General News
PowerLabs to Scale Intelligent Energy Orchestration Across Africa with New Funding

PowerLabs aims to expand its platform into Nigeria’s most energy-intensive sectors with the new funding. Providing hospitals and industrial hubs with the intelligent, automated control required to ensure continuous power and operational resilience.

PowerLabs, a Nigerian energy and climate-tech startup, announced the successful close of its pre-seed funding round led by Breega, with participation from Catalyst Fund, Mercy Corps Ventures, and Kaleo Ventures.
This strategic investment will accelerate the rollout of Pai Enterprise, the company’s flagship AI-enabled energy orchestration platform across commercial and industrial enterprises in Nigeria and lay the foundation for expansion into key West African markets
For decades, Nigerian energy management has centered on basic monitoring and tracking of energy consumption. Yet for the millions of businesses dealing with unreliable power grids, diesel generators, rooftop solar, inverters, and battery banks working together to keep operations running, visibility alone delivers no real value unless it leads to resilience and continuity.
The manufacturing sector alone spent ₦1.11 trillion on alternative energy sources in 2024, which is a 42% increase from the year before. A small factory changes its work hours based on when it can get generator fuel. To keep critical care going, a hospital coordinates backup systems.
Every day, the facility team of a commercial building has to make dozens of decisions about reactive energy. Monitoring tools already in use tell you what went wrong, but they do not provide solutions or preventive measures to address the issues identified.
Pai Enterprise changes that equation. Unlike conventional dashboards, Pai Enterprise does not simply observe; it senses, communicates, and actuates across multiple distributed energy sources in real time. By continuously modelling supply, demand, and operational constraints, the platform enables organizations to run their own intelligent microgrid. As a result, the platform transforms energy from a reactive problem into a proactive, strategic resource.
This vision of a self-optimizing energy ecosystem was recently highlighted in a feature that explored how PowerLabs wants to make Nigeria’s grid think by shifting the paradigm from passive consumption to active, intelligent orchestration.
The measurable impact spans Nigeria’s most critical sectors:
- Hospitals: With intelligent monitoring across critical circuits, teams are instantly notified when there are fluctuations in supply, voltage drops, or automatic transitions to backup systems. This real-time visibility ensures that departments like intensive care, laboratories, and operating theatres remain protected, enabling faster response, reduced risk of disruption, and continued patient care.
- Data Centres: By providing continuous insight into the performance of energy assets such as solar systems and generators, operators can track efficiency, optimize usage, and reduce emissions without compromising uptime. The result is a more sustainable infrastructure that still meets the uncompromising reliability standards required for digital operations.
- Factories: Factories require more than just stable power, they need actionable intelligence to drive performance and profitability. Through detailed energy analytics, operators can identify inefficiencies, understand consumption patterns across production lines, and make informed decisions that reduce costs while maintaining output. This transforms energy from a fixed expense into a controllable lever for operational efficiency.
- Retail outlets: By analyzing consumption trends and usage behavior, retail outlets can right-size their energy assets, avoiding overinvestment while ensuring sufficient supply during peak periods. This leads to lower operating costs and improved energy efficiency across single or multi-site retail operations.
- Critical facilities: For critical facilities such as telecom towers, banks, schools etc, uninterrupted operations depend on anticipating issues before they occur. Continuous real-time monitoring enables early detection of anomalies and supports predictive maintenance strategies, reducing downtime and extending asset lifespan.
Tobe, CEO & Co-Founder, PowerLabs said: “Distributed energy resources are often seen as fragmented and chaotic, a clutter of devices that don’t speak the same language. At PowerLabs, we believe decentralization doesn’t have to mean disorder. We’re building the intelligence layer that will prove that distributed energy resources can operate as a unified source while leveraging its disaggregation to offer flexibility, cost efficiency, carbon neutrality and redundancy … more than a centralised energy system ever could. “
PowerLabs will strategically deploy the raised capital to accelerate the rollout of its flagship Pai Enterprise platform, improve its cutting-edge predictive load-management algorithms, and broaden seamless integration with distributed energy assets ranging from rooftop solar and battery storage systems to traditional grid infrastructure.
This funding round brings together a mix of global and Africa-focused investment partners with deep commitment to climate-tech and a proven track record of scaling innovation in emerging markets, all aligned on PowerLabs’ mission to solve energy resilience.
Breega is an international fund investing in digital, climatech, and deeptech companies across Europe and Africa. Mercy Corps Ventures backs market-systems solutions in fragile and frontier markets; Catalyst Fund, a leading climate-tech investor backing solutions for climate adaptation and resilience in Africa. Kaleo Ventures specializes in early-stage technology companies across high-growth African markets. With their support, PowerLabs is now positioned to scale its intelligent energy solutions, expand Pai Enterprise across sectors and geographies, and demonstrate that the era of traditional energy management is over. Personalized, decentralized, resilient, and intelligent systems are the future, and for millions of people and organizations, that future is already here.
Tosin Faniro-Dada, Partner, Breega, stated that: “We backed PowerLabs at the pre-seed stage because we believe intelligent orchestration will be essential to solving Africa’s energy reliability challenge. The team is building the software and hardware layer that enables businesses to coordinate multiple distributed energy sources in real time. We’re excited to support them as they prove the impact of this model across critical sectors over the next 12–18 months.
The closing of this investment round is therefore more than a financial milestone: it is a signal that investors, businesses recognize the need for energy systems that do not merely report, but act; that do not assume stability, but adapt in real time; and that view energy not as a static commodity, but as a platform for growth, resilience, and human potential.
“Globally, more and more businesses and critical services like data centers operate in complex energy environments where a mix of energy sources must work together. The energy users typically have to toggle between cost, quality of supply and carbon footprint. PowerLabs is starting in Africa to build the intelligence to orchestrate these systems seamlessly without sacrificing any of these critical factors.” Olúwátóyìn Emmanuel-Olúbákè, Chief Investment Officer, Catalyst Fund
Energy management alone is not enough, and for millions of users who have long struggled with outages, unreliable grids, and fragmented infrastructure, the promise of intelligent energy is not merely convenience; it is the key to unlocking their full potential and powering a new era of human progress.
General News
Haleon Introduces New Corporate Identity in Nigeria

