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13 must-read media sites on emerging startup economies

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13 must-read media sites on emerging startup economies

Not a week goes by without an international outlet mentioning how the startup scene is booming in emerging countries and how internet-powered services could change the game entirely for those countries. But where can we get first-hand news?

We asked locals to tell us about their favorite techie outlets. 

Asia 

Following what’s going on in Asia is quite easy thanks to two high quality tech media sites and one opinion blog.

  • TechInAsia is without a doubt the main source of information about startups and tech in Asia with over 130,000 fans on Facebook. The website covers tech, startups, and gaming, and features an event section.
     
  • e27 might be less followed than TechInAsia – although 60,000 fans on Facebook is not bad – but the Asian outlet boasts valuable adds-on such as a job board and a database of startups.
     
  • Although LetsVenture, the blog powered by the VC of the same name, only publishes a few posts a month, it brings an interesting take by focusing on tips from experts, and providing startups lessons on fundraising. 

If you want to go deeper into some countries’ ecosystems, here is a selection of sites covering specific countries: SD Asia on Bangladesh, YourStory on India, DailySocial on Indonesia, and TechNode on China.

Africa 

There is not just one startup media site that focuses on Africa; instead there are a slew of media sites and blogs that one can refer to.

  • TechLoy focuses on web, mobile, and social media news in emerging West African markets. 
     
  • VentureBurn is a sister website to South African tech media MemeBurn. According to its website, it focuses on startup news and technology trends in emerging markets, but most articles seem to be about African startups. They offer interesting tips, overviews, and news article, and a job board.
  • TechCabal is a beautiful Nigeria-based website that focuses on high-quality analysis rather than news.
     
  • AfriqueITNews is a Senegal-based media site, originally in French, and now in English, dedicated to IT with a section dedicated to startups in Africa.
     
  • WhiteAfrican is the personal blog of African startup guru Erik Hersman, cofounder of @Ushahidi@iHub Nairobi, @BRCKnet, and @SavannahFund, and offers interesting, unique insights on Southeast Africa. 

Latin America

If you want to keep track of what’s going on in Latin America, you had better speak Spanish. Like with Africa, there’s not one go-to media, but those few websites should help.

  • PulsoSocial is a Spanish-language Colombia-based website focusing on IT, social media, and startups with a job board, and an event calendar (its English edition is seldom updated).
  • WisdomCave is a Spanish (and sometimes English) blog managed by entrepreneurs network PitchBull that offers analysis and tips articles for the Latin American startup scene.
     
  • Fayerwayer is a popular Spanish-language website on global tech and nerd news, that also covers some Latin American startup news.
  • jpc.vc is the personal website of Miami-based Juan Pablo Cappello. The lawyer and entrepreneur publishes analysis on the Latin American startup scene in English and curate articles in English and Spanish.
  • Startupi is the go-to media on Brazilian startups. Solely in Portuguese, it offers news, analysis, tips, and an events calendar.

The Middle East and North Africa

Obviously don't stop coming to Wamda for your information but here are some other interesting media outlets you should checkout.

  • Arabnet is an organization known for covering startups in the Middle East, and organizing the leading tech conferences throughout the region. They also have a job board and a startup database.
     
  • Entrepreneur Middle East is a print and web publication covering everything entrepreneurship in the Middle East with a startup section.
     
  • Barakabits is a new media outlet aimed at sharing “good news" from the Arab world. They cover arts, politics, but also social and tech entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa.
Are there other media and blogs you'd recommend? Let us know in the comments section.

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