Africa Innovates Magazine - Flipbook - Page 19
FOOD SECURITY
Photo credit: Atlan Space
Photo credit: Francesco Ungaro (Unsplash)
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS
TRACKING
ENVIRONMENTAL
CRIMES
THROUGH AI
IN MOROCCO
Atlan Space is a Moroccan startup developing
artificial intelligence (AI) to pilot drones
collecting data and conducting surveillance
missions on large environmental areas.
The technology enables governments and
organizations to fight environmental crime and
provide assistance to people in need, such as
migrant boats lost at sea.
Noting that illegal fishing costs an estimated $23
billion in annual losses, weakens ecosystems
and endangers protected species, the startup’s
system distinguishes between legal and illegal
poaching activities in Africa’s surrounding
waters to enable better monitoring.
Atlan Space allows drones to monitor very
large areas, identify all environmental threats,
and take the best course of action to protect
and value marine ecosystems, wildlife and
forests. It also allows drones to perform long
endurance missions autonomously, without any
human interaction.
The AI developed by the startup is useful
in identifying environmental risks, but also
changes in animal migration across large
geographical areas. This algorithm can also
be applied to deforestation, desertification, oil
and toxic spills, or illegal mining activities.
The technology has several patents and
received the Innovation Prize at the African
Entrepreneurship Awards in 2017. It has
also received financing from the CCG in the
framework of InnovStart from UNIDO. Atlan
Space has conducted several fundraising
sessions, most recently in 2020, which achieved
a 1 million USD contribution from Maroc
Numeric Fund II.
SHOWCASING AFRICAN CLIMATE CHAMPIONS
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