OnyebuchiLagos Life Creator Shalom Rayhamen: "When You Build Something That People Love, You Will Definitely Get the Numbers"05Kenneth OnyebuchiFive Nigerian Women Founders Win $10,000 Each, and the Problems They Are Solving Are Very Different06Kenneth OnyebuchiKenyan-Founded Satlyt Raises $8M to Run AI on Satellites After Google and SpaceX Said No to Its Founder
Index the future
PINCHED Technology reports African engineering as engineering: payments rails, offline-first software, AI and VR research, and the founders raising, shipping and occasionally failing in public.
The desk covers artificial intelligence, startups, fintech, the digital economy, gadgets, software, cybersecurity, web3, robotics, innovation and creator technology.
- Artificial Intelligence
- Startups
- Fintech
- Digital Economy
- Gadgets
- Software
- Cybersecurity
- Web3
- Robotics
- Innovation
- Creator Technology
Technology — quick answers
- What does the PINCHED Technology desk cover?
- Tech news from Nigeria and across Africa: AI and VR, startup funding, fintech, founders, gadgets and cybersecurity, reported by people who read the code.
- Which Technology sections can I browse?
- The Future: AI / VR, News, Events, Founders, Discovery — each with its own reporting, galleries and creators.
- Who writes PINCHED Technology stories?
- Named PINCHED reporters, contributors and creators publishing first-hand from the continent. Every story lists its author, location, publication and update dates.