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UnitedMasters , a Black-owned music distribution platform for independent artists, secured a $50 million investment led by Apple, VentureBeat reports. Apple leading this investment in UnitedMasters is rare, and this deal begins a new strategic partnership between the pair. UnitedMasters was founded in 2017 by former Sony Music executive Steve Stoute. The company is on a mission to democratize the music industry by developing a platform that allows emerging artist to earn money and distribute their music to other notable platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. What’s unique about UnitedMasters is that artists get to retain full ownership over their work. “Were changing an industry and giving an opportunity to independent artists,” Stoute told VentureBeat. “I’m not thinking about the Taylor Swift that exists that we all know and love. I’m thinking about the next young girl who plays a guitar and could write a song that wants to be Taylor Swift.” Stoute said he plans to use the Series...
Flutterwave , the San Francisco-based payment processing platform that has enriched the transaction infrastructure of businesses worldwide, has just made a giant leap into the investment ecosystem. The pioneering company recently closed its Series B funding round having raised a whopping $35 million . Flutterwave, led by CEO and co-founder Olugbenga Agboola , was established in 2016. Former bankers, engineers, and innovators created the company with the goal of assisting Africans in establishing global businesses by devising payment technology to link Africa to the global economy . Its payment technology was designed to facilitate seamless integration with international and domestic payment systems. The closing of the funding round and the announcement of a new partnership represents the dawn of a new day for Flutterwave. The company is now joining forces with Worldpay in Africa, broadening payment solutions across the continent. The deal sets the stage for a lucrative partnership,...