Born in the quiet town of Ambo, Ethiopia, Elias Yirdaw’s journey from a curious child fascinated by radios to a leading innovator shaping Africa’s future in technology is nothing short of extraordinary. It is a story steeped in dreams, challenges, and the unwavering belief that Africa has the potential to lead the world in tech.
Through his work at Faris Technology, Elias has proven that, with determination and vision, even the most distant dreams can take root and transform into groundbreaking realities.
“I was always curious about how things worked,” Elias reflects. His earliest memory of this curiosity dates back to when he was a young boy, around Grade 4.
His father owned a large radio that he would use to listen to the news. Fascinated by the voices emanating from the machine, Elias was struck with a profound question: How were these voices ‘inside’ the radio? His natural curiosity led him to dismantle the radio to uncover its secrets. However, with no understanding of its mechanics, he couldn’t put it back together. Yet, this mistake marked the spark of his lifelong passion for technology.
From that moment on, Elias’s path was set. By the time he reached high school, he had already built 19 different machines and earned patents from the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority. His early achievements in the field were not limited to creating physical inventions. Elias began participating in various national and international competitions, cementing his reputation as an aspiring innovator.
“I wasn’t just building machines; I was building my future,” he says, reflecting on the rapid pace of his early success.
Elias’s passion for technology went beyond the boundaries of his small town. A pivotal moment in his journey came when he participated in NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge. This prestigious program allowed him to pursue his dream of space exploration and explore how Africa could contribute to the future of aerospace. He fondly remembers the time when, in Grade 9, he used Adobe Photoshop to place the Ethiopian flag on Mars, envisioning an African presence in space.
“My older brother, who studied at Stanford University, brought back books and resources. Those materials opened up new worlds for me,” Elias recalls.
His brother’s influence helped fuel Elias’s ambition, propelling him forward in his quest to innovate for Ethiopia and beyond. He saw vast untapped potential in his home country, and he made the bold decision to return to Ethiopia after exploring opportunities abroad. It was time to bring his dreams to life on his own terms.
Founding Faris Technology
The result was the founding of Faris Technology, an organization that has become a beacon of innovation in Ethiopia. Over the past seven years, Faris Technology has grown into a dynamic tech hub with four key divisions, each tackling a critical aspect of technological advancement in Ethiopia and beyond.
The first of these divisions, Knowledge & Capacity Building, focuses on identifying and nurturing gifted students across Ethiopia. “We aim to equip young minds with the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving world,” Elias explains. So far, the division has trained nearly 37,000 students in cutting-edge fields such as STEM education, robotics, AI, and space technology. The curriculum, developed in collaboration with partners from the Netherlands, Finland, and Denmark, is tailored for gifted students and aims to provide world-class training in Ethiopia.
“Education is the foundation of everything we do,” Elias says, emphasizing how crucial it is to empower the youth with the skills necessary to drive innovation in the future. Faris Technology’s outreach extends beyond Ethiopia’s borders, with plans to expand into Kenya and further across Africa.
The second division of Faris Technology, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) & Remote Work, leverages Ethiopia’s highly skilled workforce to offer global clients high-quality services. “We are competing with the biggest names in the BPO industry,” Elias proudly states, noting that Faris has clients in the U.S. and Europe and has created over 100 jobs for software engineers and call center staff. The division capitalizes on Ethiopia’s competitive advantage: a cost-effective, multilingual workforce with growing expertise in remote work.
Research & Re-Engineering, the third division, is where Faris Technology truly sets itself apart. Elias and his team are not just consumers of technology—they are creators. “We are building tomorrow’s solutions today,” he explains. In the field of Artificial Intelligence, Faris is pioneering the development of AI models that understand local languages like Amharic and Afan Oromo. Additionally, they have launched three AI-powered products targeting critical sectors: fintech, education, and document processing.
On the Aerospace & UAV front, Faris is also leading the way. The team has developed drones for agriculture and healthcare, as well as GIS solutions for smart cities in Africa. “Technology must serve the people,” Elias says. And with Faris’s involvement in Ethiopia’s satellite launches, they are taking significant strides in aerospace development.
A Vision Beyond Earth
But Elias’s ultimate vision is far greater than any individual project or product. “My long-term dream is to see an African astronaut land on Mars,” he declares with unwavering confidence. To him, this is more than just a lofty aspiration; it is a promise to the next generation of Africans that they, too, can reach for the stars. His guiding principle, “Think big, start small, and scale fast,” encapsulates the ethos of Faris Technology.
Under Elias’s leadership, Faris Technology is rapidly expanding, not just as a company, but as a symbol of Africa’s technological renaissance. “We’re shaping the future, and we’re just getting started,” Elias concludes. His vision is one of limitless potential, where Africa leads the world in innovation, space exploration, and cutting-edge technologies. “We welcome collaborations, partnerships, and investment opportunities to expand our mission across Africa.”
Elias Yirdaw’s journey from a curious boy in Ambo to a pioneer of Africa’s tech revolution is a testament to the power of a steadfast belief in the future. Through his organization, Faris Technology, he is not only transforming Ethiopia but also showing the world that Africa has the talent, vision, and drive to shape the technologies of tomorrow. With Elias at the helm, the sky is no longer the limit—it’s just the beginning.