Haleon, a global consumer health company with a purpose to deliver better everyday health, is introducing its corporate identity across Nigeria in a phased transition. Trusted brands such as Panadol, Sensodyne, Macleans, Otrivin, Voltaren, Cac 1000 and Andrews Liver Salts remain unchanged in formulation, quality, and effectiveness.

Following the formal demerger from GSK, Haleon was launched on July 18, 2022, as an independent company 100% focused on consumer health. Haleon is the new home for brands like Sensodyne, Panadol, Centrum and others, trusted by millions worldwide for their proven effectiveness in improving everyday health.
From relieving tooth sensitivity or pain to providing essential vitamins and nutrients, our products are designed to fulfil Haleon’s purpose: to deliver better everyday health with humanity.
This revised corporate identity is a branding change only and does not affect the safety, quality, or efficacy of the products. Haleon is sharing this update as part of its commitment to transparency and consumer confidence, helping consumers continue to choose the brands they know and trust.
Haleon’s collaboration with Fidson Healthcare forms part of this approach, reinforcing the value of local production in supporting trusted everyday health brands in Nigeria.
Panadol Extra 100s and Panadol Pain & Fever 100s are currently being produced and supplied to the market under the Haleon identity. Sensodyne Rapid Action will bear the Haleon corporate identity from mid-June, followed by Andrews Liver Salts later this year.
In due course, additional brands—including Otrivin, Voltaren, Cac 1000, Macleans, and the wider Sensodyne portfolio—will also transition to the Haleon identity.
Haleon remains committed to ensuring consumers can continue to access the same high-quality brands at pharmacies, supermarkets and other retail outlets across Nigeria.
“As Haleon introduces its identity in Nigeria, we want consumers to feel informed and reassured. The trusted products they rely on remain the same in quality, formulation and effectiveness.
“At the same time, our local production approach in partnership with Fidson Healthcare supports reliable access to high-quality everyday health products in Nigeria,” said Himanshu Raj, Haleon General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa.
General News
Elon Musk Makes History as the World’s First Trillionaire

Tech entrepreneur and SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, has become the world’s first trillionaire after the successful public listing of SpaceX pushed his net worth beyond the $1 trillion mark.

Elon Musk
According to multiple financial reports, Musk’s fortune surged to approximately $1.1 trillion following SpaceX’s historic stock market debut on June 12, making him the first individual in history to achieve the milestone.
The sharp increase in wealth was driven primarily by SpaceX’s initial public offering (IPO), which valued the company at more than $1.7 trillion at listing before rising above $2 trillion during its first day of trading. Musk’s holdings in SpaceX, combined with his stakes in Tesla and other ventures, significantly boosted his net worth.
Musk, 54, is also the founder or co-founder of companies including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and The Boring Company. He acquired social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in a $44 billion deal and has remained one of the most influential figures in technology and business.
Financial analysts noted that Musk’s wealth now far exceeds that of any other billionaire.
Matt Durot, deputy editor at Forbes Wealth, said the gap between Musk and the world’s second-richest individual had widened significantly, with no other person currently close to the trillion-dollar threshold.
Despite the historic achievement, Musk’s vast wealth has reignited debates over global inequality and the responsibilities of ultra-wealthy individuals in addressing humanitarian challenges.
Advocacy groups have frequently pointed to issues such as hunger, disease eradication and access to education as areas where large-scale private philanthropy could make a significant impact.
In 2021, Musk publicly challenged the United Nations to provide a detailed plan showing how billions of dollars could help combat world hunger. Although a proposal was later presented, no donation followed.
Analysts note that much of Musk’s wealth remains tied to company shares rather than liquid cash, meaning his net worth can fluctuate significantly with market movements.
Nevertheless, the SpaceX IPO marks a historic moment in global finance, placing Musk in a wealth category previously considered unimaginable.
Commenting on Musk’s business achievements, Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase, described him as “the Edison of our time.”
Musk’s rise from co-founding internet startup Zip2 in the 1990s to becoming the world’s first trillionaire is regarded by many analysts as one of the most remarkable wealth creation stories in modern history.
General News
Kaspersky Warns of “Grey” Scam Websites Exploiting User Trust

Recent research by Kaspersky has shown that the so-called “grey” websites repeatedly target all world regions, and this may be driving both financial loss and large-scale data harvesting.

Grey websites are deceptive online platforms that fall outside traditional phishing definitions but still manipulate users into voluntarily handing over money and personal data. Kaspersky’s new report provides detailed insights into the threats posed by the grey websites on global and regional levels.
Unlike classic phishing attacks, which aim to steal credentials outright, grey websites rely on persuasion, misleading interfaces, and hidden terms to exploit users. They often impersonate legitimate services such as e-commerce platforms, financial tools, AI services, or subscription-based content, making them significantly harder to detect.
Kaspersky analysis shows that the majority of suspicious resources globally fall into several recurring categories:
- Fake browser extensions and “security tools” that actually harvest browsing data and track user activity.
- Fraudulent financial platforms including crypto exchanges, trading tools, and investment schemes promising unrealistic returns.
- Intermediary services (e.g., legal or real estate), charging for low-value or nonexistent services while harvesting sensitive personal data.
- Subscription traps offering low-cost trials that convert into costly recurring payments hidden in fine print.
- Fake online shops that either deliver counterfeit goods or nothing at all.
Example of a grey website.
A notable trend is the emergence of tools disguised as AI services or image-processing platforms, reflecting attackers’ ability to adapt to current digital trends and target younger audiences.
There are proven security solutions that help users to detect grey websites across different types of devices – those running on Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. The detection model is based on many factors, including domain name and age, IP reputation, stability of the infrastructure used, DNS configurations, HTTP security headers, digital identity and popularity of the web resource and other criteria.
Regional specifics
Regional variations in grey websites demonstrate how threat actors localise scams based on user behaviour and trending technologies.
In Europe, the threat landscape is dominated by links to suspicious browser extensions and fake “privacy-enhancing” tools.
These resources often present themselves as security solutions, promising safer browsing or anonymous search capabilities. In reality, they function as browser hijackers – intercepting traffic, collecting cookies, tracking user behaviour, and injecting advertisements.
The popularity of these threats reflects a high level of user concern around privacy and security, which attackers actively exploit. Additionally, these regions show a steady presence of phishing intermediaries and crypto-related scams, indicating a blend of technical and financially motivated attacks.
Across African markets, financial scams are the most prominent category of suspicious resources. Fraudulent trading platforms, fake brokers, and investment schemes frequently mimic legitimate financial services, often accompanied by fabricated licenses or endorsements.
These platforms typically prevent users from withdrawing funds, instead introducing additional “fees” or taxes to prolong the scam. The concentration of these threats highlights how attackers leverage growing interest in online investing while exploiting gaps in regulatory enforcement and financial literacy.
In the Middle East and North Africa region, suspicious resources frequently mimic communication (Internet telephony) tools, financial platforms, or betting services. Additionally, Ponzi-style investment schemes and crypto scams are widespread, often presented through polished interfaces that mimic legitimate platforms.
Web browser-based threats also play a significant role, with malicious extensions targeting user data and browsing activity. The regional threat profile reflects a convergence of financial fraud and technical compromise, where users risk both data exposure and monetary loss.
“Suspicious websites don’t look harmful at first glance. But they exploit trust, urgency, and familiarity, and a single click on what looks like a harmless AI image tool, a “secure” browser extension, or a heavily discounted online shop could be all it takes to lose money or expose sensitive data.
Instead of direct credential theft, attackers turn to behavioural manipulation – whether that’s subscribing, investing, or installing software,” comments Anna Larkina, Web Content and Privacy Analysis Expert at Kaspersky.
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