Karim Begil launched his artificial intelligence startup InstaDeep in Tunisia in 2014 with just two computers and $2,000.
By 2023, the business was acquired by German research institute BioNTech for $700 million, making it an international operation.
“For the first time, I saw that a startup started in Africa with very limited resources could become a major international player,” said France, who co-founded the company with Zora Slim, a self-taught IT enthusiast from Tunisia. The CEO, who is of Tunisian descent, said: he told AFP.
He said it gives African youth “hope to be part of tomorrow's innovation and technology.”
InstaDeep specializes in decision-making artificial intelligence (AI) that helps businesses develop applications that optimize cost and efficiency.
The company says it has partnered with BioNTech, which developed one of the earliest coronavirus vaccines, to build a system that identifies dangerous variants “on average two months before they are reported.” He rose to fame in the midst of a pandemic. Data published in scientific journals.
InstaDeep has “put Tunisia and Africa on the map[with AI]showing that these kinds of stories are possible,” said 47, the company's current CEO, based in London. the old Beguil added.
“At the time, everyone laughed in my face when I said we were going to do things at the level of the big guys like Meta, Google, and DeepMind,” Beguir said of the initial launch.
In addition to research into personalized cancer vaccines with BioNTech, InstaDeep is also working on projects such as fully automating route guidance for German National Railways, improving operational management at Frankfurt Airport, and predicting cricket infestations in Africa.
The company claims to have sales of more than 10 million euros (approximately $11 million) and is “already profitable,” but did not want to reveal exact figures.
～From Tunis to Cape Town～
InstaDeep has grown from 60 employees in 2018 to 350 employees in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.
In addition to Tunis, Lagos, Cape Town and Kigali, we also have offices in London, Dubai, Paris, Berlin, Boston and San Francisco.
“Thanks to the movement we helped launch, African youth can look forward to participating in the innovations and technologies of tomorrow, especially the technology of our generation: AI,” Beguile said.
He said artificial intelligence presents opportunities for African economies to move beyond simply exporting fuels and minerals and into higher value-added activities.
“It's not enough to sell raw natural resources; we need to create more value-added products,” he said.
Beguir grew up in Tataouine, a city in southern Tunisia, and later studied in France and then the United States.
He went on to work in financial engineering for major US companies such as JP Morgan and Bank of America before starting his entrepreneurial journey in Africa.
– What is the future of AI? –
Senegalese teacher and AI researcher Seydina Ndiay, one of 38 experts selected by the United Nations to establish an AI think tank, said Africa needs to be more involved in AI development. If we don't, “the biggest threat is colonization by AI.”
Experts regularly point out gender and racial bias in models designed by big tech companies.
“If an application is developed by African youth for African communities, it is much less likely to be biased against African people than if it was developed in Silicon Valley or Asia,” InstaDeep's Beguir said. said.
When will we see other AI champions in Africa?
If obstacles such as freedom of movement for researchers across the continent can be resolved, Beguir predicts, “If we can successfully channel this living force to high levels of innovation, we could have 10 InstaDeeps within 10 years.” did.
“It may seem crazy, but for young Africans with technology skills, it is sometimes easier to come and work in France than to go to other African countries,” he warned.
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