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KENYA LEBANON y ENDE AVOR K ENYA celebrated its official launch with top business leaders and innovative change-makers, includ- ing Endeavor CEO Linda Rottenberg, Endeavor Jordan Board Chairman Walid Tahabsem, and Charif Mzayek, an Endeavor Entrepreneur from Jordan. In its first year, Endeavor Kenya selected ten high- impact entrepreneurs. CELLUL ANT, a company connecting merchants and banks to their customers through electronic pay- ment services announced a record-breaking $47.5 million Series C funding round. The round was led by The Rise Fund with par- ticipation from Endeavor Catalyst and Satya Capital. This is Endeavor Catalyst's first investment in Sub-Saharan Africa. AFRIC A'S TALKING , founded by Bilha Ndirangu and Samuel Gikani, closed an $8.6 million round of funding led by IFC Venture Capital. The software company, which pro- vides developers with an efficient and affordable communications solution via one seamless interface, will use the funds to hire talent, expand throughout Africa, and open a tech studio for engineers and software developers. ECLEC TIC S , which creates affordable tailor-made software solutions for banking and financial sectors, expanded to Uganda. In April 2018, Uganda Bankers Association in partnership with Eclectics launched a joint agency banking tool meant to serve Uganda's 24 commercial banks. This tool is aimed at achieving cost-effective delivery of agent banking services. BAND INDUSTRIE S , a music technology company that launched a tech-enabled toolkit (Roadie Tuner and Roadie Bass), won the 'Best Music Startup 2018' award at the Primavera Pro Startups competi- tion. The company also received endorsements from several top music professionals such as Spike Edney (Queen) and Vinnie Moore (Alice Cooper). AR ABNET, an events and media company in the Arab digital sector, partnered with Touch, a mobile tele- communications company in Lebanon, to launch the "Touch Innovation Program" to empower rising Lebanese digital entrepre- neurs. Arabnet founder and CEO Omar Christidis was also selected as 'Innovator for the Middle East in 2018' by Global Finance. GREEN STUDIOS , a landscape architecture, science, and technology company, was recognized for its break- through in green walls by the Dubai Municipality. They were also awarded best project of the year at the International Green Roof Association Congress 2018 for their roof garden at Al Shaheed Park in Kuwait. q ENERGY 24 , an energy storage solution that provides continuous stable electricity for countries with power shortages, has transformed two Lebanese villages into eVillages, where residents benefit from 24/7 clean, green and lower-cost electricity. E24 has also brought energy storage solutions to Nigeria and South Africa with con- tinuous expansion plans. ENTREPRENEURS 10 ENTREPRENEURS 37 COMPANIES 8 COMPANIES 29 FLAG FLAG FOUNDED 2017 FOUNDED 2011 5 7 T H E N E T WO R K