Moroccan startup ToumAI is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) to enhance customer experience, through a holistic approach.
Founded in 2021 in Morocco by Imade Benelallam, Odin Demassieux, and Youcef Rahmani, ToumAI is redefining CX by addressing the challenges of multilingual, cultural, generational preferences and emotional complexity. Its AI-first solutions, under the HolistiCX suite, leverage a unique Compound AI architecture that optimises performance with minimal computational requirements.
By combining large open-source models with tailored proprietary models, ToumAI enhances voice-driven applications, improves IVR systems, and enables advanced churn detection.
Its business model offers scalable APIs that can integrate data across departments for actionable insights to improve global customer relations, ensuring every touchpoint resonates on a personal level.
“We help businesses in multicultural and multilingual environments unlock actionable insights from customer interactions, combining advanced analytics with voice solutions. Our proprietary multilingual voice technologies, specifically tailored for African languages, enable enterprises to not only gain insights but also improve customer engagement through voice interfaces, IVR systems, and customer service automation,” Demassieux said.
ToumAI was founded after the team identified a “significant gap” in the market for customer experience solutions that address the unique challenges of multilingual and multicultural environments, especially in emerging markets like Africa.
“Traditional solutions often struggle to handle the diversity of languages and cultural nuances, particularly in regions with multiple languages and dialects. Additionally, there is a lack of integrated solutions that combine both customer insights and voice capabilities,” said Demassieux.
“Our main competition comes from other AI-driven CX providers, but we set ourselves apart by focusing on underrepresented languages and offering tailored solutions that blend analytics and voice. While we don’t build foundational models, we focus on application layers, which differentiates us from existing LLM providers, even as they pursue AI agents. Enterprises still require a layer of fine-tuning and an understanding of local nuances to make AI truly effective for their specific markets.”
Uptake has been strong, with significant demand from both current customers, such as Orange and Attijariwafa Bank, who are “asking for more”, and new clients who are eager to adopt ToumAI’s solutions.
Bootstrapped from launch, relying on paid POCs with large enterprises, the startup recently secured US$1 million in funding from the likes of Launch Africa Ventures, Madica, Orange Ventures, Digital Africa, GO Ventures, and business angel Bruno Akpaka, with support from BPI France.
“This funding will enable us to scale our operations and further develop our proprietary technology,” Demassieux said.
Currently, ToumAI operates in Morocco, Senegal, and Malta, with ongoing discussions in Tunisia.
“Our expansion plans include increasing our footprint across Africa and extending our reach to other emerging markets globally. We are also looking to explore opportunities in Europe and the Middle East, particularly focusing on regions with complex multilingual and multicultural customer bases,” said Demassieux.
“These regions, with their complex linguistic and cultural landscapes, are key to our mission of delivering seamless customer experiences in diverse environments worldwide.”
ToumAI generates revenue primarily through a SaaS-based model with a tiered pricing structure, where businesses pay based on the volume of customer interactions processed and the features used.
“We are also seeing interest from distributors, including large cloud contact centers, who are eager to integrate our APIs into their solutions. We’re in the early stages of commercialisation, with significant progress in securing key partnerships and closing deals. Our first year will focus on scaling operations and expanding our customer base, targeting both SMEs and large enterprises,” Demassieux said.
