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GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Program – 2022

GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Program is an African AgriTech and FoodTech program for startups entering the scaling stage.
 

About the GIZ-SAIS Initiative

 
SAIS (Scaling Digital Agricultural Innovations through Startups) is a program plan implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
 
The aim of the program plan is to:
  • Assist African startups to scale digital innovations that will aid income increase for users in the agriculture or food sectors.
  • Support African startups in improving business models, access investors and business partners, and achieve more impact.
About 18 startups are to partake in the 9-month investment readiness program.
 
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) handles the funding of the program
 
The following investment readiness criteria/readiness output indicators track and assess selected startups. 
 
First Indicator (1): Competency of the founding team has grown (through pitch, leadership, operations management)
 
Furthermore, included are the startup valuation(“pre-money”), clear roles, and responsibility of the management team.
 
Second Indicator (2): How the startup’s data room has improved and if all necessary papers for effective due diligence are available(such as bank statements, forecasts, pitch deck, annual balance sheet, accounting, and exit strategy).
 
Third Indicator (3): If there’s an established digital system for keeping track of the startup’s user base and providing data(data analytics).
 
Fourth Indicator (4): Availability of analysis on market research and competitiveness of the startup’s national market possible expansion.
 
Fifth Indicator (5): Having a sales & marketing strategy catalog of measures that guides the founding team for scaling the startup.
 
Sixth Indicator (6): The startup’s digital agricultural innovation (product) is ready for the market.
 
Products such as customer-driven product development, data security, product-market-fit, and products suitable for national regulations.
 
Seventh Indicator (7): Improved customer acquisition i.e the startup’s customer growth rate has increased.
 

Benefits of the Program

Startups will have access to the following: 
  • Weekly coachings and advisory sessions
  • Hub integration of successful startups in partner hubs in their home country
  • Business partners and investors from the GIZ-SAIS network.
  • Add-on services (extended services) for female entrepreneurs.
  • Meet-ups

Application Process Investment Readiness Program

Eligibility: innovative startups that are willing to scale and apply digital solutions to the agricultural and food sector.
 
Startups with digital Agricultural products/services that help lessen the impact of covid-19 is a plus and will be considered.
 
Selection Criteria
Mandatory criteria include Legal representation, Team, Digital product, and access to market and traction.
 
Competitive criteria include Business model, Level of innovation, and Customer data.
 

Innovations Sought for Investment Readiness Program

Do take advantage and apply if your innovation meets one of the following categories or technologies listed.
 
Categories: Here are the required categories of selection;
Digital storytelling, eLearning, food delivery, digital payment, building digital expertise for farmers (eSkills, e-Literacy), precision farming, access to finance, and access to market.
Furthermore, the following categories are also allowed supply chain management, animal and crops health, logistics and transport, soil fertility, and e-commerce.
Also, categories such as open data, gamification, data analysis,  data analysis, cybersecurity, data protection,  open data, data security, and crowdsourcing are not exempted
 
Technologies: Below is a list of required technologies
Digital learning software (eLearning system, MOOC platforms, open educational resources), precision farming (chipcards, sensors, drones, remote sensing system), Internet of things, artificial intelligence (AI), GIS (Geo-Information Systems) /Mapping, virtual/augmented reality, robotics, SMS-services, social media, web platforms, big data analysis systems, control systems, 3D-printer, blockchain, monitoring, database,  information-management systems (IMS).
 
Sign up Here

 

 

 

MTN, Mafab Emerge Winners In Nigeria’s 3.5GHz Spectrum Auction

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MTN Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Ltd have both emerged as the winners of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction for the distribution of 5G (Fifth Generation) technology. The bidding saw eleven rounds which lasted for eight hours; all this to facilitate the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services in Nigeria to support 5G network deployment.

The 3.5GHz spectrum auction was conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. The event was held on Monday, December 13 and took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

MTN and Mafab were not the only contestants as Airtel had also qualified for the spectrum auction. The three companies had priorly contested in a mock auction on Friday, December 10. The mock auction served as an antecedent to the main event.

