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Forensic intelligence for operators navigating emerging markets
Real numbers | Real trade-offs | Real consequences

Latest

The Cold Chain Mirage: Why $340M in Agritech Funding Evaporated in 36 Months

Jan 13, 2026

Until 2025, VCs sold the “Digitization of African Agriculture” dream. Instead, $340M evaporated as cold storage units failed under unreliable power, high diesel costs, and inaccessible maintenance. Then the shipping containers full of cold storage units started rotting in the sun. This issue of DUG Weekly breaks down why cold chain economics collapsed, how infrastructure assumptions killed margins, and why ignoring physics turned agritech’s biggest promise into its most expensive mistake.

The Venture Debt Trap: Why 73% of African Scale-Ups Defaulted in 24 Months

Jan 6, 2026

Venture debt was sold to African scale-ups as non-dilutive capital, a smarter alternative to down-rounds. Two years later, the results are brutal. This issue breaks down why 73% of African startups that raised USD venture debt defaulted within 24 months, why currency volatility quietly turns debt into a trap, and why interest rates were never the real cost. If you operate in emerging markets, this is the reality behind the pitch.

Why 40% of AI Projects Will Fail While Africa Builds Real Infrastructure

Dec 30, 2025

AI agents are everywhere right now, promising scale without people and efficiency without friction. But beneath the hype, cracks are forming fast. This issue of Data Under Glass explores why nearly 40% of agentic AI projects are set to fail, while African founders quietly win by building infrastructure that works under pressure. It’s a story about intelligence versus utility, automation versus resilience, and why real value still comes from solving hard, physical problems in chaotic markets.

The Infrastructure Arbitrage: Building Where Others Can't (Or Won't)

Dec 23, 2025

Infrastructure arbitrage is the quiet strategy behind today’s most defensible companies. While venture capital pushed asset-light models, the real winners are building warehouses, fleets, cold storage, energy systems, and physical networks in markets others avoid. This issue of Data Under Glass explains how infrastructure arbitrage creates durable moats, why owning the physical layer beats speed, and how founders in Africa and North America win by building where others can’t or won’t.

The Pivot Decision: When to Persevere vs. When to Change Course

Dec 16, 2025

The Pivot Decision: When to Persevere vs. When to Change Course examines one of the most dangerous choices founders face. Using real operator stories and data from Africa and global markets, this issue breaks down how to spot market indifference, avoid the sunk cost trap, and decide when perseverance builds leverage or when a pivot is the only path to survival before capital, team, and credibility run out.