DeepLeaf, founded by El Mahdi Aboulmanadel, is revolutionizing agriculture with cutting-edge AI technology that enables the early detection of crop diseases. By combining a deep passion for farming with technological expertise, DeepLeaf is helping farmers reduce pesticides, optimize yields, and improve sustainability.

El Mahdi’s entrepreneurial journey began five years ago, driven by a desire to make an impact: “I wanted to be a changemaker. I don’t want to live a normal life. I can’t let others write my story; I have to write it myself.”

His roots in agriculture played a key role in defining his path. Growing up in the countryside in Sidi Bennour, an agricultural town known for Morocco’s largest souk market, he was surrounded by farmers and his father is also a veterinarian.

“My family has always been close to farming—veterinarians, researchers, agronomists—it’s part of who I am. Building DeepLeaf allowed me to combine my love for technology with my connection to the land.”

Interestingly, El Mahdi didn’t start in agriculture but in music. After successfully selling his work as a freelancer on SoundBetter (later acquired by Spotify), he realized the broader potential of startups and build his own freelance music platform and then transitioned to agriculture: “I began applying my tech skills in agriculture with my dad, which showed me that I could make a greater impact with farmers than in music. I built an AI model to detect crop diseases, starting with 12 anomalies in tomatoes. Now, we detect 686 anomalies in 30 crops, have won four awards, joined many accelerators and incubators and gained global recognition from key agricultural players.” 

DeepLeaf’s deeptech solution is driving measurable impact in agriculture. By helping farmers identify crop diseases early, they are achieving significant gains in yields, resource management and sustainability.

Through a $75K partnership with Hivos, DeepLeaf validated its impact:

• 57 jobs improved through reduced water consumption, optimized pesticide usage, and increased crop production.
• 39 new jobs created by strengthening networks of suppliers, retailers, and farmers.
• Ongoing carbon reduction efforts in their experimental greenhouse, currently being verified with GIZ experts.

Yet, like many startups, DeepLeaf faced a major challenge: funding.

“While I know funding is within reach, raising funds, financial modeling and planning are not my expertise. I’m a tech guy who solves problems through innovation.”

To tackle this, he focused on building a multidisciplinary team with skills in finance, management, tech, marketing and sales. By combining diverse skills, DeepLeaf strengthened its foundation and positioned itself for growth.  

But another key and distinctive factor contributing to the startup’s success is its origin: Morocco. As a Moroccan founder, El Mahdi believes Morocco has a unique competitive edge: “Morocco is the 3rd largest global exporter of tomatoes and the 1st in blueberries. Its strategic location as a gateway between Europe and Africa makes it an ideal hub for scaling innovative solutions.”

With Africa holding 60% of the world’s arable uncultivated land, Morocco is at the forefront of agricultural innovation. DeepLeaf is already making strides across the continent by building partnerships in countries like Tunisia, Tanzania, and Qatar, with plans to expand further.

As one of the top three startups in the Impact Beyond Borders program, DeepLeaf secured a spot at the upcoming Italy Roadshow following a successful 4-day bootcamp in Casablanca. 

El Mahdi shares their goals for this milestone opportunity: “We aim to connect with governmental agricultural agencies, farming companies and major agricultural players. Our goal is to expand into the Italian market and support farmers in identifying crop diseases and pests early.” 

As they say, ‘Software is eating the world,’ but I say, ‘DeepLeaf will feed the world.’” boldly states El Mahdi.