Youssef Bouyakhf is Using AI to Transform Maternal Healthcare Across Africa

His work is focused on tackling a serious challenge across Africa and other parts of the world: the high rates of maternal and infant mortality caused by a lack of access to skilled prenatal care.

Through Deepecho, Youssef is building AI-powered tools that help healthcare workers detect complications during pregnancy early, even in areas where trained ultrasound specialists are not available.

Before launching Deepecho, Youssef had a strong career in the finance and banking sector.

He worked at well-known institutions including Ernst & Young, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, and Macquarie Group.

This experience gave him a solid foundation in business, strategy, and operations.

But in 2017, he decided to shift his focus to technology and innovation. That year, he co-founded AIOX Labs, a startup studio dedicated to building artificial intelligence and data science solutions. This move marked the beginning of his journey into tech entrepreneurship.

Deepecho was founded in 2020 and has quickly gained international attention for its mission and impact.

The company’s core product is a software platform that analyzes ultrasound videos using artificial intelligence.

This technology allows even less experienced medical workers to spot early signs of fetal complications such as growth problems or birth defects.

It is a practical solution designed to work in low-resource settings, making it especially relevant for African healthcare systems where access to specialists is limited.

Youssef’s work with Deepecho is grounded in a deep commitment to solving real-world problems in Africa.

He believes that technology should be used to close the gap in access to healthcare, and his approach combines innovation with social purpose.

For him, Africa’s future depends on building solutions that are both scalable and rooted in local needs.

His efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2023, Youssef was selected as a finalist for the Aviram Awards, a prestigious competition that highlights innovators across the Middle East and North Africa who are using technology to create social and environmental impact.

In 2024, Deepecho won the Silver Trophy at the Young Entrepreneur Awards held during the International Africa Development Forum, earning recognition and a monetary prize for its work in transforming maternal health.

Youssef holds an engineering degree from CentraleSupélec and a master’s degree in business and strategy from ESSEC Business School in France.