African Tech Founders Karim Jouini and Jihed Othmani Launch Thunder Code, A Generative AI Startup, After $9M Seed Round
One of Africa’s most prominent tech founders is stepping back into the spotlight with a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture.
Karim Jouini and Jihed Othmani, his co-founder of Tunisian fintech startup Expensya, have launched Thunder Code, a generative AI-powered software testing platform. TechCrunch reports that the France- and Tunisia-based startup has already raised $9 million in seed funding.
The return to startup life comes nearly two years after the duo sold Expensya to Swedish software firm Medius in 2023, according to the outlet. Although the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that they estimated it to be more than $120 million, marking one of the biggest African tech exits to date.
From Promising Exit To New Beginnings
Following the acquisition, Jouini assumed the role of chief product and technology officer at Medius. Neither he nor Othmani intended to return to entrepreneurship. However, Jouini’s exposure to the potential of generative AI during this period reignited his drive to build something new.
With that motivation, he joined Othmani, who had previously built internal AI tools at Expensya, to co-found Thunder Code. The new company aims to automate manual software testing through AI “agents” designed to simulate the work of human quality assurance testers, according to its website. These agents detect interface issues, learn from user input, and speed up development workflows.
Thunder Code launched its first minimum viable product (MVP) just six weeks into development, according to TechCrunch. Six months later, the platform is being used by paying customers and in pilot programs across the U.S., Canada, France, and Tunisia. While its current focus is on web application testing, the outlet reports that the team plans to expand into mobile, desktop, and API testing by late 2025.
Strategic Backing, Global Ambitions
Thunder Code is entering a software testing market expected to surpass $100 billion by 2027, which, according to TechCrunch, is dominated by established platforms like Tricentis and BrowserStack, companies the founders believe are slow to adopt new technologies.
The outlet reported that several prominent backers were drawn to the $9 million seed round, including Silicon Badia, Janngo Capital, Titan Seed Fund, and strategic angels such as Roxanne Varza, director of Station F, and Karim Beguir, co-founder and CEO of InstaDeep, one of Africa’s top AI companies.
Several former and current Expensya employees who had profited from the Medius acquisition also chose to invest in the new venture.
