World
Invictus Acquires GTEC Holdings for $100m
By Dipo Olowookere
Global cannabis company, Invictus has entered into an agreement with GTEC Holdings Ltd for the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of GTEC in an all-share transaction valued at approximately $100 million, forming Western Canada’s largest indoor vertically integrated cannabis companies.
Under the terms of the proposed transaction, which will be completed by way of a plan of arrangement, holders of GTEC common shares will receive approximately 40 percent of the issued and outstanding shares of Invictus post-closing.
Concurrently with the closing of the Transaction, the holders of options and warrants in the capital of GTEC will receive a proportionate number of options and warrants of Invictus.
Assuming completion of the transaction, the issuance of Invictus shares to the current GTEC shareholders represents an approximate 25 percent premium to the 30-day volume weighted average trading price of the common shares of both GTEC and Invictus on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) as of November 15, 2018.
The combined entities would provide a robust vertically integrated cannabis company, focused on producing premium flower and complementary product portfolio, cultivated in purpose-built indoor facilities complemented with superior genetics.
For the six months ended July 31, 2018, Invictus generated unaudited revenue and EBITDA of $1.8 million and $9.3 million, respectively. Invictus had $10.7 million in cash as at July 31, 2018. For the nine months ended August 31, 2018, GTEC had no revenue and unaudited EBITDA of $7.2 million. GTEC had $4.4 million in cash as at August 31, 2018.
“As we now see the cannabis industry shift into non-medical use in Canada, and further medical markets expanding globally, this merger is synergistic and complementary. Combined, we offer a much stronger team with aligned visions on executing a pathway to become a global leader within the cannabis industry” said Norton Singhavon, Chairman and CEO of GTEC.
“We have been pleased with the continued execution of the team and business strategy at GTEC,” said George E. Kveton, CEO of Invictus. “The dedication to producing a premium product medical and adult-use recreational portfolio for the industry has always been our relentless pursuit. This merger allows for both companies to leverage the combined core competencies to further execute our vision to be at the forefront of the Canadian cannabis industry and beyond”
The transaction will require approval by at least 66 2/3 percent of the votes cast by shareholders of GTEC at a special meeting of the shareholders of GTEC. It is anticipated that the Directors, Officers and insiders of GTEC and Invictus will enter into support agreements pursuant to which they will agree to vote their shares in favour of the transaction.
The transaction will be effected by way of a plan of arrangement completed under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). The transaction remains subject to board approval of both parties, shareholder approval, regulatory approval from the TSXV and court approval, as applicable. The agreement remains subject to approval of the board of Invictus.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria regained its position as Africa’s leading destination for equity startup investment in the first half of 2026, raising $214 million in equity financing and a total of $254 million across equity and debt, according to the latest Africa: The Big Deal report.
The report, titled H1 2026: Mapping the Money, showed that Nigeria ranked second on the continent in total funding, behind Egypt, which attracted $327 million, while Kenya and South Africa followed with $126 million and $83 million, respectively.
However, the report noted that Egypt’s top position was largely driven by a single fundraising by electric mobility company Spiro, which secured $327 million, including $270 million in equity and $57 million in debt. Excluding debt financing, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s largest equity funding market in the first six months of the year.
According to the breakdown by Africa: The Big Deal, Nigeria’s equity funding of $214 million was higher than Egypt’s $183 million, while South Africa and Kenya attracted $66 million and $46 million, respectively.
Beyond funding value, Nigeria also led the continent in the number of startups that raised at least $100,000 during the review period, reclaiming the top spot after what the report described as an “underwhelming” second half of 2025.
The publication observed that Nigeria’s fundraising performance has remained relatively stable over the past few years and exceeded the $250 million mark for the first time since 2022, pointing to renewed investor confidence in the country’s startup ecosystem.
It also found that while the Big Four startup markets—Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa—continued to dominate Africa’s investment landscape, their combined share of total funding stood at 58 per cent in the first half of 2026.
“Zooming back on the Big Four (110 out of 190 $100k+ deals, i.e. 58%), Nigeria is head and shoulders above its peers, with Egypt and Kenya almost tying, and South Africa in fourth position again,” the report noted.
