GOOD MORNING CHOP FAMILY!
FYI - brent crude is almost $120 per barrel. This is only $25 shy of the all time high. So, folks we are in some tough times right now. The cost to fill up your car, your generator, and groceries are still climbing, but like the enigmatic electrifying Mojo once said -
"Hold on tight, don't let go. Whenever you feel like you're nearing the end of your rope, don't slide off. Tie a knot. Keep hanging. Keep remembering that there ain't nobody bad like you.
🌿 Proverb of the Day
"The axe forgets what the tree remembers." — Zimbabwe (Shona)
🧠 Brain Chop: Quick Quiz
Test your venture capital instincts before the opening bell:
Across the $2.45 billion raised by African tech startups in the first nine months of 2026, which sector dethroned fintech to capture the single largest share of total funding?
A) HealthTech & Clinical AI
B) AgriTech & Cold Chain Logistics
C) Logistics & Electric Mobility
D) EdTech & Digital Skilling
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer and context!)
Israel goes to the polls today to vote on for a new Prime Minister. In the entire history of Israel there has never been an out right majority winner. Current Prime Minister BB Netanyahu is in a fight for his political career, with the opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot nippy close at his heels.
Also, America heads to the polls in 7 days for their mid-term elections, which could see the Democrats taking a majority in the House and Senate, which means they could put real limits on the power of Donald Trump.
MARKET MOVES
BUSINESS
Idris Elba AI Movie Program
Heartthrob - Idris Elba has launched a program to help African creators in the movie space. Akuna aims to give support to locals with a $1 million dollar funding pledge.
This program will help aspiring film makers and creators an avenue to get support, training and funding to launch their own projects.
The program is free and available via application to folks in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Sierra Leonne until Nov 15th of this year.
We are looking forward to watch some cool movies.
By the way, what are your thoughts on AI movies? Do you think its a good thing or a not so good thing that AI movies could be the future of Movies?
FINANCE
The largest bank in America is looking to Nigeria for growth. JPMorgan Chase recently deposited 38 million dollars - the minimum capital requirement amount to start the approval process.
What is their play here? Well it would make life for big multinational corps to do business in Nigeria, and it would create an even more competitive field in the big world of money.
Final approval has not been granted; however, insiders say that they (Chase) may get the nod in late 2026 or early 2027.
OPAY eyes IPO 👀
Speaking of money and Nigeria, OPAY the Nigerian focused payment system, owned by Chinese billionaire, Yahui Zhous, seeks to take the company public. On the way to doing so, they aim to raise $336 million, giving OPAY an early estimated value of $4.42 billion.
IPO’s are in the air, and after the successful launch of the Dangote IPO, will more investors flock to the business that operate in Nigeria? Is the potential upside greater?
This is not financial advise, but take some risks while you can, but also play it safe - In other words its always cool to diversify
🥪 Quick Bites:
🏆Electric Mobility Infrastructure. With mobility capturing 73% of disclosed tech capital in Kenya on the back of battery-swapping networks, hardware and clean transport have officially become the darling of institutional debt providers.
🍋 Seed-Stage Software Founders. While mega-rounds drove top-line venture funding past $2.4 billion, total active deals above $100K fell nearly 20%, leaving early-stage pre-revenue app builders stranded in a severe seed drought.
🃏Pan-African Payment Settlement Expansion. Following Ethiopia's official integration into the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), cross-border traders are testing zero-dollar intra-African settlements, bypassing intermediary Western clearing banks.
🌍 What Else Is Cooking?
A materials laboratory in Osaka developed an electro-conductive plant polymer that repairs internal microscopic fractures when exposed to low-voltage electric pulses, extending the lifespan of wearable sensors.
Marine geologists mapping deep trenches in the Mozambique Channel identified a cluster of cold methane seeps hosting previously uncataloged chemosynthetic tubeworm colonies thriving without sunlight.
💡 Brain Chop: The Reveal
Answer: C) Logistics & Electric Mobility
Driven by massive asset-backed debt facilities for fleet scaling and battery-swap networks (spearheaded by Spiro and Moove), Logistics and Mobility pulled in $780 million (36%) during the first nine months of 2026, surpassing Fintech ($760 million / 35%) for the first time in continental venture history.
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