The past couple of years have seen the global tech ecosystem scale immensely. The recent rollout of AI and machine learning innovations has bolstered the trajectory of the tech industry across the globe. It’s unsurprising that artificial intelligence has become an everyday topic in tech conversations.
While the development and integration of artificial intelligence systems are heavily focused in North America and Europe, Africa is doing its best to keep up as the world sprints forward with new technology. Several startups on the continent are developing innovative solutions that incorporate AI models to improve the livelihoods of Africans.
We have identified 12 startup companies leading the AI revolution in North Africa. Check them out!
Synapse Analytics
Year Founded: 2018
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Synapse Analytics is a B2B IT company implementing artificial intelligence solutions for other organizations. The company helps its clients to leverage data, machine learning, and AI models to improve their workflows and deliver better products/services to their customers.
Synapse Analytics provides a full suite of solutions tailored to help entire organizations become more AI-driven. Primarily, it uses descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics to create operational roadmaps for organizations.
The company currently has three primary products; Konan, Doxter, and Azkavision. Each of these products is built with AI algorithms to provide specific services to companies in different industries, particularly, in the areas of finances, identity management, and facility or property security.
Synapse Analytics has grown by leaps since it commenced operations in 2018. The company has helped several organizations implement advanced data analytics and nascent technology to scale their operations. As a result, it has built quite a reputation serving clients in the retail, health, banking, consumer lending, and SME lending sectors among others.
Intixel
Year Founded: 2018
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Intixel is a health tech company harnessing artificial intelligence to enhance medical diagnostic services. Intixel develops AI-Powered modules for medical image analysis and quantification. It empowers radiologists with a trained and automated second-eye option to improve their efficiency.
Intixel offers three main products focused on identifying and classifying growths in specific parts of the body. The products aptly named AIRABreast, AIRAChest, and AIRACoronary are designed to help radiologists examine and interpret tissue composition in the named body parts more accurately.
Intixel services include Cardiac MRI Segmentation, FFDM Tumor Localization, and Skin Cancer Detection. The company has a team of artificial intelligence experts, engineers, computer scientists, and medical imaging experts, all working together to create advanced solutions for fighting cancer and other chronic conditions.
DevisionX
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Cairo, Egypt
DevisionX is a digital solutions company that helps businesses integrate artificial intelligence and computer vision in their services. The company provides a consolidated platform where organizations can label, train, and deploy custom AI-vision applications without writing a single line of code.
DevisionX’s primary product, Tuba AI, is a digital infrastructure designed to help companies develop customized AI Vision end applications such as robots for quality inspection and smart surveillance systems.
DevisionX aims to put the power of AI in the hands of regular industry players, helping them solve everyday challenges for consumers and accelerate digital transformation in Africa.
Deepera.AI
Year Founded: 2018
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Deepera.AI is an IT company developing smart solutions for investors and stock traders. It provides cutting-edge technology incorporating artificial intelligence to make routine financial tasks and investment decisions easier.
Deepera’s flagship product is an intelligent advisor for financial investors. It combines technical analysis with artificial intelligence models to determine the best buying and selling opportunities in the market. Essentially it provides data-backed insights and strategies for navigating the financial markets.
In addition to the intelligent advisory tool, Deepera’s comprehensive artificial intelligence-based software features other products such as a stock exchange management tool, market information tracker, portfolio and asset manager, and other functionalities that help brokers dealers, portfolio managers, and other market players formulate smart trading strategies.
Deepera is driving impact in the securities trading industry by providing advice and information for ambitious and connected investors, helping them hit their targets.
Dileny Tech
Year Founded: 2018
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Recently acquired by Astute Imaging, Dileny Technology deploys futuristic solutions to improve the quality of healthcare accessible to average Africans. The company develops AI and medical imaging systems for improved medical diagnoses and accurate treatment administration by health practitioners.
DilenyTech provides a suite of online and offline solutions incorporating AI models that help to improve accuracy in health diagnosis. Its products are designed for advanced risk assessments, analysis, and structured reporting of medical health diagnoses involving the breasts, skin, and cardiovascular body systems.
DilenyTech’s solution also features a cloud-based AI viewer which facilitates accurate data exchange between patients and health practitioners anywhere anytime. The solution also enables longitudinal tracking which helps to monitor patients’ progress over time.
DilenyTech primarily offers vendor-independent and standardized medical imaging solutions to African societies where advanced medical facilities are not easily accessible. The company operates with a team of medical and scientific professionals, all putting their vast experiences to good use and building better health for Africans.
MerQ
Year Founded: 2018
Location: Ismailia, Egypt
MerQ is a tech company that provides advanced communications and customer relationship management systems for financial organizations. It deploys AI-powered interactive programs for clients, enabling them to better serve their customers and respond to feedback complaints efficiently.
MerQ operates an enterprise virtual assistant platform composed of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots. These solutions are designed to bridge the gap between financial institutions and their clients. They are essentially customer service agents that provide answers to customers’ finance-related questions.
MerQ’s highlight solution involves four bots; Sally, a Credit Card Assistant, Sara, a Loan Assistant, LaRa an E-wallet Assistant, and Nancy an Account Assistant. Each of these bots is programmed to answer questions on subjects that align with their roles.
