Omnisient is one of seven African startups to be recognised as a tech pioneer by the World Economic Forum.
South African data analytics fintech Omnisient has been recognised as a “tech pioneer” by the World Economic Forum. Launched in 2000, the Technology Pioneer community is composed of early-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development, and deployment of new technologies and innovations and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society.
Omnisient has developed a privacy-preserving process for banks to access new sources of consumer data for determining credit worthiness of individuals with no credit history. The startup claims that the process protects consumer privacy and removes the risks and challenges commonly associated with sharing consumer information.
“We’re excited to welcome Omnisient to our 2023 cohort of Technology Pioneers,” said Verena Kuhn, Head of Innovator Communities at the World Economic Forum. “Omnisient and its fellow pioneers are at the forefront of innovation and disruption needed to help us solve the world’s most pressing issues. We look forward to their contribution to the Forum’s content work that brings together the public and private sectors to tackle these global issues.”
As a Technology Pioneer, Omnisient CEO Jon Jacobson will be invited to engage with the World Economic Forum, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues. Technology Pioneers will also be invited to join Forum events and discussions throughout the year, bringing together leading stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
“Our platform has already enabled banks in South Africa to access anonymised shopper behaviour data from a leading retailer and thereby helped millions of people obtain a ‘good risk’ credit rating who would have previously been denied credit due to their lack of credit history,” said Jacobson. “We are excited to share what we’ve learned and achieved in our local market with members of the Forum’s Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems to enable similar financial inclusion breakthroughs in new markets and to find new ways of using data in a responsible and ethical manner to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.”
This year’s technology pioneers comprise startups from 31 markets, with the US and China leading the way with 29 and 12 startups respectively, with African having seven representatives in total. Dove Air, which uses advanced UAM (Urban Air Mobility) technology for aid delivery and maritime conservation, is another South African startup to make the list this year.
In November last year, Omnisient raised an undisclosed expansion round from investors including retail chain group Shoprite and Buffet Investments.
