Casablanca-based Hypeo Ai has announced a strategic investment from Renew Capital to accelerate its mission of transforming influencer marketing in Africa and the Middle East. The company leverages AI-powered avatars and intelligent campaign tools to streamline brand-creator collaborations. This move aims to address long-standing inefficiencies in the region’s fast-growing digital influence sector.
Tackling Inefficiency in a Booming Industry
Influencer marketing has become one of the fastest-growing advertising channels worldwide, surpassing paid search in 2024 to push global ad spend to $247 billion, with projections reaching $267 billion by the end of 2025. Despite the sector’s growth, many campaigns in Africa and the Middle East remain hampered by manual processes and fragmented tools. Hypeo Ai positions itself as a game-changer, offering an end-to-end AI-powered platform that connects brands with both human and virtual creators in under 15 minutes.
A Smarter Way to Connect
The platform’s features include smart matching, pricing insights, and real-time performance tracking, replacing spreadsheets and agency bottlenecks with a seamless workflow. Co-founder and CEO Meriam Bessa highlighted that the region’s talent pool is abundant but lacks the digital infrastructure needed for efficient collaboration. By integrating AI into campaign management, Hypeo Ai enables faster connections, better matches, and more effective outcomes for both brands and creators.
Building a New Kind of Influencer
Beyond human talent, Hypeo Ai is also developing AI Meta Humans—digital personas designed to engage local audiences while supporting global campaigns. Its most famous creation, Kenza Layli, has amassed over 200,000 followers and earned recognition as a finalist for Miss AI 2024, a global competition celebrating AI-generated influencers. This innovative approach expands brand reach while offering unique creative possibilities in campaign design.
Investor Confidence and Strategic Growth
Renew Capital, a pan-African investment firm operating in 13 countries, sees significant potential in Hypeo Ai’s model. “Hypeo Ai is tackling a clear gap in how influencer marketing works in this region,” noted Nihal Grii, Investment Ecosystem Development Manager at Renew Capital. The investment will be used to enhance platform features, onboard additional creators and brands, and develop a consumer-facing AI wellness and lifestyle coaching companion.
Expanding the Market Opportunity
The partnership between Hypeo Ai and Renew Capital comes at a time when brands are increasingly seeking measurable returns from influencer campaigns. By integrating technology-driven insights with cultural relevance, the company aims to serve both local entrepreneurs and multinational corporations targeting regional audiences. This dual focus positions Hypeo Ai to capture a broad share of the influencer marketing market.
Leadership with Vision
Hypeo Ai was co-founded by Meriam Bessa, Oussama Sekkat, and Salah Eddine Mimouni, combining expertise in technology, marketing, and content creation. Their vision is to establish a scalable ecosystem where brands and creators can operate efficiently without the friction of outdated workflows. This leadership team is now backed by a partner known for investing in bold African founders driving technological innovation.
With the injection of capital from Renew Capital, Hypeo Ai is set to accelerate its expansion and cement its role as a pioneer in AI-driven influencer marketing across Africa and the Middle East. By blending human creativity with artificial intelligence, the company is redefining how brands connect with audiences in an increasingly digital world. As the industry continues to grow, Hypeo Ai’s approach could set a new standard for efficiency, creativity, and measurable impact in influencer campaigns.