Ocular AI, a Zimbabwean AI startup that lets teams within organizations search, visualize, and automate workflows on a single platform, has been selected for Y Combinator’s winter 2024 batch. Ocular AI is the third African startup in this year’s winter batch after Cleva, the cross-border payment service, and Miden, the API-fintech provider. 

Founded in 2024 by Microsoft and Google ex-employees Michael Moyo and Louis Murerwa, Ocular AI was born from their firsthand experience after struggling with information scattered across many SaaS tools. The AI startup connects a company’s data from many apps, making finding and using information quickly easy. 

It is the first Zimbabwean startup to be admitted into Y Combinator. 

“We are very excited to be walking in the footsteps of giants like Stripe, Airbnb, DoorDash, OpenAI, to mention a few,” Murerwa said in a LinkedIn post.

YC’s selection of Ocular AI is its first Artificial intelligence investment on the continent and signifies an important moment for AI in Africa. While YC has invested in AI startups globally this batch, Ocular AI is an opportunity to unlock the potential of AI in Africa. The startup serves organizations across various sectors, addressing a universal challenge of information accessibility and streamlining workflows.

The AI startup joins a prestigious alumni network, gaining access to Y Combinator’s renowned mentorship, funding, and global network. YC’s selection will enable the startup to scale its innovative solution and empower teams across Africa.