• Etepe Anahlui co-founded Karaba, an AI-powered recruitment platform focused on African labor markets.
• Karaba uses a WhatsApp-based conversational agent to onboard candidates and match them with employers.
• The startup operates in more than 20 African countries and draws on a database of over 50,000 candidates.

Etepe Anahlui is a Togolese digital transformation specialist and technology entrepreneur. He serves as co-founder and chief executive officer of Karaba, a conversational artificial intelligence infrastructure designed specifically for Africa’s employment market.

Karaba combines artificial intelligence with a curated pool of local talent to modernize traditional hiring practices. The platform centers its strategy on accessibility. A conversational AI agent guides candidates through WhatsApp, helping them create professional profiles, describe their skills, and specify their availability.  The system simplifies access to employment opportunities for professionals living in Africa as well as members of the African diaspora.

On the employer side, companies submit or upload job descriptions directly to the platform. Karaba’s algorithm then analyzes thousands of verified candidate profiles and identifies the most qualified applicants. Recruiters manage the hiring process and collaborate with internal teams through a centralized dashboard.

Leveraging a database of more than 50,000 candidates, the startup has already expanded its reach across the continent. Karaba currently provides services in more than 20 African countries, including Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya.

Alongside his work at Karaba, Etepe Anahlui applies his expertise at Quarantes, a Togolese strategic intelligence consulting firm. He serves as managing partner, senior functional architect, and AI product manager, roles that strengthen his cross-disciplinary perspective on technology and digital innovation.

This professional trajectory rests on a strong academic foundation. Anahlui earned a bachelor's degree in science and technology from the University of Lomé in 2022. He subsequently obtained a bachelor's degree in digital transformation from the Higher School of Commerce and Digital Economy in 2024. In 2025, he completed a professional certification in data intelligence at the Institut Mines-Télécom Business School in France.

Anahlui began his professional career in 2024 as ICT supervisor for WURI, the Togolese government's biometric identification program. More recently, he served as information technology project portfolio manager at MAONO, an independent consulting firm specializing in strategy and technology solutions development, between November 2025 and February 2026.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum