A new class of Oscar nominees has been unveiled. On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with special hosts Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams, announced nominations for the 95th Oscars. Everything Everywhere All at Once is the year's most-nominated film, with 11 total nominations, including Best Picture, Best Directing, and four acting nominations. All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin follow with nine nominations apiece.
Saturday, January 28, 2023
2023 Oscars Nominations
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Partech Africa Report: Resilient African Tech Ecosystem Still Growing with $6.5 Billion Raised in 2022
PRESS RELEASE
Presenting the 2022 Partech Africa Report: Resilient African Tech Ecosystem Still Growing with $6.5 Billion Raised in 2022
Partech Africa, the VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa, has issued its annual report on Africa Tech Venture Capital
DAKAR, Senegal, January 24, 2023/ -- Amid the drastic pullback in global VC funding, the African tech ecosystem stands out with +8% growth from 2021. Debt funding doubled in volume to $1.5B, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total funding. Fintech, still leading, attracted 39% of the total equity volume; Nigeria retained the top spot with 23%
Partech Africa, the VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa, has issued its annual report on Africa Tech Venture Capital. The report, which aims to provide a practical picture of the state of the ecosystem, revealed that despite the global VC downturn, the African tech ecosystem grew faster than all other markets globally.
Total funding invested into tech startups on the continent reached $6.5B, an increase of 8% vs 2021, spread across 764 deals - compared to 724 rounds in 2021. The report, consisting of disclosed and confidential deals, saw debt funding more than double in volume, reaching $1.55 billion through 71 deals [65% YoY growth]. In comparison, equity rounds showed a slight decline, as 653 African tech startups raised $4.9B [-6%] in 693 equity rounds [2% YoY growth].
Focusing on the equity funding, the report revealed the ecosystem was still accelerating during Q1 and Q2 of 2022 compared to 2021, with the YoY comparison showing Q1 and Q2 at +127% YoY and +83% YoY, respectively. However, the global VC slowdown stifled growth in activity in Q3 [-65% YoY] and Q4 [-35% YoY]. In 2022, fundraising activities remained flat across all stages. At $1.4M, Seed+ ticket sizes averaged higher in 2022 [+12% YoY], while Series A remained the same at $8.5M. Later stages reverted to 2019 levels, as Series B and Growth round sizes dropped by -23% and -50% YoY, respectively. In addition, 2022 witnessed a significant reduction in the number of megadeals [over 100M], with only seven deals compared to 14 in 2021.
Speaking on the launch of the annual report, Tidjane Deme, General Partner at Partech, said: "2022 was a particularly challenging year for the venture ecosystem worldwide, as venture and growth investors scaled back their investment by a third. However, by comparison, our report revealed the African tech ecosystem showed great resilience, as more investors have doubled their commitment to the continent by investing in local teams and funds dedicated to the market, which is proving to be the best way forward.”
Overall, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Kenya remain the top investment destinations in Africa, with a share of total volume staying relatively steady at 72%. Nigeria retained the top rank, bringing in $1.2B in capital, despite a decline of 36% from 2021; South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya each attracted over $0.7B in funding, with Ghana completing the top 5 with just over $0.2B. Overall, 28 countries attracted equity funding in 2022, 13 of them in Francophone Africa..
In light of the market downturn, the report’s findings also revealed that Fintech, which has historically attracted sizable investments, was the most impacted by the slowdown in the number of large rounds. However, fintech remains the most funded sector in Africa, and this across all sources of capital, with 39% of the total equity volume [$1.9B] and 45% of the total debt volume [$691M]. Other sectors have experienced substantial growth and gained a meaningful share of the equity funding activity this year, most notably Cleantech, which made a big comeback with 18% of total equity funding at $863M [+347% YoY] but also 39% of the total debt funding at $605M.
The report's findings also show:
Female-founded startups raised 22% of all equity rounds in 2022, up 2 percentage points from 20% in 2021. They also contributed $644 Million or 13% of the total equity funding, down 3 percentage points from 16% in 2021.
Outside of the top 4 countries, Ghana ($202 million), Algeria ($150 million), Tunisia ($117 million) and Senegal ($105 million) were the only other countries that broke the $100M funding mark.
Despite a slowdown in the growth rate of equity investors, Africa’s tech ecosystem attracted 1,149 unique investors for the first time [+29% YoY in 2021]. African tech has seen more investors committed, with 89 participating in 5 or more deals (compared to 65 investors in 2021).
The number of debt investors active on the continent is growing 2.5x YoY, with a good mix of local debt institutions, international lenders with emerging market vehicles and Development Finance Institutions.
Cyril Collon, General Partner at Partech, added: “Much of our methodology has remained the same over the years, and we, therefore, can provide a snapshot of how the African continent has evolved over the years. Nigerian and the fintech vertical have remained at the top spot; however, in an environment where equity funding is more challenging, debt has proved to be a solid alternative source of African tech startups in 2022, which signals a maturity within each sector.”
