Global medical technologies company Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT) has opened its Africa headquarters and regional training centre in Nairobi, Kenya. This strategic move aims to revolutionize blood management and boost technical capabilities across the continent, addressing prevalent issues like blood shortages and inadequate infrastructure.

• Kenya currently collects 164,000 units of blood annually, significantly below the WHO's recommended 450,000.
• Kenya Investment Authority (Invest Kenya) Director Guracha Adi welcomed the investment, highlighting Kenya's growing appeal as a regional hub for advanced medical technologies.
• The new facility will provide hands-on training for biomedical engineers, nurses, blood bank specialists, and transfusion technologists from across Africa.

The Million Lives Collective (MLC) and the Judith Neilson Foundation have launched the African Cities Innovation Fund (ACIF) in Nairobi, Kenya. This new grant initiative aims to boost urban innovation across African cities by supporting collaborative solutions to urban challenges.

• The ACIF will offer grants of up to $75,000 to pairs of African innovators.
• Applications for the fund are set to open in Spring 2026.
• Abi Taylor, Innovation Lead at the Judith Neilson Foundation, highlighted the need for new collaborative approaches due to Africa's rapid urbanization.
• MLC is also preparing a call for new African urban innovations in January 2026.

Equity Group Holdings has won the 2025 CIO100 Africa Award in the PlusOne Banking Sector category, recognizing its leadership in financial technology and digital transformation at the CIO100 Symposium and Awards in Naivasha.

• Equity Group was ranked the top banking institution for modernizing technology infrastructure, expanding digital banking capacity, and integrating AI into operations.
• Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group, emphasized that the award reflects years of investment in technology systems to strengthen service delivery.
• The bank now serves more than 22 million customers through mobile, online, and agency channels, aiming to reduce reliance on physical branches.