Payments and software startup SpotOn has closed on $300 million in a Series F financing that values the company at $3.6 billion.

Dragoneer Investment Group led the latest round, which included participation from existing backers Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), DST Global, Franklin Templeton and Mubadala Investment Company, as well as new investor, G Squared. 

The investment marks SpotOn’s third raise in the past year alone and Dragoneer’s sixth time investing in the company over a three-year period. It is, however, the first time the firm has led a round. It comes on the heels of a year in which the company says it saw 100% year-over-year ARR (annual recurring revenue) growth.

Last September, SpotOn announced it had closed on a $300 million Series E round at a $3.15 billion valuation. That funding event came just three and a half months after the startup raised $125 million at a $1.875 billion valuation (a A16z led both of those rounds).

Since its 2017 inception, SpotOn has been focused on providing software and payments technology to SMBs with an emphasis on restaurants and retail businesses. Last year, it acquired Appetize in an effort to extend its reach to the enterprise space. 

Today, SpotOn — which operates a SaaS business model — says it serves businesses “of all types and sizes,” from local family restaurants to Major League Baseball stadiums. But it is primarily focused on businesses in the retail, food and hospitality sectors. 

In the eight months since its last raise, SpotOn has bought another company, released a new product and hired new execs. Late last year, it acquired Dolce, a labor management startup which streamlines payroll, scheduling, tip-pooling and compliance, in an effort to strengthen its flagship restaurant product.

The company also launched SpotOn Retail, which it describes as “an omnichannel retail platform that allows independent retailers to compete with big-box stores and e-commerce giants by selling in store, online or on the go through one seamless, intuitive dashboard.”

It also has made a number of executive hires, including naming Lisa Banks as its chief financial officer. While SpotOn did not comment on any potential plans to go public, the hiring of a CFO typically indicates that the public markets are in a company’s sights.

“Mom-and-pop restaurants and retail businesses are facing rapidly changing consumer expectations within today’s tech-driven landscape. SpotOn has made it their mission to provide customized solutions to drive the growth and adaptation needed as businesses of all sizes evolve and grow,” said Marc Stad, founder and managing partner at Dragoneer, in a statement. 

In the broader fintech landscape, SpotOn is taking on payments giant Block (formerly Square) head on. Block, which acquired BNPL player Afterpay in a surprising $29 billion deal, today has a market cap of $48.5 billion. It is also challenging decacorn Toast on the restaurant side.

Interestingly, perhaps as evidence of the global private market correction, SpotOn’s valuation increase was less dramatic than it has been in the past 18 months. So while it was not a flat round, it was about $500 million higher, or a 14.3% increase, compared to its last raise. For context, SpotOn’s Series E raise at a $3.15 billion valuation was about 5x of its $625 million valuation at the time of its Series C round.

Nigerian singer, Bella Shmurda is ready for summer!!!

The Cash App singer took to his Snapchat account to show off the new mouth grills he spent $10,000 (#6 million).

According to him, this is the most expensive grills he has ever spent his money on. Bella Sharma revealed he used all his money on his new mouth accessory and he is fully prepared not to eat for days.

“10k on this tooth, ain’t eating for days“.

With this new accessor, Bella Shmurda has joined the like of Naira Marley, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Rema, and Skiibii who have expensive mouth grills but hardly wears them.

Watch video below;

 

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The post Bella Shmurda Shows off His Most Expensive Mouth Grills (Watch Video) first appeared on tooXclusive.

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A Russian club, Spartak Moscow has raised alarm after Nigerian international, Victor Moses refused to report to the club in weeks.

The Former Super Eagles star was missing when the club held its open training session.

Moses has been missing from the club's activities for several weeks and on Thursday, June 30, the club held a training session without him in attendance.

Moses helped the club to the Russian Cup last season to end a 19-year wait, after defeating Dinamo Moscow 2-1 in the final at the Stadion Luzhniki in Moscow last month.

But he has not reported to the club and  the Russian team’s head of press service, Dmitry Zelenov says Spartak will soon announce a decision on Moses’ future.

