AGP Executive Report
Last update: 6 hours agoVenture Funding Pulse: Global venture funding hit a record $510B in H1 2026, with AI dominating and just OpenAI + Anthropic taking 43% of the total—good news for founders, but a reminder that capital is concentrating fast. Africa Startup Finance: African startups raised $1.44B in H1 2026 across 146 disclosed rounds, with fewer deals but bigger checks, led by Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa. Digital Infrastructure for SMBs: Microsoft-led consortium plans a 3,600km undersea cable linking India and Southeast Asia to support AI and cloud demand—more connectivity can mean better service reliability for smaller firms. Fintech & Payments: Visa pushes digital payments for SMEs, while Sendana launches a digital US$ platform for Caribbean users to hold and spend dollars via a Visa debit card. SME Risk & Regulation: UK set to introduce tougher late-payment protections for small businesses; South Africa’s Competition Commission will probe the franchise industry for barriers to new entrants. Energy & Supply Shock: Helium shortages are hitting Texas labs and small businesses as Southwest Gases steps in amid allocation cuts.
Note: AI summary from news headlines; neutral sources weighted more to help reduce bias in the result. Feedback is welcome. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions about the AGP Executive Report.
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