News Summary

Karim Jouini and Jihed Othmani, co-founders of one of Africa’s notable startups, Expensya, have ventured back into the entrepreneurial landscape with a new generative AI startup named Thunder Code. After selling Expensya to Medius in 2023, the founders initially stepped away from entrepreneurship, but the lure of AI innovations drew them back. Thunder Code, based in Paris with an office in Tunis, has quickly raised $9 million in seed funding. The startup focuses on revolutionizing software testing by utilizing AI-powered agents that mimic human testers, address UI and UX issues, and learn from feedback, thereby enhancing testing speed and accuracy. Thunder Code has already secured paying customers and initiated pilot programs in several countries, including the U.S., Canada, France, and Tunisia. The founders aim to expand their testing capabilities to mobile, desktop, and API by 2025. Their strategic approach, informed by past experiences, includes focusing on core features and investing in top talent early, even if it means diluting equity. The startup is poised to compete in a market expected to surpass $100 billion by 2027, leveraging AI to offer faster and more efficient solutions compared to existing legacy platforms.