Technology
Kubik, an Ethiopian plastics upcycling startup, is receiving new funding and plans to license its technology
Cubic, a plastics upcycling startup, has raised $1.9 million to extend its seed contract a couple of months after announcing its initial capital investment. The startup’s latest investment comes from African Renaissance Partners, an East African enterprise capital firm; Endgame Capital, an investor favoring climate change technologies; and King Philanthropies, a climate and extreme poverty investor.
The fresh capital comes because the startup scales its operations in Ethiopia after organising a factory in Addis Ababa, where it converts plastic waste into related constructing materials similar to bricks, columns, beams and jambs. Co-founder and CEO of Kubika Kidusa Asfawtold TechCrunch that the startup goals to double its operations in Addis Ababa because it lays the inspiration for pan-African growth from 2025.
Kubik’s approach is to convert plastic waste into “low-carbon, sustainable and affordable” constructing materials using proprietary technology that Asfaw says it should forfeit license to speed up pan-African development and eventual global growth.
“We want to solve the problems of cities, so we are thinking about making our business model truly circular. The way we have developed our business strategy is that we are currently in a focused phase of proving this model here in Ethiopia. We will expand it to several more markets to prove the variety of contexts in which this business model can operate. But over time, what we really want to do is evolve into a company that licenses this technology,” said Asfaw, who co-founded Kubik with Penda Marre in 2021
“This is how we feel like we are able to really scale. “It’s not about having factories around the world, but about the industry adopting a new way of producing materials globally,” he said.
He said their product allows developers to construct partitions without using cement, aggregates or steel, speeding up construction and reducing costs by “at least 40% less per square meter.” Cost is a key barrier in construction, and the supply of inexpensive or lower-cost constructing materials provides a greater option for developers of inexpensive housing projects.
Asfaw said Kubik’s materials had passed safety tests conducted by the European standards agency Intertek, which checked, amongst other things, strength, toxicity and flammability.
“We don’t want to sell something that is harmful to people. We did not start selling until these reports were available,” he said.
The startup currently processes 5,000 kilograms (with a capability of 45,000) of plastic waste per day. It has signed partnerships with corporations and the Addis Ababa Municipality for normal supplies of plastic waste. In the near future, it is considering product diversification to include paving stones and flooring materials.
It is estimated that on the planet produces 430 million tons of plastic per yr, two thirds intended for short-term use. Clearly, the world is choking on plastic waste, and while the situation is made worse by consumption trends in developed countries, in regions facing rapid urbanization and economic growth, similar to African citiesplastic waste is also getting uncontrolled, requiring urgent motion. In the approaching days, startups like Kubik will play a number one role in providing sustainable solutions to the threat.
Technology
US medical device giant Artivion says hackers stole files during a cybersecurity incident
Artivion, a medical device company that produces implantable tissue for heart and vascular transplants, says its services have been “disrupted” resulting from a cybersecurity incident.
In 8-K filing In an interview with the SEC on Monday, Georgia-based Artivion, formerly CryoLife, said it became aware of a “cybersecurity incident” that involved the “compromise and encryption” of information on November 21. This suggests that the corporate was attacked by ransomware, but Artivion has not yet confirmed the character of the incident and didn’t immediately reply to TechCrunch’s questions. No major ransomware group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Artivion said it took some systems offline in response to the cyberattack, which the corporate said caused “disruptions to certain ordering and shipping processes.”
Artivion, which reported third-quarter revenue of $95.8 million, said it didn’t expect the incident to have a material impact on the corporate’s funds.
Manufacturer of single-board computers Raspberry Pi is updating its cute little computer keyboard device with higher specs. Named Raspberry Pi500This successor to the Raspberry Pi 400 is just as powerful as the present Raspberry Pi flagship, the Raspberry Pi 5. It is on the market for purchase now from Raspberry Pi resellers.
