Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries across the globe, from healthcare and finance to gaming and energy. In the midst of this transformation, one startup is leading the charge in developing innovative AI solutions that can revolutionize the way businesses operate: InstaDeep.

Founded in 2018, InstaDeep is a Tunisian-born, but London-based startup that specializes in AI and machine learning (ML) technologies. The company's mission is to help businesses leverage AI to achieve better outcomes, such as increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability. InstaDeep has already made significant strides in the AI space, partnering with major companies like NVIDIA, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure to develop cutting-edge AI solutions for businesses in various industries.

So, who are the founders behind InstaDeep, and how did they come together to create this groundbreaking startup? Let's take a closer look.

The Founders of InstaDeep

Karim Beguir and Zohra Slim co-founded InstaDeep in 2014 with the goal of revolutionizing the AI space through innovation and collaboration. Both Beguir and Slim have impressive backgrounds in AI and technology, which helped to lay the foundation for InstaDeep's success.

Karim Beguir: AI Innovator and Entrepreneur

Karim Beguir is a serial entrepreneur and AI innovator with a deep passion for using AI to solve real-world problems. Before co-founding InstaDeep, Beguir was the co-founder and CEO of the AI startup Groupe ADAM, which focused on developing AI solutions for the healthcare industry.

Beguir's expertise in AI extends beyond his work with startups. He is also a renowned AI researcher and has published numerous papers on topics such as deep learning and reinforcement learning. Additionally, Beguir is a frequent speaker at AI conferences around the world, where he shares his insights on the latest trends and developments in the AI space.

Zohra Slim: Technology Leader and Visionary

Zohra Slim is a technology leader and visionary who has spent her career working at the intersection of business and technology. Prior to co-founding InstaDeep, Slim worked as a technology consultant and project manager for various companies, where she developed her skills in project management, software development, and team leadership.

Slim's experience in business and technology has been invaluable in helping to shape InstaDeep's vision and strategy. As the company's COO, Slim oversees the day-to-day operations of the business and works closely with Beguir and the rest of the team to develop innovative AI solutions that can deliver real value to businesses.

How Karim Beguir and Zohra Slim Met

Beguir and Slim first met in 2011 when they were both pursuing their PhDs in computer science at Sorbonne University in Paris, France. They quickly realized that they shared a passion for AI and a vision for how AI could transform the world.

After completing their PhDs, Beguir and Slim went on to pursue separate careers in AI and technology. However, they stayed in touch over the years and continued to collaborate on various AI projects. In 2018, they decided to join forces and co-found InstaDeep, with the goal of bringing their collective expertise in AI and technology to bear on the world's most pressing problems.

Since its founding, InstaDeep has grown rapidly and attracted significant funding from investors such as AfricInvest and Endeavor Catalyst. The company has also won numerous awards for its innovative AI solutions, including the NVIDIA Inception Award and the IBM Watson Build Challenge.

InstaDeep's Innovative AI Solutions

At its core, InstaDeep is a company that is focused on developing innovative AI solutions that can transform the way businesses operate. The company's AI solutions are designed to help businesses optimize their operations, improve their decision-making processes, and generate insights that can drive growth and profitability.

One of the key areas of focus for InstaDeep is in developing AI solutions for the healthcare industry. The company has developed several cutting-edge solutions that are designed to help healthcare providers deliver more personalized and effective care to their patients. For example, InstaDeep has developed AI-powered predictive models that can help doctors predict patient outcomes more accurately and identify patients who are at high risk of developing certain conditions.

Another area of focus for InstaDeep is in developing AI solutions for the finance industry. The company has developed several solutions that are designed to help financial institutions better understand market trends, optimize their investment strategies, and detect fraud more effectively. For example, InstaDeep has developed AI-powered models that can analyze vast amounts of financial data to identify patterns and make predictions about future market movements.

In addition to healthcare and finance, InstaDeep has also developed AI solutions for a range of other industries, including manufacturing, energy, and logistics. The company's solutions are designed to help businesses optimize their operations, reduce costs, and improve their overall performance.

