InstaDeep
{{Short description|Tunisian artificial intelligence company}}
InstaDeep is a Tunisian startup specializing in artificial intelligence, founded in 2014 by Karim Beguir and Zohra Slim.{{Cite web |date=17 January 2023 |title=BioNtech annonce l'acquisition de la start-up InstaDeep, spécialisée dans l'IA décisionnelle |url=https://www.actuia.com/actualite/biontech-annonce-lacquisition-de-la-start-up-instadeep-specialisee-dans-lia-decisionnelle/ |website=Actu IA |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=25 January 2022 |title=InstaDeep, la startup tunisienne qui lève 100 millions de dollars |url=https://www.tuniscope.com/article/323518/start-up/business/instadeep-004012 |archive-date= |website=Tuniscope |language=fr}} It is based in London and is a subsidiary of BioNTech.
The company is particularly known for developing an early warning system for detecting COVID-19 variants.{{Cite web |date= 10 February 2022|title=InstaDeep, la start-up tunisienne qui a séduit BioNTech et Google |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2022/02/10/instadeep-la-start-up-tunisienne-qui-a-seduit-biontech-et-google_6113114_3212.html |archive-date= |access-date= |website=Le Monde |language=fr}}
History
InstaDeep was founded in 2014 by Karim Beguir, a polytechnic engineer with a degree in applied mathematics from New York University, and Zohra Slim, a technology enthusiast and former director of a digital communication agency. The company focuses on developing artificial intelligence driven solutions.{{Cite web |title=Start-up : Instadeep, l'intelligence artificielle " made in Tunisia " |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1104408/economie-entreprises/instadeep-lintelligence-artificielle-au-service-des-vaccins/ |website=Jeune Afrique |language=fr}}
In 2019, InstaDeep raised $7 million in a Series A funding round from AfricInvest and Effort Catalyseur.
{{asof|2024}} the company had offices in London, Paris, Tunis, Lagos, Dubai, Berlin, Boston, Cape Town, San Francisco, and Kigali.{{Cite web |title=L'odyssée exceptionnelle d'InstaDeep tissée par le Tunisien Karim Beguir |url=https://africanmanager.com/lodyssee-exceptionnelle-dinstadeep-tissee-par-le-tunisien-karim-beguir/ |website=African Manager|date=21 April 2024 |language=fr}}
In April 2021, InstaDeep became an official NVIDIA supplier, recognized for its expertise in GPU-based AI solutions.{{Cite web |title=InstaDeep, 6ème entreprise dans le monde à devenir partenaire d'Élite avec Nvidia |url=https://managers.tn/2021/04/23/instadeep-6eme-entreprise-dans-le-monde-a-devenir-partenaire-delite-avec-nvidia/ |website=Managers|date=23 April 2021 |language=fr}}
In August 2022, in partnership with Google and the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, InstaDeep organized "AI Hack Tunisia", the largest artificial intelligence and machine learning hackathon in the MENA region.{{Cite web |title=AI Hack Tunisia 2022 : InstaDeep organise en partenariat avec Google, le plus grand Hackathon de machine learning de la région MENA |url=https://www.entreprises-magazine.com/ai-hack-tunisia-2022-instadeep-organise-en-partenariat-avec-google-le-plus-grand-hackathon-de-machine-learning-de-la-region-mena/ |website=Entreprises Magazine|date=29 August 2022 |language=fr}}
In January 2023, BioNTech acquired InstaDeep for €636 million.{{Cite web |title=IA: comment la pépite européenne InstaDeep séduit les entreprises |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/ia-comment-la-pepite-europeenne-instadeep-seduit-les-entreprises-20230504 |website=Le Figaro|date=4 May 2023 |language=fr}}{{Cite journal |title=BioNTech mise sur l'IA avec InstaDeep |url=https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/biontech-mise-sur-l-ia-avec-instadeep.N2085241 |website=Usine Nouvelle|date=11 January 2023 |last1=Nouvelle |first1=L'Usine |language=fr}}
In September 2023, InstaDeep and Gomycode launched an artificial intelligence school in Tataouine, Tunisia, aimed at training young professionals in AI technologies.{{Cite web |title=Tunisie : les startups Gomycode et InstaDeep s'associent pour ouvrir une école d'intelligence artificielle à Tataouine |url=https://africa-news-agency.com/tunisie-les-startups-gomycode-et-instadeep-sassocient-pour-ouvrir-une-ecole-dintelligence-artificielle-a-tataouine/ |website=Africa News Agency|date=20 September 2023 |language=fr}}
On June 18, 2024, InstaDeep and Syngenta announced a collaboration in the agricultural sector.{{Cite web |title=Karim Beguir d'InstaDeep se lance dans l'IA pour l'agriculture |url=https://africanmanager.com/karim-beguir-dinstadeep-se-lance-dans-lia-pour-lagriculture/ |website=African Manager|date=30 June 2024 |language=fr}}
In September 2024, in partnership with Google, InstaDeep launched a new version of its chip design platform.{{Cite web |title=Puces électroniques : le coup de pouce d'InstaDeep à la filière mondiale |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1608711/economie-entreprises/puces-electroniques-le-coup-de-pouce-dinstadeep-a-la-filiere-mondiale/ |website=Jeune Afrique |language=fr}}
Partnerships
InstaDeep collaborates with several leading companies and research institutions, including Google DeepMind, Nvidia, and the University of Oxford, to develop advanced artificial intelligence solutions.{{Cite web |title=InstaDeep: AI Innovation Born in Africa (A) |url=https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=62019 |website=hbs}}
References
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