“As for Moses, we still have nothing to add to what we have announced. I think news about Victor Moses will appear in the near future,” Zelenov told Championat.com.

Moses ended a nine-year association with Chelsea by joining Spartak Moscow on a permanent deal last summer.

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In his entrance into the music industry, Burna Boy, a multi-award-winning Nigerian singer-songwriter, released the smash hit “TAS.”

Popcaan, a deejay, singer, and composer from Jamaica, collaborated with the Grammy Award-winning performer, Burna Boy.

This track is also included in his debut extended play, titled “Love, Damini EP,” which was released not too long ago.

There isn’t a single person who doesn’t agree that the song is an absolute masterpiece and a paragon of musical excellence.

The song has an irresistible upbeat quality that might quickly become addicting. But, you should definitely add this song to your playlist.

Let us know what you think of what we’ve heard in the comments section below!

 

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The post Burna Boy – TAS Ft. Popcaan appeared first on TrendyHipHop.

Cobhams Asuquo, a gifted Nigerian R&B artist, has released a new studio project he calls “Elephant Man.”

The music has been identified as the follow-up single by Cobhams Asuquo following his critically acclaimed “Jah Eli Jah,” further establishing him as the undisputed G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all Time).

We now have a more fitting tune thanks to “Elephant Man” by Nigerian record producer, composer, and vocalist Cobhams Asuquo.

Afrocentric harmonies add depth to this upbeat, dance-oriented song. Cobhams Asuquo’s vocal style, which pays homage to the streets as he maintains his customary manner, is a perfect example of his versatility in this song. And it further accentuates his love of fine things.

Also, Cobhams Asuquo’s “Elephant Man” is a great party song that deserves your attention.

Listen and share your thoughts with us below!

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The post Cobhams Asuquo – Elephant Man appeared first on TrendyHipHop.

Mavin record songstress, Ayra Starr performed at an event recently where she got down from the stage just so she could get close to the enthusiastic audience.

However, when she was going to get back up to the stage, it took the strength and bravery of security personnel to help her up.

Ayra Starr

RELATED ARTICLE: “I’ll teach my unpopular songs to people that don’t know it…” Mavin record songbird, Ayra Starr unearths

In a video that has surfaced the social media, Ayra is seen being lifted by the able-bodied bouncer who carefully lifted her on the heightened stage, like he was only lifting weights in the gym.

After she gets back on stage, she continues to perform her hit track, “Away” which was one song that threw her into the limelight.

Watch the video below…

Protect Ayra Starr at all cost. pic.twitter.com/C573K6zlIL

— 🐿♡🍃 @OneJoblessBoy 🐳 (@OneJoblessBoy) July 28, 2022

The post The adorable moment singer, Ayra Starr was carried and dropped on the stage by a bouncer (Video) appeared first on TrendyHipHop.

Nwodu Chinonso, also known as Kolaboy, is an East Nigerian rapper who recently collaborated with Flavour on the song “Don’t Call Me Baby.”

Nevertheless, “Don’t Call Me Baby” is a song from his hotly anticipated forthcoming project named “Kola From The East”.

Ultimately, Kolaboy’s “Don’t Call Me Baby” is a great smash hit that you shouldn’t miss.

What do you think of this song? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The post Kolaboy – Don’t Call Me Baby ft. Flavour appeared first on TrendyHipHop.

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The Ghana Beauty Awards (GBA), is here again with the 6th Edition under the theme; Celebrating Beauty Excellence; the key to sustainable economic growth.

The sole objective of the Awards has always been to champion excellence and continuously raise the performance bar by awarding stakeholders who have distinguished themselves, and this has created a healthy competition, shaped conduct, and service delivery as well as raised the image and reputation of the Industry.

As an Industry Award, the Board together with the Organizers agrees on the categories to award and subsequently announces and opens nominations for qualified applicants based on the awards criteria. The works and profiles of applicants are vetted for shortlisting, and the shortlisted nominees go through three (3) stages which include, Judging, Public Voting, and Interview\Due Diligence for the final selection of winners in each category.

If you believe you have been excellent among your peers and you’re making a difference in the beauty industry, click on this link ( bit.ly/gbaward) to fill out the online form.