The auction bid is said to have been “intensely competitive” with the adoption of the Ascending Clock Auction System put in place by the Commission.

At the first round of the auction, the bid price was fixed at $199,374,000.00; $201,367,740.00 at second round; $204,388,356.10 at third round; $209,407,962.50 at fourth round and $215,782,901.30 at the fifth round.

The auction prices peaked at the eleventh and final round when the bid price reached $275,904,886.25. The eleventh round was concluded with Airtel listing an exit bid of $270,000,000, while MTN posted an exit bid of $273,000,000, leading to the Assignment Stage. By this time, Airtel had dropped out of the race having posted a lower exit bid, thereby leaving Mafab and MTN as winners of the two available lots.

The results of the exercise was announced by the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC who doubled as Auction Overseer, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta. Speaking on the spectrum auction, he said, “The auction held successfully today, Monday December 13, 2021 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja with the three bidders competing for the available two slots. The Commission adopted the Ascending Clock Auction format which ended after Round 11 and proceeded to the Assignment Stage. It is my pleasure to announce that at the end of the auction, Mafab Communications Limited and MTN Communications Nigeria Limited emerged as provisional licence winners.”

Danbatta noted that the winning bid price for the auction is $273,600,000 for each lot of 100 MHz TDD. The winners, Mafab Communications and MTN Nigeria, are expected to pay the Winning Bid price, less the Intention-to-Bid Deposit, by February 24, 2022.

The Principal Developer – Masterclass for Developers

The Principal Developer by DevTernity a  2-day Masterclass for Software Developers is open for registration.

Introduction

It is not enough to be just a software developer alone, you have to combine it with being a development team lead. 

As a team leader, you will serve as a motivation and be in charge of individuals alongside their performance.

This 2-day masterclass is crafted to give and deliver what it takes to be an exceptional tech leader, developing yourself and maintaining a balance between technical duties and leadership. 

What to Expect at the Masterclass for Developers

Develop yourself as a technical lead :

  • Effective delegation of task
  • Earning trust and respect
  • Communicating with confidence
  • Balancing your technical and non-technical skills
  • Estimate your progress as a leader
  • Regain coding time
  • Improve on your team’s health
  • Influence teammates without resorting to giving orders
  • Motivating with DRIVE

Build great teams:

  • Assist your teammates to reach career height
  • Understanding the rudiments of mentorship
  • Revamp your mentor toolbox with the necessary tools
  • Grow a fast performing independent team
  • Encourage effective learning culture amidst teammates
  • Promote an effective problem-solving attitude
  • Coach teammates to avoid neverending questions
  • Learn how to use pair programming efficiently

Improve development process:

  • Learn planning and on-time work delivery
  • Grasp how Scrum, Lean, and Kanban fits together
  • Deliver more value through continuous delivery 
  • Learn to measure I.T and performance of your team
  • Aquire how to prioritize and properly split duties
  • Grasp the power of Little’s Law
  • Get rid of bottlenecks from the development stage
  • Make technical debt minimal with XP and software craftmanship
  • Deliver value and not software features alone

Accelerate your Hire:

  • Know how to quickly filter non-competent candidates 
  • Attract, retain and build the best engineers
  • Design an effective interview process
  • Learn to assess technical capabilities and cultural fits
  • Become an interviewer who wins the heart of candidates
  • Know why devs are not queuing to work for you
  • Make a company culture that interests developers
  • Make candidates feel at their best during and after the interview
  • Increase your hiring efficiency 5x

Details of the Event

Date and time: Thu, May 5, 2022, 9:00 AM – Fri, May 6, 2022, 6:00 PM EEST

Location: South Africa, Cape Town South Africa.

Registration: The ticket cost €999

Follow this link to register

DigiMarCon Africa 2022- Digital Marketing, Media & Advertising Conference

Registration is now on for the 4th annual DigiMarcon Africa 2022 conference for digital marketing, media, and advertising Africa.

