Egyptian startup LyRise was formed to address a pressing global problem – the mismatch between the increasing demand for AI talent in developed markets, and the underutilisation of highly skilled professionals in emerging regions, particularly North Africa.
Launched in response to this gap, LyRise began by building a talent matcher platform that uses LLMs to understand job descriptions, and match them with top AI talent from a curated network of engineers in North Africa.
It then built “Plug-n-Hire”, a plug-and-play HR AI assistant that helps companies find, test, and hire tech talents. The startup, according to co-founder Mohamed Mostafa Hassan, combines a mission-driven approach with cutting-edge AI technology to bridge global talent shortages, while empowering overlooked, yet capable, professionals.
“Despite the exponential rise in global AI adoption, many companies, especially in North America and Europe, struggle to find affordable and qualified AI talent,” Hassan said. “Traditional hiring solutions are expensive, time-consuming, and often overlook highly capable professionals simply due to language or geographic barriers.”
LyRise identified this inefficiency and created a platform that unlocks top-tier AI talent from North Africa, connecting them with global opportunities.
“Unlike marketplaces like Toptal, Turing, or Andela, which primarily serve broader software engineering needs or are focused on larger, more mature talent networks, LyRise is purpose-built for AI-related hiring,” said Hassan.
The platform’s unique approach lies in combining AI agents to automate the hiring process with a curated network of elite AI engineers from underrepresented markets. This offers faster, more affordable, and more inclusive hiring, Hassan said.
LyRise has already facilitated dozens of AI hires and is actively used by companies in the US, UK, and Europe. Clients are typically SMEs and startups with AI budgets exceeding US$3,000 per month, per role. It sources talent primarily from Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, with plans to expand into the Gulf regions.
The startup is currently funded through a mix of investment, internal revenue, grants, and participation in prominent accelerator and venture programmes.
“These achievements signal both validation from global institutions and growing momentum in LyRise’s journey to scale impact and reach,” Hassan said.
LyRise makes money by charging a percentage-based commission on the monthly hiring budget of its clients.
“This model ensures alignment with client success and supports the company’s long-term scalability. It generates recurring revenue from its placements and is currently reinvesting in product development and agent infrastructure,” said Hassan.
