Google-Backed Signvrse Expands AI Sign Language in Africa

Google-backed assistive technology company Signvrse is expanding its artificial intelligence-powered sign-language translation platform beyond Kenya into Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa, as the startup moves to develop two-way translation between spoken language and sign language. The expansion was announced at the Unstoppable Africa 2026 summit in New York on September 21, where Signvrse founder and chief executive Elly Savatia demonstrated Terp 360, a platform that converts speech into sign language through three-dimensional digital avatars. Signvrse is also launching work on two-way translation, which would extend the technology beyond translating speech for deaf users and ultimately allow sign language to be translated back into spoken or written communication. The company developed the technology in response to shortages of professional sign-language interpreters, particularly in institutions such as schools, hospitals and other public services. Savatia told the summit that the idea emerged from seeing the scale of the accessibility problem in Kenya. The Unstoppable Africa programme highlighted the case of a school in northern Kenya with about 300 deaf students served by only one interpreter. The technology uses artificial intelligence and three-dimensional avatars to translate speech and text into sign language. Signvrse is developing the system to work in real time and offline, an important feature in African markets where internet connectivity and data costs can constrain access to cloud-based services. The company's expansion follows its selection in June 2025 for the Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI, a programme established to support organisations using generative artificial intelligence to address social challenges. Signvrse was one of 20 organisations selected globally for the 2025 cohort and one of five whose work had an impact in Sub-Saharan Africa. The 20 organisations received a share of $30 million in Google.org funding alongside six months of technical training, support from Google's AI specialists and access to Google Cloud credits. Google said at the time that Signvrse was developing real-time, offline sign-language avatars aimed at addressing communication barriers and interpreter shortages affecting millions of deaf people across Africa. The wider Google.org programme allowed selected organisations to receive between $500,000 and more than $2 million depending on their projects. Google has not publicly disclosed the precise amount allocated specifically to Signvrse. Signvrse has also been building datasets needed to train artificial-intelligence systems in African sign languages, an area where limited digitised data has constrained the development of language technologies. Unlike conventional spoken-language translation, sign-language technology must process not only individual hand gestures but also movement, facial expressions and other visual information that can affect meaning. The expansion comes as African governments, financial institutions and businesses increasingly move services online, raising accessibility questions for people who depend on sign language to communicate. Potential applications for such technology range from education and healthcare to financial services, government platforms and customer-service systems, where access often depends on the availability of a human interpreter. Signvrse's latest expansion does not currently include Ethiopia. The company identified Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa as the next markets alongside its existing operations in Kenya. The development nevertheless has relevance for Ethiopia as the country accelerates the digitisation of banking, payments and public services. Integrating accessibility into those systems is likely to become increasingly important as more essential services migrate to digital platforms. Signvrse's appearance at Unstoppable Africa came as artificial intelligence and African ownership of digital infrastructure featured prominently at the two-day gathering. The summit, organised by the Global Africa Business Initiative and hosted by the United Nations Global Compact, brought together African heads of state, business executives, investors and technology entrepreneurs in New York during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. This year's discussions focused on scaling African businesses, mobilising investment and increasing African ownership of industries and technologies expected to shape the continent's economic growth. To examine broader developments in regional technology, venture funding, and digital ecosystems, explore economic trends in East African Digital Transformation Review, or track market metrics directly via the TechCabal Regional Market Hub.