At DigiMarcon Africa 2022, you will be getting all the necessary pieces required to achieve success in digital marketing.

About the DigiMarcon Africa 2022

The conference on Digital Marketing, Media and Advertisement is your chance:

  • To gain insight into new and latest innovative technological strategies and the best ways to improve your business
  • Listen and learn from intriguing speakers in the digital marketing, media & advertising council
  • Connect and network with leaders  as well as
  • Collaborate with peers of like minds to grow your professional network.

Details of Event

Date and Time:

Thu, Oct 27, 2022, 9:00 AM –

Fri, Oct 28, 2022, 5:30 PM SAST

Location:

The Westin Cape Town Hotel Convention Square, Lower Long St Cape Town, Western Cape 8000 South Africa.

Speakers And Sessions

The 2-day high-impact conference will be bringing together the “who is who” in the Digital marketing community to share ideas, help with new insights with fellow business pros.

The speakers and sessions are yet to be revealed but you can stay tuned and check it out here

Master Classes and Pass

There’s going to be 5 limited-attendance master classes on Fri 28th Oct at different times to allow participants to attend them all.

The master class will give the best practices, applications, and hands-on exposure required to be and remain a successful performer in your field.

Irrespective of experience level, skills acquired in the masterclasses will leave you with practices that will yield great results to improve your online business.

Passes: The Main Conference Pass includes

  • October 27, 2022: All General Sessions, Farewell Cocktail Reception

All-Access Pass includes:

  • October 27, 2022: General Sessions, Welcome Cocktail Reception
  • October 28, 2022: All Master Classes, Farewell Cocktail Reception
  • On-Demand: Access to online video presentations and slide decks

VIP Pass includes:

  • VIP Experience: VIP Status, VIP Priority Registration Check-In, VIP Reserved Seating
  • October 27, 2022: VIP Priority Registration Check-in, All General Sessions (VIP Reserved Seating), Welcome Cocktail Reception
  • October 28, 2022: All Master Classes (VIP Reserved Seating), Farewell Cocktail Reception
  • On-Demand: An access to video online presentations and slide decks

Virtual Pass includes:

  • Live Stream: Live Stream of All General Sessions and Master Classes
  • On-Demand: Access to video presentations and slide decks

Registration

Registration for the event is between $97 to $697

To register, Click Here

Leveraging Blockchain to Solve Digital Divide in Africa – 3air

3air, a blockchain platform is looking at leveraging blockchain to Solve the digital divide in Africa. The blockchain platform with its personal Cardano-based token(ADA) looks to achieve this by partnering with K3 Telecom.

Brief Insight

3air is a token built on a Cardano Blockchain. It has a restricted supply with integrated mechanisms that allow for token buybacks and burning. 

K3 Telecom is a swiss wideband supplier that specializes in infrastructure to unravel difficulties with unprecedented know-how that may send optics grade wideband web, digital TV, and IP telephony across the air. 

Solving the Digital Divide

A lot of African cities are dynamic, vibrant, and filled with people using mobile phones yet there is almost no real internet broadband in Africa.

The UN sustainable growth target which aims to offer common entry to the web continues to extend in significance permitting many to enter into life-enhancing online companies.

 Also, sectors such as healthcare, education, and different expertise will have to help cut down on poverty. It also aims to guarantee financial development as well as foster inclusion in the worldwide market.

With great and innovative minds in Africa, a lot of them think that knowing how to will assist learning and communication with other parts of the world. Part of the motive for this divide can be seen in the number of development lots of Africans have come across in other continents.

This development makes it worrisome if the cables for the high-quality web are attainable to connect Africa to the world as a whole. 

Due to the flexibility to execute this, The World Bank has estimated the prolong of its possibility to about over 10 years along with a funding of $100 billion to ensure Africa’s entry to the broadband web.

Above all, the innovators of 3air believe that it can actualize this in less than 50% of the time and funding estimated by the World Bank.

