South African startup Black Beard, which builds innovative solutions for businesses using technology such as AI and robotics, has opened an office in Dublin, Ireland.
Launched two years ago, Black Beard builds solutions within existing markets by displacing earlier technology or business models for clients such as Anchor Capital, Outsurance, Investec and Discovery using tech such as IA, machine learning, and robotics.
The startup already has a presence in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, and has now opened a fourth office in Dublin which it said affirms it as a truly global player.
“Dublin is home to one of the world’s fastest growing tech scenes, and the country also houses the European headquarters for multinational companies such as Facebook, Twitter, eBay and Goldman Sachs,” said Wayne Zwiers, Black Beard chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder.
“We can now service our European partners out of Dublin, which is an attractive gateway to the European Union.”
The company has plans to establish an office in Eastern Europe later this year, and also announced it had landed business with one of the major South African banks which will see it partner with the bank to unlock value through its value-based technology delivery model.
“Although we started out as a technology company that built tech solutions for businesses, we are now building pioneering platforms that become businesses in their own right,” said Zwiers. “Our current focus is on building technology for markets whereby they cease to function in a regular manner – which is a scenario typically characterised by rapid market declines on a large scale.”
He said it was “incredibly exciting” to be operating in Dublin, with easy access to the European Union and beyond.
“Our work is pushing boundaries in Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, machine learning and robotics – and operating within key global tech hubs will enable us to build groundbreaking solutions for our partners,” he said.