Check out the Categories below;

1. BEAUTY RETAIL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

2. BEAUTY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR

3. INDIGENOUS BRAND OF THE YEAR

4. MAKEUP BRAND OF THE YEAR

5. SKIN CARE BRAND OF THE YEAR

6. HAIR BRAND OF THE YEAR

7. BEAUTY BRAND OF THE YEAR

8. BEST SALON/ STUDIO

9. BEST SPA AND WELLNESS CENTRE

10. BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE

11. DIGITAL COMMERCE & MARKETING

12. BEAUTY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

13. DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR

14. MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

15. BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP ARTIST

16. BEST EDITORIAL MAKEUP ARTIST

17. BEST BRIDAL MAKEUP ARTIST

18. BEST HAIR COLOURIST

19. BEST HAIR CUTTING STYLIST

20. BEST NATURAL HAIR STYLIST

21. BEST LOCTICIAN

22. BEST BRAIDS STYLIST

23. HAIR STYLIST OF THE YEAR

24. BEST BRIDAL HAIR STYLIST

25. NAIL TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR

26. PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

27. MOST PROMISING BARBER

28. BARBER OF THE YEAR

29. MOST PROMISING NAIL TECHNICIAN

30. FACILITATOR/EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

31. PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

32. BEAUTY PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

33. DERMATOLOGIST/AESTHETICIAN OF THE YEAR

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Millionaire Haakon Overli, 52, began an affair with the woman after she arrived at the family home in Surrey following the Russian invasion.

Now, the entrepreneur has left his wife and moved in with his mistress, the paper reported.

He had repeatedly tweeted his support for bringing Ukrainian refugees to the UK at the beginning of the conflict in March.

Norwegian-born Mr. Overli, who has an economics degree from Durham University, made his money in the dot-com boom after founding online stockbroker Self Trade in 1997, selling it for more than £900 million in 2000.

He also worked for JP Morgan and ING Barings and served as a director at Wonga for a year in 2008.

It fell into administration in 2018 after being heavily criticized for ‘predatory lending’ to people who would never have been able to repay the loans.

Around 200,000 customers owed £400 million when Wonga went bust in a flood of compensation claims.

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After his time at Wonga, Mr Overli co-founded software investor Dawn Capital, now worth more than £2 million.

 

 

 

 

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Alkaline is the stage name of Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist Harlan Bartley, born on December 19, 1993. Bartley hails from the city of Kingston in Jamaica.

With many streams and downloads on Boomplay, several tracks by Alkaline have achieved widespread recognition and fashionability in the digital space.

Alkaline, recognized for his violent hip-hop-inspired approach, is a flaming light for the reggae-dancehall genre. Alkaline, who is strategic in his secretive demeanor and a burning beacon for the genre, creatively embodies the heart of the genre’s heritage while embracing today’s variety.

Harlan was delivered to the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. He graduated from Ardenne High School and then continued his education at the University of the West Indies, majoring in Media and Communication.

Career
When he was a senior in high school, he first began to show interest in music and ambition to pursue it. After school, whenever he got the opportunity, he would go to one of the local recording studios with the encouragement of his closest friends.

Alkaline was the stage name that Bartley used when he first started recording when he was 16 years old. While he was still in school, he created songs such as “Proof,” “Mi Love Woman,” “Reflections,” and “Missing You.” In these songs, he made long-term predictions and expressed his experiences as a teenager. He did this while making music videos on school grounds and in the streets of Jamaica with his closest friends.

He eventually started working with Notnice Records and UIM Records and became popular in Jamaica with a series of singles such as “123,” “High Suh,” “Bruk Out,” “Things Mi Love,” and “Live Life,” but the single he was most well known for was “Move Mountains.” He went on to feature those singles on several EPs and Mixtapes. He is currently working on a new album.

Stay Tubed at TRENDYHIPHOP.COM and keep up to date with the latest Alkaline songs & more.

