Aya Data, a Ghana-based artificial intelligence (AI) consultancy startup, has raised $900,000 in a seed funding round to scale its operations and expand its product offerings. The round, a mix of debt and equity, brings the startup’s total funding to $1.15 million, following an earlier $300,000 pre-seed investment from Microtraction, Savannah Fund, and UK-based investors. The latest round was led by 54Collective, with participation from a group of angel investors.
Founded in 2021 by Freddie Monk and Ama Larbi-Siaw, Aya Data specializes in data annotation and collection services — key components in the development of AI models, such as large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini. The startup employs workers to label data, including images, videos, and text, which are crucial for training AI systems. Aya Data aims to transform this workforce by upskilling them for higher technical roles in data engineering and data science. Currently, the company employs 11 people across these specialized roles.
The new funding will allow Aya Data to focus on scaling two of its flagship products, AyaGrow and AyaSpeech. AyaGrow is a precision agriculture tool designed to help both commercial and smallholder farmers monitor crops and fields using AI, while AyaSpeech is an end-to-end speech-to-speech solution that enables communication in local African languages. The company plans to use the capital to hire new talent and enhance its capacity to serve clients globally and locally.
Aya Data is part of a growing ecosystem of AI startups — including Shaip, Sama, and iMerit — that support the development of AI systems by providing essential data services. As LLMs and other AI models require vast amounts of accurately labelled data, global technology companies like Meta and OpenAI increasingly outsource these tasks to firms in developing regions. Startups like Aya Data, operating in Ghana, India, and Kenya, offer cost-effective and scalable solutions by employing local workforces.
The competitive landscape for Aya Data extends beyond Ghana. In its consultancy business, the firm faces competition from established AI consultancies such as Brainpool.ai, Deeper Insights, and Faculty AI. These firms, while dominant in the global market, frequently outsource data collection and annotation to regions like West Africa. Aya Data’s edge lies in its control of the entire process locally, which the company argues improves both efficiency and quality.
“We control everything in Ghana, which allows us to deliver faster and more efficiently without the risk of involving third parties,” said Gillian Hammah, Aya Data’s Marketing and Strategy Officer.
Aya Data’s revenue for 2023 stood at $500,000, with a client roster that includes prestigious names like MIT, Unilever, Seedtag, and Labelbox. The company currently serves 20 active clients, a mix of global and African businesses, with ambitions to increase its presence in the local market. “The majority of our work has been with global clients, but we are increasingly focused on helping African businesses leverage AI to increase their competitiveness,” said co-founder Ama Larbi-Siaw.
Looking ahead, Aya Data has set ambitious targets. The startup plans to train 1,000 data annotators, engineers, and data scientists over the coming months, underscoring its commitment to building a robust local talent pipeline. “Ultimately, we aim to enable as many businesses and people as possible to benefit from AI, while ensuring that the ability to develop world-class technology exists in Ghana and similar markets,” Larbi-Siaw added.
Aya Data’s mission to bridge the gap between available talent in West Africa and quality job opportunities speaks to broader socioeconomic challenges in the region. Founders Larbi-Siaw and Monk were motivated by the need to address high unemployment rates among university graduates, who often face long waits to begin their professional careers. The startup’s name, derived from the Adinkra symbol “Aya” — representing resourcefulness and endurance — encapsulates the team’s resilience in a highly competitive AI industry.
With offices in both Accra and the UK, Aya Data has positioned itself as a key player in the global AI ecosystem, while also addressing local challenges. As it continues to scale, the company is betting that its unique model of local control, combined with international reach, will provide it with a competitive edge in the fast-evolving AI market.