The report highlighted contrasting performances among the continent’s largest startup ecosystems. While Nigeria and Egypt maintained strong funding momentum, Kenya recorded its weakest funding performance since early 2021 after a strong second half of 2025, and South Africa failed to attract $100 million in funding during the period despite leading the continent a year earlier.
Africa: The Big Deal also noted a broader shift in investor behaviour, with funding increasingly concentrated in larger transactions while early-stage investments continued to decline. According to the publication, the drop in smaller funding rounds reflects growing concerns about limited capital available for early-stage startups across Africa.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Accessing the US Dollar in the East Africa region has now been made easier with the expansion of the stablecoin settlement infrastructure of SCRYPT.
This development enables banks, payment providers and corporate treasury teams to move value into and out of the continent in real time.
Businesses paying international suppliers frequently have to convert local currency into USD before purchasing stablecoins for settlement, incurring FX conversions and spreads before any payment is made.
But SCRYPT is eliminating this intermediate conversion by enabling direct settlement corridors for local African currencies into stablecoins.
This development allows businesses to move from local currency to stablecoin settlement in a single licensed transaction, without first sourcing rationed bank dollars, as stablecoins are increasingly becoming settlement infrastructure rather than an investment product.
The expansion adds settlement support across four African currencies: the Kenyan shilling (KES), Tanzanian shilling (TZS), Rwandan franc (RWF) and Ugandan shilling (UGX). Each corridor is delivered through the same full-stack infrastructure our clients already use for trading, custody and treasury operations.
Speaking on this, the chief executive of SCRYPT, Norman Wooding, said, “Across Africa, stablecoin adoption is driven by economic need, not speculation.
“Businesses here are not chasing yield; they are trying to pay suppliers and manage treasury without losing margin to a banking system that rations dollars. Licensed, fair-rate dollar access is the clearest proof of what this infrastructure is for.”
Also commenting, the Managing Director of Markets & Trading at SCRYPT, Mr Gabriel Titopoulos, said, “Until now, reaching stablecoins from local African currencies meant buying scarce dollars and incurring several layers of conversion costs.
“SCRYPT removes this friction. Firms and payment providers can now settle straight from local currencies through live corridors, with local partners.”
World
African Graduates Association Promoting Multifaceted Initiatives With Russian Educational Institutions
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
In preparations for the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late October 2026, Dr Francois Ngan, deputy chairman of the Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities, during an official working visit, has held a consultative meeting with Professor Vladimir Filippov, the President of the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN), and former Minister of Higher Education of Russia, Chairman of the National Commission for Accreditation of Higher Education.
RUDN is an educational institution established in 1960, primarily to provide higher education to Third World students. It has now become a popular multidisciplinary spot for many students, especially from developing countries. The university offers various academic programmes and has research infrastructure that comprises laboratories and interdisciplinary centres. The university is named after the former Congolese leader, Patrice Lumumba.
Dr Francois Ngan and Professor Filippov discussed the importance of the Graduates Association as a continental platform dedicated to strengthening unity, cooperation, and promoting shared progress among African graduates who studied in the former Soviet Union and in the Russian Federation. They also reviewed multifaceted initiatives that could bring together alumni associations from across Africa, whose members obtained education and professional training, and cultural experiences in Soviet and Russian institutions of higher learning.
Professor Filippov expressed optimism in addressing emerging challenges as a result of shifting geopolitical changes, emphasised strategic cooperation in the educational sphere with Africa, in general, and with the Republic of Cameroon, in particular, and further about the integration of African students during their studies in the Russian Federation.
The meeting also touched on academic and scientific work, the possibility of rewriting a scientific thesis, and the official organisation of transferring versions translated into six languages for the library of RUDN. Significant questions relating to Russia’s educational opportunities, collaborations and partnerships involving African countries were thoroughly discussed.
The Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities was created under one continental umbrella to promote friendship, for professional networking, to engage in cultural exchange, and with particular emphasis on forging strategic cooperation between Africa and Russia.
