Egyptian artificial intelligence startup Widebot has raised US$3 million in pre-Series A funding to help it develop an Arabic large language model (LLM).
Originally founded in Cairo but now based out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Widebot is developing “AQL Mind,” a generative AI model designed specifically for the Arabic language. AQL Mind aims to understand a wide array of Arabic dialects and accents.
“AQL Mind will enable the company to deliver accurate, secure and personalised AI experiences to Saudi government entities and businesses,” said Mohammed Nabil, WideBot CEO and co-founder.
The round was led by Keheilan Asset Management II, backed by Saudi investment firm Wafra, and also featured participation from Enza Capital, DisrupTech Ventures, LoftyInc Capital, Den VC, and SparkLabs Ventures.
“We firmly believe that the future of economic development in the region hinges on supporting deep technology companies,” said Dr Ahmed Abdelhamid, CEO of Keheilan Asset Management. “The synergy between technical and financial efforts will reinforce national sovereignty over our technological infrastructure.”
