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Tag: Group CEO

  • LEAP assembles best minds in technology to tackle global challenges

    LEAP assembles best minds in technology to tackle global challenges

    This February 2022, Saudi Arabia will be hosting the largest technology event ever launched, LEAP, bringing together the global technology community under one roof to tackle the biggest socio-cultural challenges of the world.

    Taking place from the 1st – 3rd of February 2022 in Riyadh, LEAP is set to become a truly global platform for the entire innovation ecosystem, connecting pioneers and disruptors with business and government leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and more to experience and learn about the technologies of the future.

    The event will welcome speakers from all around the world; including Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder, Kaspersky; Raghu Raghuram, CEO, VMware; Maelle Gavet, CEO, Techstars; Youngcho Chi, President and Chief Innovation Officer, Hyundai Motor Group; Peggy Johnson, CEO, Magic Leap; Nnenna Nwakanma, Chief Web Advocate, World Wide Web Foundation and Siim Sikkut, Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO), Estonia. They will be joined by experts from the region; including Eng. Olayan M. Alwetaid, Group CEO, STC; Eng. Salman Al Badran, CEO, Mobily; Ghinwa Baradhi, CIO MENAT region for HSBC and Sky Kurtz, founder and CEO at Pure Harvest.

    LEAP will also feature inspirational stories from people like Steven Bartlett, renowned entrepreneur, and BBC’s youngest ever Dragon, as well as football legends, Roberto Carlos and Luis Figo.

    As global technology giants gear up to participate in one of the region’s most anticipated events, over 700 emerging technology start-ups prepare to showcase their solutions to the world. Organised and produced by Informa Markets, LEAP is sponsored by leading local and international companies including, Microsoft, CISCO, KPMG, SoftwareAG, Nutanix, STC, Zain, Mobily and Ericsson, who will act together as strategic partners to bring this event to life.

    Commenting on the event, His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said: “Technology and innovation have enormous potential to transform economies and societies. We live in a time where you either leap or be left behind. We are proud to host LEAP to help the region lead and leapfrog with technology and innovation”.

    “Informa are delighted to have launched LEAP in Saudi Arabia. It is clear to us that with the enormous technology projects happening in the country, there is no hub in the world better placed to host such an amazing event,” said Mike Champion, Regional Executive Vice President of Informa Markets, the largest events company in the world. “In its first year, LEAP will be the largest debut technology event in history, and there can be no better evidence than that to prove Saudi Arabia is a future global technology hub.”

    Registration to attend LEAP is now open.

  • Lumos secures $35 million solar investment to power one million people in Nigeria

    Lumos secures $35 million solar investment to power one million people in Nigeria

    Lumos, Africa’s solar home system provider, has announced new financing from U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to expand its existing market for reliable, accessible and clean solar power in Nigeria.

    The new financing will enable Lumos to produce an additional 160,000 solar home systems (SHS) to meet ever-increasing demand from homes and businesses across the country where it already has a majority of the market share.

    Currently, more than 160 million people in Nigeria have poor or no access to the electricity grid. Hundreds of thousands of new Lumos solar home systems will enable close to a million people to switch to reliable, clean energy, contributing to economic growth and sustainable development in the country. This is aligned with the Nigerian government’s plans, announced in June, to connect five million households to solar power.

    Alistair Gordon, Group CEO, Lumos, said: “This funding from DFC will enable people throughout Nigeria to seize the opportunities that come with access to reliable and affordable power. Access to energy is the foundation for a high quality of life, good healthcare, education and increased income. Our ultimate goal at Lumos is to provide power for everyone.”

    Worku Gachou, Managing Director for Africa, at DFC said: “Access to power is a fundamental need across Africa and is even more urgent as COVID-19 continues to impact communities across the continent. Supporting Lumos will empower one million people across Nigeria by delivering access to reliable and affordable energy. Together, we can help unlock Africa’s enormous potential for growth.”

    Shmulik Kollender, Group COO & CFO Lumos, said: “We thank DFC for its continued support of our vision and approach. Our longstanding partnership with DFC had already allowed Lumos to command a market leading position in the largest off-grid market in Sub-Saharan Africa. DFC financing is even more important these days. In light of the impact that COVID-19 has on our customers there is a real need for impact-oriented investors that can share our vision to eliminate energy-poverty in the country”.

    The DFC financing announcement follows funding from Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO, announced in August, that will more than double Lumos’ customer base in Côte d’Ivoire, solidifying its position as the solar home system market leader in West Africa.

    Solar home systems offer a rapidly deployable power solution to a global market of more than two billion people. Currently, there are 740 million people with poor or no access to the electricity grid in Sub-Saharan Africa. By offering a unique power solution to the mass market, Lumos is revolutionising and decentralising power supply in the region, in the same way that mobile phones revolutionised communications.