Karim Jouini and Jihed Othmani, co-founders of African fintech success Expensya, are back in the startup world just two years after selling their company in one of the region’s biggest tech acquisitions. Their new venture, Thunder Code, is a generative AI platform built to automate software testing. Despite previously swearing off entrepreneurship, the duo says the rapid rise of generative AI was too compelling to ignore.
Thunder Code uses AI “agents” to simulate human testers, catching UI and UX bugs faster and more efficiently than traditional methods. The startup’s product was live within six weeks and now has paying customers and pilots in the U.S., Canada, France, and Tunisia. The platform currently focuses on web apps but will expand to mobile, desktop, and API testing later this year.
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Backed by experienced investors
The $9 million seed round includes returning investors from Expensya’s cap table such as Silicon Badia and Jaango Capital, along with new supporters like Titan Seed Fund and angel investors including Roxanne Varza (Station F) and Karim Beguir (Instadeep). Even former Expensya employees reinvested after cashing out in the acquisition.
Leaner team, bigger vision
Jouini says Thunder Code aims to generate 10x the output with a smaller team, thanks to AI’s efficiency. While many founders fear early dilution, he’s prioritizing speed, execution, and recruiting top talent. “If we build a unicorn and dilute ourselves in the process, that’s still great value,” he said.
With a booming software testing market projected to exceed $100 billion by 2027, Thunder Code is betting that legacy players and even new entrants won’t match its AI-first speed and agility.
