Africa’s deep-tech renaissance: bridging innovation and resilience

Africa is witnessing a transformative wave of scientific entrepreneurship, as deep-tech startups emerge to tackle challenges tailored to the continent's realities. While digital apps have dominated much of the innovation landscape, a growing number of ventures are leveraging breakthroughs in science and engineering to address complex issues like renewable energy, supply chain integrity, and secure documentation.

Unlike traditional tech startups, deep-tech ventures demand significant time, capital, and infrastructure to reach market readiness. These companies delve into advanced materials, blockchain security, and robotics—fields requiring long-term investment but offering profound societal benefits. Although overall tech funding in Africa declined in 2023, investment in deep tech quietly gained traction, driven by its potential to solve problems beyond the scope of conventional digital solutions.

SensThings: redefining trust through “phygital” innovation

One standout example is SensThings, a spin-off from Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P). Co-founded by Hafid Griguer, Deputy Director of the Digital Innovation Center for Excellence, SensThings developed a patented “phygital” platform called T3 (Trust, Track, and Trace). This technology integrates physical documents with secure digital identities, addressing issues such as forgery, opaque supply chains, and unreliable digital systems.

“In Africa, a single power outage can paralyze fully digital systems,” Griguer explains. SensThings’ hybrid approach preserves the reliability of paper-based documents while embedding tamper-proof digital layers. For example, diplomas and certificates are enhanced with digital identities, making them verifiable through a simple scan without fully replacing physical copies.

This resilient innovation has proven essential in regions with unstable electricity and limited internet connectivity. By creating solutions adapted to these constraints, SensThings ensures uninterrupted functionality in challenging environments, setting a standard for sustainable technological development.

Scaling impact through university-driven support

SensThings’ journey from concept to commercialization relied heavily on UM6P Ventures, the university’s incubation and investment arm. The program provided access to research infrastructure, mentorship, and tailored business development support, including legal structuring, economic modeling, and fundraising strategies.

“The UM6P Ventures ecosystem enabled us to transform a research project into a robust commercial startup,” Griguer notes. This holistic support system accelerated SensThings’ growth, allowing it to achieve a valuation exceeding $10 million within months of its launch.

The platform’s impact has been demonstrated on a large scale, securing over 15 million exam documents and protecting the integrity of Morocco’s high-school diplomas. By embedding digital identities into physical records, SensThings ensures both anonymity and traceability, with blockchain technology guaranteeing tamper-proof security. Even during power or network outages, the paper component remains valid—an indispensable feature in Africa’s dynamic landscapes.

Local innovation, global recognition

SensThings’ innovative approach has garnered international acclaim, including a nomination for the prestigious World Summit Award in 2023. But for its founders, the true reward lies in its tangible social impact. By securing academic records, the platform empowers students to seize new opportunities, accelerates university admissions, and enhances institutions’ credibility on global stages.

Morocco’s Ministry of National Education has fully adopted SensThings’ solution for baccalaureate certificates, streamlining diploma verification and improving graduates’ access to jobs and education. Beyond academia, the technology is adaptable to other sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, offering applications in supply chain tracking, product authentication, and consumer engagement.

“Our rapid valuation demonstrates that socially impactful solutions can also deliver strong economic returns,” says Griguer. With profits reinvested into research and development, SensThings continues to innovate while keeping its solutions accessible to public institutions.

Lessons for Africa’s deep-tech ecosystem

SensThings exemplifies how African entrepreneurs can leverage local challenges as opportunities for innovation. By designing solutions that work with existing infrastructure rather than replacing it, deep-tech startups can ensure sustainability and accelerate adoption.

University-driven ecosystems like UM6P Ventures play a critical role in this transformation, bridging the gap between research and market. Their comprehensive support—from lab access to capital—has proven vital in turning ideas into impactful ventures.

Griguer envisions a future where Africa leads global innovation, particularly in areas where resilience and adaptability are key. “Africa is at a historic crossroads where science and entrepreneurship converge to create solutions born from our unique challenges,” he says. SensThings, with its groundbreaking technology and scalable model, serves as a beacon for aspiring innovators across the continent.