Headquartered in Dakar, Partech Africa is the largest VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa. With a focus on Late Seed, Series A and B equity rounds in startups which are changing the way technology is used across multiple sectors, including education, mobility, finance and healthcare, the VC has, to date, invested in 17 African startups, such as Wave (http://bit.ly/3J9lGqy) and TradeDepot (http://bit.ly/3R2IgD9). Using the same methodology as previous years, the seventh Partech Africa annual report on African tech start-ups only includes equity rounds where the total amount is higher than US$200K.
To download the full ‘2022 Africa Tech Venture Capital’ report, click here (https://bit.ly/3R5mChF).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Partech Partners.
For media inquiries:
Isabelle Tresson: +33 7 86 08 85 85
itresson@partechpartners.com
About Partech Africa:
Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, Partech Africa is the largest VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa. Partech Africa focuses on series A and B equity rounds in startups which are changing the way technology is used in education, mobility, finance, healthcare, delivery, energy, etc.
About Partech:
Born in San Francisco 40 years ago and now headquartered in Paris, Partech is one of the most active tech investors in the world, bringing together capital, operational experience, and strategic support for entrepreneurs at seed, venture and growth stages. The company manages more than €2.5B and its current portfolio includes 210 companies in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the US.
www.PartechPartners.com
SOURCE
Partech Partners
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Is Nollywood Really Booming?
Is Nollywood Really Booming?
The sociocultural phenomenon of the guerilla filmmakers of Nollywood, the first indie film industry in Africa has been attracting global attention making news headlines of the foreign news media since the early 1990s and making the stars of the low budget movies household names across Africa. "Nollywood is booming" echoed from the street to the internet and on the popular cable TV channels called Africa Magic on DStv and GOtv of the MultiChoice Group of South Africa.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
High Cost of Data is Still a Big Challenge for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other Streaming Services in Africa
High Cost of Data is Still a Big Challenge for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other Streaming Services in Africa
The cost of 1GB of data, enough for one hour of video streaming, is between $1.50 and $30 in Africa.
Subscribers spend more on data than subscription fees for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video on the continent. Showmax of the MultiChoice Group is Available to all the millions of subscribers to DStv, but majority of the populations in African countries cannot afford DStv.
The cost of data can be reduced by all the telecoms in Africa with fast internet connection. 10GB should not cost more than $1 which is between N500 and N750 in the current exchange rate of the USD to the Naira in Nigeria, the largest market on the continent.
My suggestion is Netflix and Amazon Prime Video should also be available offline on cable TV channels to attract everyone who can afford to pay the subscription to the cable TV channels for only $2 monthly.
What matters most in entertainment are four things I call QAAA:
1. Quality of the content
2. Availability of the content
3. Accessibility to the content
4. Affordability of the content.
The content must be of good Quality; Available, Accessible and Affordable.
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
International content development and marketing consultant.
@Vuulr Program Partner
@Cinewav Affiliate Partner
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Top 20 Movies for the Valentine
Top 20 Movies for the Valentine
#love #writer #parenting #valentine #couple #movies #lovers #romanticcomedy #comedy #drama #february14 #valentinesday
Thursday, January 12, 2023
The Most Inspiring Quotes for Survival and Triumph
The Most Inspiring Quotes for Survival and Triumph
1.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
- JESUS Christ.
This is also known as the "Golden Rule”. The actual quote from the Bible is from Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”
2. “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” - Michael Altshuler
3. “You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Martin Luther King
4. “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.” - Nido Q
5. “You do not find the happy life. You make it.” - Benjamin Franklin
6. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you're not going to stay where you are." - J.P. Morgan
8. “You can get excited about the future. The past won't mind." - Hillary DePiano
9. “Life is about change, sometimes it's painful, sometimes it's beautiful, but most of the time it's both." - Kristin Kreuk
10. “Don't think there are no second chances. Life always offers you a second chance... It's called tomorrow." - Nicholas S
11. “Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” - Mary Oliver
12. “Don’t wait your turn. Bet on yourself and have the confidence to stand up and say, ‘My time is now.” - Robert F. Smith
13. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” - George Eliot
14. “The sky isn’t the limit - the sky has no limit.” - Sarah Barker
15. The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it.” - James Baldwin
16. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” - Dan Millman
17. “We either make ourselves miserable or make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” - Carlos Castaneda
18. "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." - Fred Vitto
19. "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein
20. "You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them." - Michael Jordan
21. "Belief creates the actual fact." - William James
22. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." - Aristotle
23. "Don't try to lessen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you." - Beyoncé
24. "We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action." - Dr. Henry Link
25. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." - Zig Ziglar
Happy 2023 and far beyond.
