Ghanaian startup Papermap.ai is using AI to make business data more accessible by allowing users to ask questions in Pidgin, Twi, French, or English. The platform, co-founded in July 2025 by Simeone Nortey, Isaac Sarfo, and team, aims to bridge the gap between engineers and business users, enabling non-technical staff to get insights without learning SQL or coding.
Before founding Papermap, Nortey noticed that engineers spent more time answering colleagues’ data questions than writing code. Papermap solves this by acting as a no-code business intelligence platform, centralizing multiple data streams—from payments to operations—and generating charts, reports, and insights in real time.
“It can be Pidgin. It can be Twi,” says CEO Isaac Sarfo. “I can ask it a question in Twi, and it will act as a data analyst and pull the data I’m looking for.”
Papermap’s AI works behind familiar interfaces, such as WhatsApp, allowing users to send voice notes or text queries that the system translates into database queries. A “glass box” design shows exactly what data was used and the code executed, giving transparency for both analysts and business users.
The platform serves growth-stage companies in Africa and the US. In Ghana, Papermap partners with VDL Fulfillment, letting 5,000+ merchants query order data directly. In Nigeria, it works with fintech Wallets and healthtech DoktorConnect, turning payment and health data into actionable insights.
Papermap raised $500,000 pre-seed from investors including Google’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean, and plans a $5 million seed round in 2026. By localizing AI for African contexts—accounting for language, WhatsApp adoption, and limited data infrastructure—the startup aims to accelerate AI adoption and make data-driven decisions standard for businesses across the continent.
“Every business had to become an internet business. AI will be the same,” Sarfo says, highlighting the startup’s mission to democratize analytics beyond technical teams.