Alkaline Songs and Albums

• New Level Unlocked (Album)
• Top Prize (Album)
• 123 EP
• Gone Away – EP
• F*ck You EP
• Ride or Die EP
• Missing You
• Reflections
• Proof
• Walk With You
• Link
• Nuh Like People
• High Suh
• 123
• Make It Clap
• Mouth Talk
• Helter Skelter
• Dutty Badmind
• Deep Sleep
• Heartless Killaz
• Richer & Richer
• Black Heart
• Thug Lovin
• Nuh Average
• Big Tyma
• Nuh Wife

The post Download All Alkaline Songs, Alkaline Old Songs, Best Alkaline Songs , Best Alkaline Songs, & More appeared first on TrendyHipHop.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state and a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Integrity Group, has openly declared his support for the presidential ambition of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.

Governor Ortom went against the way of other member governors of the G-5 who are understood to be working for Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC). Governor Ortom openly endorsed the candidacy of Peter Obi during a TownHall Meeting organized by the Inter- Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) at Royal Choice Inn Conference Hall in Makurdi, Benue State.

Governor Ortom who spoke at the event, joined the audience in a repeated shouting of Obi! Obi! Ortom had previously stated that were he not in the People's Democratic Party (PDP), he would have openly campaigned for Peter Obi whom he described at the most competent of the presidential candidates.

Ortom's endorsement of Peter Obi comes a day after the leader of the G-5, Nyesom Wike welcomed Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rivers State. It's understood that the Rivers State governor is clandestinely working for Bola Ahmed Tinubu's presidential ambition.

Video: I am Not Campaigning For You– Governor Wike Tells Tinubu

Unilever Nigeria Plc a leading Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company,  has publicly disclosed its intention to cease production of certain home care and skin cleansing brands. In a press release, Unilever Nigeria stated that the affected brands are OMO, Sunlight detergent and Lux toilet soap. The company further revealed that the decision to stop the manufacturing of these products was to accelerate the growth of the organisation and sustain profitability. As a reason for Unilever Nigeria repurposing its portfolio, the firm’s Managing Director, Carl Cruz, said: “All companies need to adapt to changing market circumstances and now is the right time for us to reposition Unilever Nigeria Plc to better meet the needs of our consumers, shareholders, and employees."

Read Also: "I'm now a Born-again Christian" Blac Chyna Undergoes Physical Transformation

Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, toothpaste, pet food, pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products, tea, breakfast cereals, beauty products, and personal care. Unilever is the largest producer of soap in the world and its products are available in 190 countries. The company's headquarters is located in London, England.  Unilever is organised into three main divisions: Foods and Refreshments, Home Care, Beauty and Personal Care. 

Chris Brown, a stage name for Christopher Maurice Brown, an American singer, songwriter, and dancer, has released a stunning new single titled “Nobody Has To Know.”

Davido, a famous and successful Nigerian singer and composer, was a vital part of the success of this great song.

You should definitely add “Nobody Has To Know” by Chris Brown and Davido to your music library.

What do you think of this song? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The post Chris Brown – Nobody Has To Know Ft. Davido appeared first on TrendyHipHop.

Ivan Toney, a forward for Brentford, has been given an eight-month suspension by the English Football Association for betting breaches.

The in-form England international was found guilty of breaking rule 232 of the FA's betting rules, which resulted in a long suspension, a £50,000 fine, and a warning about his future behavior.

Between February 25, 2017, and January 23, 2021, Ivan Toney played for Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United, and Brentford. During this time, he committed the crimes for which he was found guilty.

Toney, 27, is allowed to rejoin Brentford's training program four months prior to the suspension's expiration, which started today, May 17, and concludes on September 17, 2023.

However, he will return to professional play on January 17, 2024, which is in the middle of the 2023–2024 season.

A statement from the English FA read, “His [Toney’s] fines were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing.

“The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and the FA will wait to review them before commenting further.”

Brentford could finish ninth in the Premier League standings this season thanks to Ivan Toney, who has scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League games.

Both the home game against league-leading Manchester City on May 28 and Brentford's travel to Tottenham on Saturday will be missed by him.

Ivan Toney was suspended by the English FA, and Brentford issued a statement to say that they are examining their "next steps" and that they had taken note of the FA's ruling.