From Team PRNomics
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Announcing Africa Accelerating 2023 in Toronto: October 10-12
PRESS RELEASE |
Announcing Africa Accelerating 2023 in Toronto: October 10-12 |
Following the success of the 2022 conference, the annual highlight of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business calendar will bring together decision-makers in one of the world’s most dynamic cities |
TORONTO, Canada, January 10, 2023/ -- The three-day conference will address and advance the immense opportunities for rapidly accelerating Canada-Africa trade and investment ties. ‘’The 2023 conference in Toronto provides a phenomenal opportunity to welcome African business delegates to Canada’s largest city, while offering an enabling platform for networking, B2B meetings and dealmaking in and around the 3-day program,’’ said Garreth Bloor, President of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business. Last year’s 2022 Africa Accelerating conference in Johannesburg, South Africa - sponsored by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd - took place under the theme, Leading from Africa: Toward a new global era enabled through Canada-Africa Collaboration. |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those who addressed the event in October, joined by government heads, African Union leaders, corporate executives and entrepreneurs.
Africa Accelerating 2023 will once again include a live interactive virtual participation option. Plenary proceedings will be broadcast to 47 countries, with a reach of an estimated 20 million viewers – showcasing the immense opportunities for all through the acceleration of Canada-Africa trade and investment.
‘’Toronto is a gateway to North American markets and directly connected by air to the African continent,’’ noted Garreth Bloor. ‘’For all joining us in-person, our host city provides vital linkages to project partners and investors, driving the two-way trade and investment for deal-making that is at the core of our action-driven agenda for Africa Accelerating 2023.’’
The event will be hosted at the McKinsey & Company Toronto office located at 110 Charles Street West, Toronto, Canada. Interested participants seeking to join us in Toronto, including Chamber members, partners and prospective sponsors may email president@canadaafrica.ca
View 2023 Partnership Options (https://bit.ly/3CAS29U):
View Africa Accelerating 2022 (https://bit.ly/3fyXgKN) which welcomed a range of leading voices over three days, hundreds in-person and thousands of registered online attendees.
SOURCE
The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business
PRESS RELEASE | ||
Announcing Africa Accelerating 2023 in Toronto: October 10-12 | ||
Following the success of the 2022 conference, the annual highlight of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business calendar will bring together decision-makers in one of the world’s most dynamic cities | ||
TORONTO, Canada, January 10, 2023/ -- The three-day conference will address and advance the immense opportunities for rapidly accelerating Canada-Africa trade and investment ties. ‘’The 2023 conference in Toronto provides a phenomenal opportunity to welcome African business delegates to Canada’s largest city, while offering an enabling platform for networking, B2B meetings and dealmaking in and around the 3-day program,’’ said Garreth Bloor, President of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business. | Last year’s 2022 Africa Accelerating conference in Johannesburg, South Africa - sponsored by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd - took place under the theme, Leading from Africa: Toward a new global era enabled through Canada-Africa Collaboration. |
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
The Legacy of Peace Anyiam-Osigwe
The Legacy of Peace Anyiam-Osigwe
Africa has beautiful stories to tell, says Peace Anyiam-Osigwe. At 16 years old, the Nigerian published her own magazine. She later continued bringing a “voice to voiceless issues” as a talk show host and film producer. Founder of the African Movie Academy Awards, Peace now dedicates her time to building cinemas in rural Africa, and helping other Africans tell the untold stories of their homeland.
Among other accomplishments, you’re a published poet, a TV/film director and producer, and creator of the African Movie Academy Awards. Of all that you do, what are you most proud of?
#Peace #Peaceanyiamosigwe
#Nollywood #Nigeria #Africa #movies #cinema #TV #series #filmmaking #filmmaker #legacy
#film #building
Source
https://blog.ted.com/fellows-friday-with-peace-anyiam-osigwe/
I Cannot Say Goodbye Madam Peace Anyiam-Osigwe - MFR
I Cannot Say Goodbye Madam Peace Anyiam-Osigwe - MFR
Dear Peace Anyiam-Osigwe,
I cannot say Goodbye to you.
I don't want to accept that you will depart without completing your dream projects to uplift #NOLLYWOOD to higher grounds of greater heights in the world.
I shared the good news of my upcoming "Once Upon a Time in NOLLYWOOD" to you last night on LinkedIn.
Have you abandoned what you told me you wanted to do in memory of your brother, Michael and I agreed with you?
Mortality cannot comprehend immortality.
You are the very first person to appreciate me in Nollywood and that is why I made the 2013 edition of your annual Africa Movie Academy Awards, (AMAA) the cover story of the first edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series to celebrate the unprecedented legacy of your visionary leadership of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry locally and internationally which you have presented proudly to the world as an outstanding TED Fellow.
How can I say Goodbye to you, when the best is yet to come?
Madam Peace Anyiam-Osigwe,
I cannot say Goodbye.
Monday, January 9, 2023
Once Upon a Time in NOLLYWOOD: The Documentary
Once Upon a Time in NOLLYWOOD: The Documentary
"Once Upon a Time in Nollywood" is a documentary project of Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series.
#Nollywood #pictures #film #movies #filmmaking #filmmakers #documentary #oscars #awards #nominations #harry #spare #mirror
View the photo gallery on http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2018/08/once-upon-time-in-nollywood-in-pictures.html?m=1