Lesan
Entrepreneur First '19Berlin, DE · Founded 2019 · 1 known investors
Lesan provides machine translation for Ethiopian and Eritrean languages, offering translation between English and languages such as Amharic and Tigrinya.
Also known as Lesan AI
Founders & leadership
Lesan was founded in 2019 by Adam Beaudoin and Asme Hadgu.
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Lesan (also referred to as Lesan AI) is a Berlin-based artificial intelligence startup developing machine translation for low-resource languages, with an initial focus on Ethiopian and Eritrean languages. The company delivers translations through both an API and a web interface, relying on advanced AI models trained on large, custom-built datasets rather than solely on data scraped from the open web.
The company positions its offering as instant translation APIs for languages in emerging markets, starting with Ethiopia, with the stated goal of enabling people to consume web content in their native languages, supporting equal access to information, countering misinformation, and enabling companies to reach customers in growing economies. Its cofounder, Ethiopian computer scientist Asmelash Teka Hadgu, has publicly highlighted the poor performance of mainstream large language models on Ethiopian languages such as Tigrinya, and has argued that small African-focused startups must build these capabilities because large technology companies do not prioritize such languages.
Business model
Lesan offers translation as a service through APIs and a web interface that businesses, NGOs, and individuals can use or integrate into their own products [0][2].
Traction
Public sources describe the platform as implemented and in use, supporting businesses, NGOs, and individuals, but give no user, revenue, or volume figures [0]. A European startup directory records no announced funding [2].
Latest developments
In a November 2023 MIT Technology Review article on AI for African languages, cofounder Asmelash Teka Hadgu described testing ChatGPT in Tigrinya at an African AI conference in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier that year and receiving unusable output, and argued that African-focused startups including Lesan must build these tools themselves [1].
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Lesan is cited alongside Lelapa AI, GhanaNLP, and AJALA as one of a small group of startups building AI and language technology for African languages, a segment described as underfunded and often overlooked by investors because of perceived small market size, limited political support, and weak internet infrastructure [1].
The platform targets low-resource Ethiopian and Eritrean languages that mainstream models handle poorly, and is built on large custom datasets assembled specifically for these languages rather than on general web data [0][1]. The company states it emphasizes ethical data sourcing, community engagement in dataset creation, transparency in model development, work with local partners for cultural and linguistic accuracy, privacy and consent in data use, and ongoing efforts to reduce model bias [0].
Technology
Machine translation models for low-resource languages, delivered via API and a web interface, trained on large custom-built datasets [0][2].
Go-to-market
Distribution is primarily through an integration-ready translation API plus a directly accessible web interface [0][2].
Businesses, NGOs, and individual users seeking translation for Ethiopian and Eritrean languages, including companies wanting to engage customers in emerging markets [0][2].
Geography
Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with a language and user focus on Ethiopia and Eritrea [0][1][2].
History
The company is described in a November 2023 article as a Berlin-based AI startup developing translation tools for Ethiopian languages, cofounded by computer scientist Asmelash Teka Hadgu [1]. A European startup directory lists it as founded in 2019 and based in Berlin, with no funding announced [2].
Risks & controversies
Reporting notes structural headwinds for African language AI startups, including limited funding, restricted access to investors, and technical difficulty in training models across diverse African languages [1]. No funding has been publicly announced for Lesan [2].
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
▸Research sources · 7
primary sources listed
- Lesan AIglobalcenter.ai · web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Lesan do?
- Berlin-based startup building machine translation APIs for Ethiopian and Eritrean low-resource languages.
- Who founded Lesan?
- Lesan was founded by Adam Beaudoin, Asme Hadgu in 2019.
- Who are Lesan's investors?
- Lesan's investors include Entrepreneur First.
- Where is Lesan headquartered?
- Lesan is headquartered in Berlin, DE.