Bidooh, the tech firm behind the world’s first facial recognition software for digital billboards has announced plans to expand to South Africa’s advertising marketplace. It signed a licensing agreement that marks its first move into Africa expanding its global market. Bidooh’s automated platform allows advertisers to measure who has viewed each message and to adjust their plan, in real-time, accordingly.
It signed a licensing agreement with exclusive partner, Nsaar Ally, who will now head the newly-formed Bidooh South Africa. Nisaar, a serial entrepreneur and investor, plans to install the blockchain-based digital billboard platform on 500 screens across South Africa over a period of three years.
Bidooh uses facial recognition cameras within billboards to identify characteristics from passers-by, such as their age or gender and subsequently use that information to provide tailored adverts. The General Data Protection Regulator, GDPR-compliant technology works by plugging a ‘Bidooh Box’, containing the cameras and artificial intelligence (AI), into the High Definition Multimedia Interface port of any screen.
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The first screen in this agreement will go live after June with a rollout of 50 locations across South Africa into major retail outlets and shopping malls. The company intends to install the screens in malls, offices and other large commercial centers alongside the software. Any screen can connect to Bidooh’s platform and become an advertising screen by simply plugging a Bidooh Box into the HDMI port.
Shaz Mughal, co-founder and chief partnership officer of Bidooh, said “We are delighted to have partnered with Nisaar Ally in South Africa, as this is another step forward in Bidooh’s global growth strategy. Expanding Bidooh’s reach into another continent shows the international demand for Bidooh’s platform and proves its ability to function across different cultures and countries.”
“We believe South Africa is an excellent location for Bidooh to expand into, as a hotspot for innovative ideas and disruptive technology. We believe Bidooh’s platform is unique in that it allows any type of businesses however small to become an advertiser at a low cost and I believe that many businesses will benefit from this opportunity,” said Nisaar Ally.
The company recently established a presence in America for the first time after successfully rolling out its screens across the UK and Europe over the past two years.
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