The Process of Solving

The coming together of 3air & K3 Telecom aims to create a flexible platform that is enough to attach 10 million people and onboard them on a 3air blockchain platform to cater to the wants of creating nations and telecoms.

“There is nothing alike to what 3air has to supply. We now have a working resolution that may join the unconnected in Africa and produce tens of millions of customers to the 3air platform. This can allow a nation keen for change to leap over a complete technology of know-how” pointed CEO of 3air, Sandi Bitenc.

As it stands, 3air is putting itself to provide easy access to digital companies, sustainable bandwidth sharing, bankless funds, hardware possession, and digital ID administration to solve digital divide. 

Its main aim is to first, convey web restricted folks on the line, then onboard them on the blockchain platform that uses the 3air token.

The blockchain platform will provide users with digital I.D that’s based on Cardano’s Atala Prism resolution to affirm a user’s identity ensuring privacy and safety.

Furthermore, once recognized, the user will be able to open online bank accounts, apply for microloans, and conduct enterprise. Also, users will also be able to take part in online schooling, working, health care services, and lots more.

In short, this move will or show a tremendous leap ahead of improving the native economy for the inhabitants of unconnected rural areas.

Collaborations Could Fix E-Business Industry in Nigeria ― CeBIH

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Adeyemi Atanda, the chairman of the Committee of E-Business Industry Heads (CeBIH), has said that the challenges facing the e-business industry in Nigeria could be fixed when more collaborations are put in place in a way that platforms such as CeBIH continue to create forums for engagement.

Atanda, who spoke at the CeBIH annual conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State, recently, explained that infrastructure, connectivity, and cost are some of the barriers to inclusion.

The retreat, which was sponsored by Flutterwave and a slew of other fintech firms, focused on payment innovations and what to anticipate in the coming year, with attendees hailing from all corners of the e-business process.

The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, was among the guests who spoke at the event, urging the industry to support social intervention programs and look into how to differentiate between social enterprise and social intervention programs so that these programs are not too costly for the government to sustain for the good of the people.

Prof Adeolu Akande, Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), also spoke, saying that the widespread demand for digital services is fueled by the low cost of end-user devices. According to him, the digital industry will exceed the oil sector in adding to the nation’s GDP revenues in around five years if current trends continue.

Mr Elias Igbinakenzua, Managing Director of Globus Bank Ltd, remarked during his keynote talk at the event, “Banks of the future must embrace API strategy and platforms that will make them flexible, invest in dev-ops, and can’t run away from cloud computing.” He also urged banks to consider collaborations and partnerships for the benefit of their clients.

Mr Musa Jimoh, Director, Payment Systems Management, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), spoke on the eNaira’s impact on the economy’s growth. According to him, the goal of the eNaira is to reduce the cost of serving by taking into account the cost of printing one naira note and its impact on the value chain.

“It gives us great pleasure to note that Nigeria was the first African country to implement and is one of just three countries in the world to completely commercialise the e-Naira.” Mr Jimoh said.

He told the bank that they would play a key role in the development of digital payment systems, and he encouraged participants to download the software from the Google or Apple app stores. He emphasized that the goal is to expand financial inclusion and provide access to more affordable financial services.

Speakers and panelists at the two-day event are; Branka Mracajac, Managing Director of 9PSB; Olusola Teniola, President Africa Digital Economy Forum and immediate past president of Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Kazeem Tewogbade, MD, Blue Chip Technologies; Ade Atobatele, CEO Remarkable Ideas Ltd; Akeem Lawal, DCEO Payment Switching & Processing, Interswitch; and many others. Topics discussed include; Cardless Payments, Fintech and Funding, Fraud and Cybersecurity, Monetizing Big Data, and Labor Mobility.

Bank Of Ghana Governor Calls For Fintech Partnerships

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Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison, has made a callout to stakeholders in the financial technology scene to partner up with the Bank of Ghana to accelerate economic growth. This partnership will further foster the fintech industry to enable it leverage on the new economy springing from digital technology solutions.

