Tech
Tajikistan’s Zypl pioneers AI financial sector scoring system to drive SME lending
Zypl, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company founded in Tajikistan in 2021, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) models to drive financial inclusion in emerging and frontier market (EM/FM) economies.
Uzbekistan’s Oasis set to be a leading online loans fintech to the SME sector
Fintech is growing fast in Central Asia as banking sectors looking to leapfrog the traditional financial sector development go straight to high-tech solutions for local people’s lending and spending needs.
Emerging and Frontier markets fintech ready to break out
The Digital Intelligence Index (DII) put together by specialist Emerging and Frontier market investment fund Sturgeon Capital provides insights into the potential for fintech investments in emerging and developing markets.
e-commerce thriving in Serbia with purchases passing €330mn mark in Q1
Serbian consumers started to trust online retailers during the pandemic and now the number and volume of transactions are rising sharply.
EU approves €179.5mn aid for Rimac Automobili's robo-taxi project
Electric supercar producer now developing €450mn urban mobility system with fully autonomous electric vehicles.
eBay teams up with Posta Romana to get Romanian products to foreign online shoppers
e-export nation platform to help SMEs export their products to more than 190 countries.
FlowX.ai raises $35mn in Romania’s largest series A funding to date
Investment to fund FlowX.ai's global expansion and product development.
Mastercard doubles down on Uzbek market with opening of Tashkent office
International payments company believes Uzbekistan can be a hub for operations across Central Asia.
Founder sells Romanian online marketplace Elefant to its largest customer evoMag
Elefant.ro is one of the largest online retailers in Romania, with over 2mn customers, but made a substantial loss in 2022.
Darkweb marketplaces offering deepfake videos at up to $20,000 per minute conference hears
Kaspersky Lab probed offers in dark shadowy corners of the internet for AI-driven synthetic media services that could be used in fraud, extortion or other crimes.
DW fact-check finds Erdogan showed rally fake video seeming to link election rival to terrorist group
Analysis shows campaign spot “was manipulated by combining two separate videos with totally different backgrounds and content”.
New Schengen member Croatia sets its sights on becoming ICT hub
Croatia's ICT industry has been steadily growing in recent years, with the sector now contributing around 6% of the country's GDP.
_1683489874.png)
Russia’s VK to create domestic Tinder alternative
VK is developing its own dating application to fill the space left by the exit of Match Group, the owner of popular dating apps Tinder and Hinge, from the Russian market.
Uzbekistan’s “President Tech Award” looks to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship as country’s IT sector booms
The President Tech Award is worth $1,000,000 in total, with each category winner receiving cash prizes of up to $100,000, and second and third place getting $50,000 and $30,000 respectively.
Moscow investment bankers access Bloomberg terminals via Armenia
Investment bankers and brokers in Moscow are accessing Bloomberg terminals remotely via subscriptions in Armenia a year after the US media giant cut access for all its Russian clients, bne IntelliNews can reveal.
Kazakhstan’s big name fintech player Kaspi.kz working on US listing
Announcement comes as company, valued at $6.5bn during 2020 London IPO, reports 52% y/y expansion in adjusted 1Q23 profits.
Turkey’s ultrafast grocer Getir denies reports of funding deal that halves valuation
Economic challenges said by observers to be racking consumer industry players in quick-commerce.
Russia’s CBR issues digital ruble guidelines, ready to pilot
The Central Bank of Russia is rolling out a “digital ruble” as Russia gets ready to join the cryptocurrency revolution, but in a way that the regulator remains in control of the e-currency.
Kosovo seizes nearly 200 crypto mining devices in Serb-majority north
Kosovo’s government banned energy-hungry cryptocurrency mining last year to tackle winter power shortages.
Data indicate Korea exporters dodge sanctions by shipping to Russia via Central Asia, South Caucasus
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia among countries that appear to be conduits for sanctioned goods from East Asia nation.
