Lengo AI

Lengo AI is revolutionizing market intelligence for the informal retail sector in emerging markets across Africa. Founded in 2022 and based in Dakar, Senegal, the company has built the first data-driven operating system specifically designed for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands operating in Africa’s vast informal retail landscape. With over 1 million shops mapped across 80+ countries and partnerships with more than 40 FMCG companies, Lengo AI is addressing one of the continent’s most significant business challenges: the lack of reliable, real-time data on the informal retail sector that accounts for up to 90% of consumer goods purchases across Africa.

The company’s innovative platform combines cutting-edge artificial intelligence with a hybrid approach of field agents (known as Lengo Eagles) to connect retailers and FMCG companies with real-time performance data on product sales. Through their intelligent WhatsApp chatbot called Sadio AI, Lengo capitalizes on retailer crowdsourcing, enabling shopkeepers to interact with the platform in their local languages. This technology allows FMCG managers to query collected data on market share, understand distribution gaps, and receive instant strategic suggestions powered by OpenAI technology and Lengo’s proprietary datasets. For shopkeepers who join the Lengo Club, the platform provides valuable insights on customer behaviors, alerts on new products, and a loyalty point system that helps them increase revenues and optimize their inventory.

Backed by leading venture capital firms including Acasia Ventures, Ventures Platform, P1 Ventures, Launch Africa, Voltron Capital, and Noru Capital, Lengo AI is part of the prestigious Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First programme in Africa. The company charges FMCG companies for access to real-time data on retailers and distribution, with additional revenue streams from targeted marketing campaigns through their growing retailer network. With ambitious plans to expand beyond FMCG into pharmacies, hardware, and cosmetics sectors, and to eventually build consumer-facing tools for shoppers, Lengo AI is transforming Africa’s fragmented retail sector from an obstacle into an opportunity, embodying their mission to help brands “Stop Guessing Emerging Markets.”