According to Addison, active mobile money accounts in Ghana have seen a rise to 19million from 14.4million in 2020. Mobile money services are driving the growth of the digital financial services industry. He further highlighted that mobile money transactions have grown in volume by 365% and also grown in value by 651% between 2019 and 2020.

“Collectively, therefore, we, as stakeholders, must leverage on these positive headwinds to develop and implement digital strategies to spur growth in the digital financial services sector,” Addison said during the 2021 Annual Bankers Week Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

The dinner which was held on Saturday, December 11, was in honour of the Bank of Ghana Governor; and saw attendance from the two Bank of Ghana deputies, Dr Maxwell Opoku-Afari and Mrs Elsie Addo Awadzi, as well as other members of the banking industry.

Furthermore, Addison expressed that a new economy rooted in digital technology is emerging globally. He said, “From agriculture, through industry, to commerce, to name just a few, no sector has been spared the transformational power of technology.”

He made emphasis on the fact that Ghana is aligned with the trends, citing examples of the growth in online transactions of businesses within the country.

Rev. Patricia Sappor, President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, also speaking at the event, observed that the banking industry maintained operations despite the impact of the Covid pandemic. She said, “By the grace and mercies of God, we have been able to move on and made even bigger strides by being strong, solvent and profitable, as revealed by the KPMG Banking Sector Development Report for July 2021.”

Village Capital Adaptation SME Accelerator Project (ASAP)

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Village Capital, under the Adaptation SME Accelerator Project (ASAP), an initiative supported by the Lightsmith Group, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and Conservation International, will help 16 African and Asian SMEs and startups scale market-based and contextualized solutions to crucial climate adaption and resilience issues.

Application Deadline: January 31, 2022.

About The Program

SMEs and startups will participate in a one-week intensive virtual training program that will support companies that are aimed at impact (that is, measurable, contextualized, and with clear solutions to identified problems), inclusion (entrepreneurs with deep experience with the problems they seek to address), and profit-oriented (that is, companies that are profitable) (sustainable, scalable startups that can drive positive financial and social return).

Program Eligibility

Be an SME or startup in a developing country in Africa or Asia developing or providing products and/or services (ideally technology-enabled) that improve target users’ resilience to climate change impacts by either –

  1. Strengthening users’ ability to understand and respond to physical climate risks – either chronic or acute – and related impacts, as well as capture related opportunities, to address systemic barriers to adaptation.
  2. Preventing or minimising physical climate risk, whether chronic or acute, and/or any negative consequences for assets, economic activities, people, or the environment.

Climate resilience and adaptation solutions offer should aim to be as minimally carbon-intensive as possible. Examples include (but are not limited to):

  • Agriculture
  • Transportation, logistics, Infrastucture
  • Water
  • Energy
  • Health
  • Climate Risk Analytics and Risk Management

Program Timeline

  • Applications Open: December 7, 2021
  • Applications Close: January 31, 2022
  • Cohort Announcement: March 25, 2022
  • Orientation Webinar: April 1, 2022
  • Preparation for Accelerator Program: April 2-16, 2022
  • Accelerator Program: April 18-22, 2022

Please note that the deadline for applications is January 31, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST. We will not be able to grant any additional extensions.

For more information;

Visit The Official Page of Village Capital 

Apply for The Village Capital Adaptation SME Accelerator Project (ASAP) Here

Design Futures Lab 2022

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Design Futures Lab 2022

Do you have a sustainable fashion story you want to tell in an immersive digital format?

Electric South, Twyg, and Crossover Labs are thrilled to extend an invitation to creative technologists and digital storytellers to apply for the Design Fellowship Futures Lab 2022.

Application Deadline: 31 January 2022

About The Lab

 

South African content artists will get the opportunity to develop innovative, provocative, and immersive digital narratives around sustainable fashion and design as part of this creative economy project, which is supported by the British Council #SouthernAfricaArts. These stories will help to develop kinder, more environmentally friendly futures.