One of the unique aspects of InstaDeep's AI solutions is their ability to generate synthetic data. Synthetic data is data that is generated by an AI algorithm rather than being collected from real-world sources. This can be particularly useful for businesses that are struggling to gather large amounts of high-quality data. By generating synthetic data, InstaDeep's solutions can help businesses train their AI models more efficiently and effectively.

How big is the problem that Instadeep is solving?

InstaDeep is solving the problem of developing and deploying AI and machine learning (ML) solutions that are effective, efficient, and scalable. AI and ML are rapidly becoming more important in many industries, from healthcare to finance to manufacturing. However, developing effective AI solutions can be challenging due to several factors, including the complexity of the data, the need for specialized expertise, and the time and resources required for training and deployment.

One of the biggest challenges in developing AI solutions is the lack of access to high-quality data. Data is the fuel that powers AI, but many organizations struggle to gather and process the large volumes of data required to build effective models. InstaDeep's solutions help address this challenge by using advanced algorithms to generate synthetic data that can be used to train models more efficiently. By reducing the amount of data required for training, InstaDeep's solutions can help organizations develop AI models more quickly and with less cost.

Another challenge in developing AI solutions is the need for specialized expertise. AI and ML require a deep understanding of complex mathematical concepts and programming languages, which can be difficult for many organizations to access. InstaDeep's solutions help address this challenge by providing pre-built AI models that can be customized and deployed quickly, without the need for extensive technical expertise.

Finally, deploying AI solutions at scale can be challenging due to the need for specialized infrastructure and the complexity of managing large volumes of data. InstaDeep's solutions help address this challenge by providing cloud-based AI platforms that can be easily scaled up or down depending on the needs of the organization. This allows organizations to deploy AI solutions quickly and efficiently, without the need for extensive IT resources.

Overall, the problem that InstaDeep is solving is a significant one, given the growing importance of AI and ML in many industries. By providing innovative solutions that address the challenges of data access, technical expertise, and deployment, InstaDeep is helping organizations unlock the full potential of AI and achieve better outcomes for their businesses.

Here is a breakdown of the funding raised by InstaDeep:

Seed Funding Round: $7 million

InstaDeep's first funding round was a seed funding round that raised $7 million. The round was led by AfricInvest, a leading private equity firm in Africa, and also included participation from Endeavor Catalyst, a global co-investment fund. The funding was used to expand InstaDeep's operations and develop new AI solutions.

Series A Funding Round: $7 million

In November 2020, InstaDeep announced that it had raised $7 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Tunisian financial services group, AfricInvest, and also included participation from Endeavor Catalyst and other investors. The funding was used to accelerate the development of InstaDeep's AI solutions and expand the company's operations in Africa and Europe.

Series A Extension Funding Round: $10 million

In July 2021, InstaDeep announced that it had raised $10 million in a Series A extension funding round. The round was led by Obvious Ventures, a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, and also included participation from Endeavor Catalyst and other investors. The funding was used to further accelerate the development of InstaDeep's AI solutions and expand the company's operations globally.

Series B Funding Round: $100 million

In January 2022, Instadeep raised Africa’s first mega-round that year. This funding round was led by Alpha Intelligence Capital and CDIB. BioNTech (the company behind Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine), Chimera Abu Dhabi, Deutsche Bahn’s DB Digital Ventures, Google, G42 and Synergie were the other investors in this round.

In total, InstaDeep has raised $124 million in funding to date. The company's success in attracting significant funding from investors reflects the growing demand for innovative AI solutions that can help businesses achieve better outcomes, such as increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability.

Acquisition.

After investing in Instadeep’s $100 million Series B funding round, Germany-based pharmaceutical giant BioNTech announced a deal in January 2023 to acquire Instadeep for $680m in the largest exit ever by an African startup.

BioNTech will pay $432 million in cash and an undisclosed amount of BioNTech shares upfront. But the remaining $248 million will depend on how InstaDeep performs in the future.BioNTech wants to use Instadeep’s  machine learning to “improve its drug discovery process, including developing personalised treatments tailored to a patient’s cancer.”

Overall, InstaDeep's innovative AI solutions are helping businesses across a range of industries unlock the full potential of AI and drive growth and profitability. The company's focus on developing solutions that are customized to the needs of each industry and business is helping to set it apart from competitors and position it for continued success in the years to come.