Yamify, a Democratic Republic of Congo-based startup, has secured $100,000 in pre-seed funding to develop artificial intelligence infrastructure tailored for African developers. The company received backing from Felix Anane, who previously invested in payment processor Paystack.
The funding will support the launch of Yamify’s Managed Cloud Prototypes feature, which allows users to describe desired AI tools through a chat interface and receive instant deployment. The startup plans to raise an additional $100,000 to complete its funding round.
Addressing Infrastructure Gaps
Founder Luc Okalobé, a former cloud engineer at TikTok and Salesforce with 15 years of experience, identified a disconnect between existing cloud AI services and African market needs. Current solutions typically target enterprise teams in developed markets, require dollar-denominated payments, and assume access to specialized technical staff.
Yamify operates as a comprehensive platform where freelancers, startups, and agencies can access AI tools including chatbots, automation systems, video generators, and language models. The company maintains GPU-powered server clusters in Nigeria, Congo, and South Africa, with global cloud providers serving as backup infrastructure.
“Africa should not wait to be included in the AI wave – we should build it. At Yamify, we believe in community-led AI infrastructure made for Africa and the world” ~ Luc Okalobé, founder & CEO Yamify.
Local Payment Integration
Rather than requiring expensive monthly software licenses, Yamify enables users to run open-source AI tools while paying in local currencies including Nigerian naira, M-Pesa, and MTN MoMo. Individual plans begin at $15 monthly, while agencies pay $500 annually, with free testing tiers available.
The company’s cost advantages stem from automated workload management and cloud optimization expertise. Unlike major hyperscale providers, Yamify automatically detects and shuts down idle computing resources. “Hyperscalers don’t turn things off for you. We do” Okalobé stated.
Market Strategy and Competition
Yamify competes against established players including Lambda, CoreWeave, and major cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. However, the company pursues a grassroots approach, engaging with hackathons, developer communities, and universities rather than pursuing enterprise sales.
“We go after people who don’t know AWS exists. We help them launch their first chatbot or automation and grow with them” ~ Luc Okalobé, founder & CEO Yamify.
The startup joins other African AI infrastructure companies, including Y Combinator-backed Cerebrium, which has raised $8.5 million for enterprise model training platforms. While Cerebrium focuses on scalable training solutions, Yamify emphasizes developer accessibility and community engagement.
Growth Trajectory
Since entering private beta in July, Yamify has attracted developers, financial technology companies, and web agencies across Lagos, Kinshasa, Brazzaville, and Johannesburg. The platform currently has over 1,500 developers and startups on its waitlist, including Y Combinator 2023 participant Vaultpay.io.
The company targets 100,000 users within six months and aims to achieve $1 million in annual recurring revenue. However, Okalobé measures success beyond financial metrics.
“If developers are telling others, Yamify helped me launch this, then we’ve already won” ~ Luc Okalobé, founder & CEO Yamify.