  • We’re seeking 9 teams of two artists to compete (18 artists in total)
  • The chosen candidates will be guided and mentored in the use of innovative immersive digital technologies and sustainable fashion methods
  • A grant of R75,000 will be given to each team to help them develop their digital prototype/proof of concept concepts
  • A sustainable fashion workshop and a digital lab will be included in the programme, challenging successful candidates to explore and enhance their digital production talents in XR (extended reality)
  • The lab will provide access to new markets for sustaining lifestyles by utilizing new creative technologies and software, international distribution channels, and exhibition platforms.

Our Aims

  • Bringing education, experimentation, exploration, and play together to help young creatives bring their ideas to life in an immersive environment
  • Partner with local and worldwide experts, guest speakers, and market access professionals to create an environment that encourages inquiry, cooperation, and innovation among our participants
  • For participants based outside of Cape Town who attend the in-person Lab, the Design Futures program will pay all domestic transport, lodging, and meals.

Date

  • Virtually from 14 – 18 March 2022 (max. 2hrs/day).
  • In-person from 23 – 25 March 2022  in Cape Town (full-time).
  • Market access feedback will take place virtually from June – November 2022.

Eligibility:

  • Be 18 years or older.
  • Pair submission, with one concept (two creatives per concept).
  • Be citizens or permanent residents of South Africa.
  • Lives in South Africa currently and able to travel on the days required.
  • Experience in a creative technology field.

Application Requirements

Check the application form here 

Projects Ideas Must

  • Be a digital prototype/proof of concept with immersive and provocative narratives centered on themes of sustainable fashion practices across the full value chain (from soil to landfill) that address environmental, climate, and earth-friendly and regenerative solutions.
  • Utilise immersive technology like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). 360 cinema, volumetric capture, world-building, interactive worlds, avatar development, animation, artificial intelligence, projection mapping, hybrid forms, and more could all fall under this umbrella.

Important Dates To Note

  • 31 January 2022.

Please complete and submit this form by 11.59 pm SAST.

  • 18 February 2022.

All successful applicants will be notified.  

  • 14 – 18 March 2022.

The Design Future Lab will run virtually (max. 2 hrs/day).

  • 23 – 25 March 2022.

The Design Future Lab will run in person in Cape Town (full-time).

  • 31 May 2022.

Each team must have completed their digital prototype/proof of concept.

  • May – November 2022.

Market access feedback will run virtually.

  • All Coronavirus COVID-19 protocols will be adhered to throughout the Lab.

Have any Enquiries?

Please contact info@electricsouth.org and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Fill the Application form here.

For more information,

Visit the Official Page of Design Future Lab 2022

JSworld Conference Africa – Diversity Focus

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JSworld Conference Africa Event is organised by JSWORLD Conference – Frontend Love.

Date

Tue, Feb 8, 2022, 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM (WAT)

About The Conference

The event will pave the way for a more diverse JavaScript industry in the future. With 30 speakers from Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt, as well as 15,000 attendees, t his will be the first of a yearly African JavaScript Conference with the basic tenets on equality and opportunity.

It is a free online JavaScript conference that is in support of a more diverse and equal future, supported by companies prepared to invest.

You will be able to learn about JavaScript and Equal Career Opportunities if you attend the online event. This is a  conference organised by a group of committed businesses committed to a more egalitarian future. Bringing you African success stories on JavaScipt and career experience.

The Future of Javascript

JSworld conference Africa will take place online. With 30+ topics discussing the most important of 2022’s JavaScript. React.js, Vue, TypeScript, WebAssembly, Headless CMS, DevTools, Next.js, Jest, Svelte, and more!

  • Join 5,000 JavaScript enthusiasts for a full day of content to place you on an edge as a Frontend JavaScript Developer.
  • Learn & meet directly with JavaScript colleagues and speakers.

Our desire is to expand chances for a more diverse and equal tech workforce.

Register for JSworld Conference Here

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