Moroccan startup DeepLeaf has captured the top prize at Orange Maroc’s POESAM 2025 awards, a recognition that signals the growing role of homegrown innovation in shaping Africa’s agricultural future. By creating AI-driven solutions that help farmers detect crop health issues early and accurately, DeepLeaf is showing how technology can strengthen food security, improve livelihoods and promote sustainability. The award also reflects a wider movement in Africa, where entrepreneurs are building solutions that address both local and global challenges.
DeepLeaf’s innovation is centered on an artificial intelligence platform designed to give farmers early and accurate detection of crop health problems. Farmers around the world lose millions of dollars each year due to diseases, pests, weeds and nutrient deficiencies that go unnoticed until it is too late. DeepLeaf has created a simple yet powerful tool that helps prevent these losses. With just a single photo of a leaf or fruit, its AI can diagnose more than 1,000 crop issues. This allows farmers to act quickly and avoid widespread damage, making food systems more resilient.
The platform is supported by a database that expands every two months, fed by millions of diagnoses processed globally, data gathered in experimental greenhouses and farms, and input from an international partner network. This means the system is constantly learning and adapting, making it smarter and more useful for farmers over time. Importantly, the technology is built as a plug-and-play solution, making it easy to use without requiring complex infrastructure. DeepLeaf offers two main products: the DeepLeaf App, aimed at farmers and agronomists and the DeepLeaf API, which organizations can integrate into their own services to expand crop diagnostic capabilities.
One of the standout features of DeepLeaf’s AI is its ability to recognize when it encounters new conditions or unfamiliar crops. In such cases, the system automatically triggers a data collection process that further enriches its capabilities. This constant cycle of learning makes DeepLeaf not only relevant today but also highly adaptive for the agricultural challenges of tomorrow. For smallholder farmers, who make up a large part of Africa’s agricultural workforce, having access to such a tool could mean higher yields, better income stability and improved food security for their communities.
DeepLeaf’s win at Orange Maroc’s POESAM is not the only milestone the company is celebrating. The startup has also been selected to join the Katapult Africa Climate Program, one of just 15 early-stage climate technology companies chosen from nearly 700 screened applications. Built in collaboration with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the program supports solutions that can have meaningful impact on Africa’s climate future. Over the next three months, DeepLeaf will participate in hands-on workshops, learn from experienced mentors, receive tailored growth support and connect with a network of investors and partners. This opportunity is expected to accelerate the company’s growth and strengthen its capacity to work with smallholder farmers at scale.
The recognition of DeepLeaf alongside other winners at POESAM highlights the breadth of innovation taking place in Morocco and across Africa. The second prize went to VISIOPROCESS Maroc for its SmartGlobe solution, which provides real-time data visualization to help reduce the carbon footprint of buildings by optimizing energy consumption. Initially designed for building energy management, SmartGlobe has since been adapted for the industrial sector, where it improves productivity, streamlines facility management and enhances team responsiveness on production lines. By enabling both sustainability and efficiency, SmartGlobe demonstrates how digital tools can help companies operate smarter while reducing their environmental impact.
The third prize was awarded to Sand to Green, a startup tackling one of the world’s most pressing challenges: the need for arable land in the face of climate change and population growth. With agriculture being the second largest sector contributing to carbon emissions, largely due to deforestation, Sand to Green takes a different approach. It creates new arable land in desert areas using agroforestry and desalination techniques. This innovative model addresses food security while offering a sustainable alternative to environmentally destructive practices.
The Special Jury Prize went to Mamabox, further underlining the diversity of ideas being celebrated through the POESAM awards. Each of these winners reflects how entrepreneurship and innovation can respond to societal needs, from food security to energy efficiency to climate resilience.
For Morocco, these achievements are part of a growing wave of innovation that is gaining international attention. Startups like DeepLeaf show that solutions developed locally can have global impact, particularly when they combine advanced technology with a clear understanding of community needs. The company’s journey highlights the importance of supporting entrepreneurs not only with recognition but also with the resources, mentorship and investment necessary to scale their ideas.
As DeepLeaf looks ahead, its mission remains focused on empowering farmers and strengthening food systems. By giving farmers better tools to protect their crops, the company is helping to reduce losses, improve livelihoods and enhance sustainability. Its success at POESAM and selection for the Katapult Africa Climate Program are milestones that mark the beginning of a larger journey. The combination of recognition, support and global partnerships could allow DeepLeaf to reach millions more farmers, making a lasting difference in agriculture and climate resilience across Africa and beyond.