The Raspberry Pi 500 is the simplest method to start with the Raspberry Pi because it’s not as intimidating because the Raspberry Pi 5. When you take a look at the Raspberry Pi 500, you do not see any chipsets or PCBs (printed circuit boards). The Raspberry Pi is totally hidden in the familiar housing, the keyboard.
The idea with the Raspberry Pi 500 is you could connect a mouse and a display and you are able to go. If, for instance, you’ve got a relative who uses a very outdated computer with an outdated version of Windows, the Raspberry Pi 500 can easily replace the old PC tower for many computing tasks.
More importantly, this device brings us back to the roots of the Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi computers were originally intended for educational applications. Over time, technology enthusiasts and industrial customers began using single-board computers all over the place. (For example, when you’ve ever been to London Heathrow Airport, all of the departures and arrivals boards are there powered by Raspberry Pi.)
Raspberry Pi 500 draws inspiration from the roots of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a non-profit organization. It’s the right first computer for college. In some ways, it’s a lot better than a Chromebook or iPad because it’s low cost and highly customizable, which inspires creative pondering.
The Raspberry Pi 500 comes with a 32GB SD card that comes pre-installed with Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based Linux distribution. It costs $90, which is a slight ($20) price increase over the Raspberry Pi 400.
Only UK and US keyboard variants will probably be available at launch. But versions with French, German, Italian, Japanese, Nordic and Spanish keyboard layouts will probably be available soon. And when you’re in search of a bundle that features all the things you would like, Raspberry Pi also offers a $120 desktop kit that features the Raspberry Pi 500, a mouse, a 27W USB-C power adapter, and a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable.
In other news, Raspberry Pi has announced one other recent thing: the Raspberry Pi monitor. It is a 15.6-inch 1080p monitor that’s priced at $100. Since there are quite a few 1080p portable monitors available on the market, this launch is not as noteworthy because the Pi 500. However, for die-hard Pi fans, there’s now also a Raspberry Pi-branded monitor option available.
According to Apple, Apple desires to make its Vision Pro mixed reality device more attractive for gamers and game developers latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The Vision Pro was presented more as a productivity and media consumption device than a tool geared toward gamers, due partly to its reliance on visual and hand controls moderately than a separate controller.
However, Apple may need gamers if it desires to expand the Vision Pro’s audience, especially since Gurman reports that lower than half one million units have been sold to this point. As such, the corporate has reportedly been in talks with Sony about adding support for PlayStation VR2 handheld controllers, and has also talked to developers about whether they may support the controllers of their games.
Offering more precise control, Apple may also make other forms of software available in Vision Pro, reminiscent of Final Cut Pro or Adobe Photoshop.
First black lottery operator
An attempt to save the image of Jeff Bezos’ future wife backfired after weeks of outrage and ridicule over her skimpy outfit
Literacy materials being withdrawn from many schools are facing new pressure from parents of children with reading difficulties
At the beginning of the war, I interviewed Syrian militias – they will listen if other countries get involved in their activities
Luigi Mangione, 26, in police custody in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO
CEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
U.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
The Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
Another lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
Byron Allen on the Truths of Black America | theGrio Awards 2023
Attorney General Eric Holder Takes on Voter ID Laws
Amanda Seales joins The Grio Live to talk comedy, Insecure and her controversial statements
Kamala Harris – Speak Truth to Inspire Trust
Jonshel Alexander Child Actor in ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ Killed at 22 | Grio (*22*) 3
-
Press Release9 months agoCEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
-
Press Release9 months agoU.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
-
Business and Finance7 months agoThe Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
-
Business and Finance9 months ago360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
-
Ben Crump8 months agoAnother lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
-
Theater9 months agoTelling the story of the Apollo Theater
-
Ben Crump9 months agoHenrietta Lacks’ family members reach an agreement after her cells undergo advanced medical tests
-
Ben Crump9 months agoThe families of George Floyd and Daunte Wright hold an emotional press conference in Minneapolis