With the aid of MerQ’s solutions, several financial organizations have developed systems to provide better virtual assistance services to their customers. In the same vein, end customers now have access to consolidated financial literacy at their fingertips.
WideBot
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Cairo, Egypt
WideBot is a B2B CRM solutions provider that helps organizations create personalized and engaging experiences for their customers using smart and advanced tools. The company owns a digital infrastructure where organizations customize AI-powered chatbots.
Widebot’s platform allows users to build bots either from scratch or using a template without needing to write a single line of code. It incorporates AI to increase the chatbots’ ranges and make them closely mimic human communication patterns
WideBot also offers full-fledged services including data training, tailoring, optimization, and maintenance. However, its solutions are primarily focused in the Arabic-speaking regions of the MENA.
Nevertheless, WideBot is a leader in the chatbot market having over 10,000 chatbots serving numerous organizations, enterprises, and government setups within and outside Africa.
Business & AI
Year Founded: 2020
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Business & AI is a technological innovator harnessing artificial intelligence to help other companies make better decisions and improve their operational processes. It partners with financial institutions and automobile manufacturers to implement innovative AI projects.
The company deploys cutting-edge AI-powered decision-making solutions to help its clients stay ahead in their industries. Using AI to augment human intelligence, Business & AI aims to help organizations surpass human limitations in their operations.
Business & AI’s flagship product, Context’AML, is an innovative solution that profiles the contextual and behavioural patterns of a bank’s customers’ financial activities. It enables the detection, analysis, and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing risks. But it’s just one of the many innovative solutions the company offers clients.
Business & AI aims to create a robust connection between enterprises and the latest scientific breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. It’s helping companies tackle complex business challenges in a cost-effective and non-intrusive manner.
Aphrie
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Aphrie is an IT company helping businesses harness futuristic technology to improve their operational efficiency. It uses AI to develop products for clients to translate their innovative ideas into viable solutions to serve their customers.
Aphrie initially offered its services to manufacturers and assemblers in the automotive industry, helping them provide better and safer driving experiences for their customers. However, the company has since diversified into providing futuristic solutions for other organizations. It now provides a suite of services including web development, mobile app solutions, quality control, as well as cloud and DevOps operations.
With a mission to transform the African digital landscape, Aphrie gives its best into helping clients build inspiring AI-driven systems.
Sygma.AI
Year Founded: 2021
Location: Casablanca, Morocco
Sygma.AI is a SaaS provider developing advanced digital solutions for vehicle insurers. The company deploys systems to assist vehicle insurance providers to quicken accident claim processes and resolve issues in way less time than usual.
The company operates Sygma AI, a fully automated end-to-end SaaS solution that provides accurate vehicle damage diagnostics and manages insurance claims. Clients can either incorporate Sygma API in their systems or use the AI photo capture app on the go. The AI visual framework captures, analyzes, and determines the extent of damages to vehicles and estimates the repair cost.
Sygma AI uses a multi-layered deep-learning algorithm that can analyze images from phone snaps or a fixed camera within seconds allowing it to determine the cost severity of an auto accident quickly and efficiently.
Sygma is helping insurance companies beat fraudulent claims, save valuable time used in damage and repair cost estimation, and increase operational efficiency. The company currently serves multiple ride services providers as well as car manufacturers and insurers in MENA
Affectiva
Year Founded: 2009
Location: Egypt
A pioneer in Emotion AI and Human Perception AI, Affectiva is focused on humanizing technology. It seeks to bridge the gap between humans and machines by creating smart systems that can recognize and categorize human expressions and emotions.
Affectiva’s flagship innovation, Emotion AI, incorporates deep machine learning and computer vision to detect human emotions, activities, and interactions. It then uses the data to determine complex cognitive states.
Affectiva primarily lends its technology to two industries; Media Analytics and Automotive industries. Affectiva offers its solutions to media and market research companies to help them better understand customers’ reactions and engagement with their outputs.
Auto manufacturers apply Affectiva’s solution for interior sensing functionalities to better understand what happens in their vehicles. That way, they can develop intelligent vehicles that will understand the state of their drivers and passengers.
Affectiva has grown tremendously within the past decade receiving top recognition as one of the most promising artificial intelligence-focused companies in the world. It was acquired by the Smart Eye group in 2021 and has since set on a new mission to create a transatlantic AI juggernaut.
PasHakeem
Year Founded: 2019
Location: Cairo, Egypt
PasHakeem is a health tech company providing integrated healthcare services for Africans. The company leverages AI to develop automated systems that enable users to access high-quality telemedicine services from anywhere at any time.
The startup operates a mobile-based digital infrastructure where users can access home-based healthcare services through online consultations, a symptoms checker, and an AI-assisted chatbot that helps patients with diagnostics and clinic booking.
PasHakeem supports accountable healthcare and enables efficient medical record-keeping for healthcare providers with its electronic database. The company is focused on contributing its part to the 3rd UN sustainable development goal i.e. Good Health and Well Being. Hence, it utilizes all the resources at its disposal to connect patients with doctors directly.
