Storipod, a digital platform for readers and writers, has reached 50,000 users worldwide, showing remarkable user activity and community building. Storipod announced it has grown its user base to 50,000, with over half of them active weekly, a rate much higher than typical consumer apps. This means about 28,354 users engaged with the platform in the past week, and nearly all of these active users are not just browsing but actively reading, reacting, and creating content. The platform also boasts 29,344 “pods” or story groups created, indicating that users are deeply involved in building communities rather than just scrolling through content. This level of engagement is impressive compared to industry averages, where many platforms struggle to keep even 20% of signups active. James Nelson, Storipod’s Product Manager and Business Analytics Expert, highlighted that the platform is more than just a gathering place for users, it’s a movement where stories spread, writers grow, and audiences stay hooked. James Nelson shared on LinkedIn, “We’re proving that screen time can mean story time and people love it!” Other tech professionals and users congratulated the team, noting the platform’s snowballing growth and potential in the creator economy. Adding to the conversation, Muhammad Sal, a digital marketing and MarTech expert and Storipod user (@sal), pointed out the challenges African creators face on global platforms like Wattpad. He said: “Wattpad tried. But it may still be missing the point for African creators. Wattpad made moves to help writers monetize, Paid Stories, Creator Program, Brand partnerships, but these systems rarely center creators outside the West. For most African storytellers, Wattpad still feels like a place to give value without receiving it back.” Sal stated that monetization on Wattpad is often locked behind huge follower thresholds and unclear eligibility, favoring stories that perform by Western standards. In contrast, he praised Storipod’s approach: “Platforms like Storipod are emerging with a different mindset, built from day one with monetization in mind, designed for micro-audiences and intimate storytelling, rooted in the idea that every voice has value, not just the viral ones. It’s not about competition. It’s about direction. The creator economy in Africa doesn’t need copy-paste platforms. It needs tools built with our realities in mind. Wattpad walked so others could fly, but we’re ready for something local, flexible, and truly creator-first.” With strong user engagement and a creator-first mindset, the platform is set to write many more successful chapters ahead.
PocketLawyers raises the bar for legal tech in Africa with Nubia Capital investment
PocketLawyers, a Nigerian legal-tech startup, has secured major backing from Nubia Capital to expand its digital platform for lawyers across Africa. Ngozi Nwabueze, founder and CEO of PocketLawyers, never planned to be a tech entrepreneur. After launching her virtual law firm in 2020 due to COVID-19, she quickly saw a bigger opportunity: help lawyers run their practices online, without the high costs of traditional offices. PocketLawyers now offers an all-in-one platform where solo lawyers and small firms can build no-code websites, generate legal documents using AI, manage client consultations, payments, and invoicingand also create transparent profiles with services, prices, and client reviews Described as “Shopify for lawyers,” the platform aims to make legal services more accessible and efficient, especially in places where many lawyers have little or no digital presence. In 2024, PocketLawyers switched from a service-based model to a full SaaS (Software as a Service) platform. This move is already paying off, with over 250 lawyers signed up in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. A standout feature, PocketAI, helps lawyers with research and document drafting, saving time and boosting service quality. Nubia Capital’s new investment will help PocketLawyers secure intellectual property, form partnerships with legal associations across Africa, and grow its product team. The exact funding amount remains undisclosed, but industry insiders say it’s a strong vote of confidence in African legal tech. Davidson Oturu, general partner at Nubia Capital, said, “PocketLawyers is reimagining how Africa’s founders access the tools to build compliant, scalable, and investor-ready businesses.” The startup is part of the FirstFounders venture studio, which supports African tech startups from idea to investment. David Lanre Messan, CEO of FirstFounders, called the deal “a win for the venture studio model and a big step for PocketLawyers.” PocketLawyers is also onboarding 1,000 new lawyers, known locally as “new wigs,” as part of a grassroots push to grow its user base. “African lawyers often have zero digital footprint,” Nwabueze told Technext. “PocketLawyers gives them that presence, along with tools for communication, productivity, and even payments. Our goal is to let lawyers practice independently, efficiently, and at scale.” On the investment, she added, “This shows they believe in the product and its impact on the entire ecosystem, not just for lawyers, but also for businesses looking to expand across borders. We are building for AfCFTA and beyond.” PocketLawyers plan to reach at least 10 African countries by the end of 2025, starting with Anglophone regions and then expanding into Francophone markets. The team’s long-term goal is to become the go-to legal infrastructure for Africa and emerging markets worldwide.