# Top 23 AI Startups in South Africa by Funding (2026)

> The 23 best-funded AI startups in South Africa, ranked by total funding raised: $969M combined. With founding year, headquarters and each company's rounds.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-south-africa (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

- 1 [**Perk**](https://millionrounds.com/company/perk) *Founded* 2003 South Africa **$500M** last round Jun 2026
- 2 [**Nile**](https://millionrounds.com/company/nile) *Founded* - South Africa **$198M** last round Jun 2025
- 3 [**Cassava Technologies** Cassava Technologies is an information technology company.](https://millionrounds.com/company/cassava-technologies) Cassava Technologies is an information technology company. *Founded* 2021 London, South Africa **$90M** last round Oct 2025
- 4 [**Lula** Lula is a prominent South African fintech company focused on enhancing business banking and funding for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).](https://millionrounds.com/company/lula) Lula is a prominent South African fintech company focused on enhancing business banking and funding for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). *Founded* 2014 Cape Town, South Africa **$85M** last round Feb 2026
- 5 [**HealthLeap** Solving disease-related malnutrition with a mobile clinical assistant for healthcare professionals.](https://millionrounds.com/company/healthleap) Solving disease-related malnutrition with a mobile clinical assistant for healthcare professionals. *Founded* 2021 San Francisco, South Africa **$38M** last round Oct 2026
- 6 [**The Invigilator**](https://millionrounds.com/company/the-invigilator) *Founded* - South Africa **$11M** last round Sept 2025
- 7 [**Cerebrium** Cerebrium is a modern data and AI platform for your business that doesn't require an entire data team.](https://millionrounds.com/company/cerebrium) Cerebrium is a modern data and AI platform for your business that doesn't require an entire data team. *Founded* 2021 London, South Africa **$8.5M** last round Jul 2025
- 8 [**Insight Terra** Insight Terra is a platform that helps in real-time monitoring and risk management of mine tailings and water.](https://millionrounds.com/company/insight-terra) Insight Terra is a platform that helps in real-time monitoring and risk management of mine tailings and water. *Founded* 2021 London, South Africa **$5.7M** last round Jan 2025
- 9 [**AI Diagnostics** AI Diagnostics Pty.](https://millionrounds.com/company/ai-diagnostics) AI Diagnostics Pty. *Founded* 2020 Cape Town, South Africa **$5.2M** last round Apr 2026
- 10 [**Cue**](https://millionrounds.com/company/cue) *Founded* - South Africa **$5.0M** last round Jul 2026
- 11 [**Refiant AI**](https://millionrounds.com/company/refiant-ai) *Founded* - South Africa **$5.0M** last round Apr 2026
- 12 [**Locstat** Locstat is a South African artificial intelligence startup founded in 2016 and based in Cape Town.](https://millionrounds.com/company/locstat) Locstat is a South African artificial intelligence startup founded in 2016 and based in Cape Town. *Founded* 2016 Cape Town, South Africa **$2.9M** last round Oct 2025
- 13 [**Shiprazor** Shiprazor is a logistics technology company based in Cape Town, South Africa, founded in 2022 by Sahil Affriya.](https://millionrounds.com/company/shiprazor) Shiprazor is a logistics technology company based in Cape Town, South Africa, founded in 2022 by Sahil Affriya. *Founded* 2022 Cape Town, South Africa **$2.6M** last round May 2026
- 14 [**Lelapa AI** Lelapa AI is a Johannesburg-based artificial intelligence research and product lab founded in December 2022 by Pelonomi Moiloa and Jade Abbott.](https://millionrounds.com/company/lelapa-ai) Lelapa AI is a Johannesburg-based artificial intelligence research and product lab founded in December 2022 by Pelonomi Moiloa and Jade Abbott. *Founded* - Johannesburg, South Africa **$2.6M** last round Apr 2022
- 15 [**Open Access Energy** Open Access Energy provides energy management software.](https://millionrounds.com/company/open-access-energy) Open Access Energy provides energy management software. *Founded* 2021 Cape Town, South Africa **$1.8M** last round Jun 2025
- 16 [**The Awareness Company** The Awareness Company uses data to tell stories that are useful to humans.](https://millionrounds.com/company/the-awareness-company) The Awareness Company uses data to tell stories that are useful to humans. *Founded* 2018 South Africa **$1.6M** last round Jan 2025
- 17 [**Xineoh** Predicting consumer behaviour with AI.](https://millionrounds.com/company/xineoh) Predicting consumer behaviour with AI. *Founded* 2015 Sandton, South Africa **$1.5M** last round Feb 2019
- 18 [**VitruvianMD** VitruvianMD is a South African MedTech company based in Johannesburg, founded in 2020.](https://millionrounds.com/company/vitruvianmd) VitruvianMD is a South African MedTech company based in Johannesburg, founded in 2020. *Founded* 2020 Johannesburg, South Africa **$1.3M** last round Aug 2023
- 19 [**Verascient**](https://millionrounds.com/company/verascient) *Founded* - South Africa **$1.2M** last round Aug 2026
- 20 [**HyperDev**](https://millionrounds.com/company/hyperdev) *Founded* - South Africa **$1.0M** last round Jul 2026
- 21 [**NOSIBLE** Nosible is the creator of a search engine that helps investors find appropriate investment ideas.](https://millionrounds.com/company/nosible) Nosible is the creator of a search engine that helps investors find appropriate investment ideas. *Founded* 2020 South Africa **$1.0M** last round Mar 2025
- 22 [**Trade Shield** Trade Shield is a South African predictive SaaS platform specializing in trade credit risk management.](https://millionrounds.com/company/trade-shield) Trade Shield is a South African predictive SaaS platform specializing in trade credit risk management. *Founded* - Sandton, South Africa **$820K** last round Mar 2025
- 23 [**Tennsa**](https://millionrounds.com/company/tennsa) *Founded* - South Africa **$61K** last round Aug 2026

