Odds and Ends 

What we know (and dont) about Goldman Sachs Africa VC investing

Goldman Sachs is investing in African tech companies. The venerable American investment bank and financial services firm has backed startups from Kenya to Nigeria and taken a significant stake in e-commerce venture Jumia, which listed on the NYSE in 2019. Though Goldman declined to comment on its Africa VC activities for this article, the company has spoken to TechCrunch in the past about specific investments. Goldman Sachs is one of the most enviable investment banking shops on Wall Street, generating $36 billion in net revenues in 2019, or roughly $1…

Read More
Headlines 

London Cops Will Use Facial Recognition to Hunt Suspects

There will soon be a new bobby on the beat in London: artificial intelligence. London’s Metropolitan Police Big Brother Watch in the UK. She says activists in Hong Kong, Russia, or South America may find it more difficult to push back against expanded use of facial recognition as a result. Carlo says facial recognition is already being used in dubious ways in the UK, for example to monitor the Notting Hill Carnival, a major event in British Black culture. “We talk about mission creep, but the mission is already well…

Read More
Headlines 

Making Public Transit Fairer to Women Demands Way More Data

Public transportation is sexist. This may be unintentional or implicit, but it’s also easy to see. Women around the world do more care and domestic work than men, and their resulting mobility habits are hobbled by most transport systems. The demands of running errands and caring for children and other family members mean repeatedly getting on and off the bus, meaning paying more fares. Strollers and shopping bags make travel cumbersome. A 2018 study of New Yorkers found women were harassed on the subway far more frequently than men were,…

Read More
Odds and Ends 

LocalGlobe partner Julia Hawkins discusses femtechs risks and rewards

London-based seed fund LocalGlobe We interviewed partner Julia Hawkins about the opportunities and risks related to femtech investing in light of the fund’s early backing for Ferly, a female-founded startup with a subscription app that describes itself as an audio guide to “mindful sex.” The startup says its mission is to open up conversations around female sexual pleasure and create a place for self-discovery and empowering community — touting “sex-positive” content that it says is “backed by research, written by experts, and personalized to you.” The interview has been edited…

Read More
Odds and Ends 

As the new year beckons European investors start moving into new roles

As the Holiday Season approaches, new jobs for players in the tech ecosystem beckon. And this is no less true for investors. Two notable moves have recently happened that are worthy of note in the European scene. The first is that GR Capital, a pan-European VC, is opening an office in London and has lured Jason Ball, who, earlier this year, left Qualcomm Ventures where had been European Managing Director for over a decade. Ball spent ten years as a mentor at Seedcamp and individually invested in more than ten…

Read More
Headlines 

The day after at London Bridge: ‘We are still here, singing’

Choristers, shoppers and traders not put off area targeted for second time The mood at London Bridge on Saturday was one of almost eerie calm. The bridge itself remained cordoned off, with vehicles that had been caught up in the attack still parked behind the police cordons. Usually one of the main arteries of London transport, the bridge was silent, populated only by police officers and forensic teams in blue suits taking evidence. Tony Fitzgerald, 50, walked past the TV cameras stationed at the base of the bridge carrying a…

Read More