**Total funding** how the list is ranked

**15 November 2026** updated nightly

**Rounds we track** source: Millionrounds

Companies whose funding rounds we classed in this sector, ranked by the total they have raised in rounds we hold. Nobody pays to be on a list.

## Who backed them?

Open any company for its rounds and investors, or search the investors who back AI startups in South Africa in the app, with filters, lists and exports.

[Find their investors](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=/app/investors)[All top lists](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists)

## More ai lists

[See all](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists?t=AI)

[*O* *A* *X* **AI startups in the United States** 5,656 companies · $718B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-united-states)[*O* *A* *B* **AI startups that raised in 2026** 2,922 companies · $540B in 2026](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-raised-2026)[*MA* *N* *NG* **AI startups in Europe** 2,502 companies · $66B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-europe)[*O* *A* *W* **AI startups in the United States that raised in 2026** 1,648 companies · $431B in 2026](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-united-states-raised-2026)[*O* *D* *TM* **AI startups in San Francisco** 1,276 companies · $321B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-san-francisco)[*MA* *MA* *M* **AI startups founded in 2023** 956 companies · $47B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-founded-2023)[*H* *IL* *SB* **AI startups founded in 2021** 757 companies · $23B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-founded-2021)[*H* *F* *S* **AI startups founded in 2020** 656 companies · $14B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-founded-2020)

## More lists for South Africa

[See all](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists?r=South%20Africa)

[*P* *TG* *AC* **Startups in South Africa** 140 companies · $2.8B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/startups-south-africa)[*TG* *Y* *J* **Fintech startups in South Africa** 26 companies · $702M](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/fintech-startups-south-africa)[*F* *CT* *TD* **Big Data & Analytics startups in South Africa** 11 companies · $318M](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/big-data-startups-south-africa)[*A* *W* *S* **IT Services startups in South Africa** 11 companies · $11M](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/it-services-startups-south-africa)[*TT* *PP* *S* **E-commerce startups in South Africa** 10 companies · $135M](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ecommerce-startups-south-africa)