As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries across the globe, many businesses are still grappling with a fundamental question: how can they effectively harness its potential?
In Kenya, one company is helping organisations, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), answer that question.
Dime, a consulting and AI training firm, is helping corporates, SMEs, and professionals across multiple sectors navigate the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence through customised training, AI-powered solutions and workplace transformation programmes.
The firm was founded in 2018 as a consultancy focused on innovation, digital strategy, and transformation for financial institutions, a space it operated in for four years.
However, as AI technologies began to redefine how businesses operate, the company recognised a growing need for practical AI literacy and adoption in the corporate world, leading to its focus shift in 2022.
According to Dime CEO and Co-founder John Fernandes, the company’s shift into AI was driven by a growing realisation that while AI tools were becoming increasingly accessible, many businesses lacked the knowledge and skills required to use them effectively and securely.
“We felt that in the Kenyan market, there is a big gap, as far as training for corporates and SMEs, and individuals in the AI space. So we developed a programme to do training for groups, and really this is for corporates and SMEs, for their employees to understand AI and become a lot more efficient,” Mr. Fernandes told Bizna Kenya.
Mr. Fernandes notes that one of the biggest challenges facing organisations today is understanding how to use AI effectively.
Dime addresses this challenge through structured AI literacy and workplace training programmes that focus on practical application, helping businesses automate routine tasks and improve efficiency.
Participants are guided through real-world scenarios relevant to their industries, ensuring that the learning experience directly aligns with their day-to-day responsibilities.
“From a simple thing as writing an email, to a complex thing like a business plan, AI will help you. So typically, if an email took you 4 or 5 hours to write, AI will do this for you in a matter of minutes, 5 to 10 minutes maximum. A businessman might take you days to come up with, but with AI, you can cut that time down to a business plan, or a new product offering, into basically an hour or less.”
Unlike generic training providers, Dime tailors its programmes to the unique needs, goals and workflows of each organisation.
Before conducting training, the company assesses business processes, employee needs and organisational objectives to develop content that delivers measurable impact.
The training is delivered through both in-person workshops and virtual sessions, making it accessible to organisations with different operational requirements and schedules.
To ensure lasting impact, the company provides structured follow-up support over a 90-day period. During this phase, trainers work closely with participants to reinforce concepts, encourage practical application and address implementation challenges.
Clients also gain access to Dime’s learning management platform, where they can continue developing their skills and stay informed about emerging AI tools and best practices.
So far, the company, which operates from his office at Two Rivers Mall, Nairobi, has trained close to 500 professionals in the AI space, and aims to increase that figure to approximately 2,000 individuals by the end of the year.
The training has significantly improved productivity, with beneficiary clients reporting productivity improvements of between 30 and 40 percent.
Beyond training, Dime also builds customised AI agents for its various customers. The AI agents are capable of handling business functions such as workflow automation, data reconciliation, customer engagement, operational support, and information management.
Unlike traditional chatbots that rely on predefined responses, AI agents analyse context, understand user intent, and provide more personalised interactions.
“Today when you’re chatting to a sales agent, actually you’re chatting to an AI agent only. And there’s a big difference between an agent and a bot. A bot will give you a standard response, but an AI agent will go back, analyse actually what you’re asking, and respond to you like a human being would,” Mr. Fernandes notes.
Data privacy and security remain key concerns for many organisations considering AI adoption. To address these concerns, Dime co-founder Brian Aleri says the company develops solutions designed to operate within organisational environments, ensuring sensitive information remains protected.
“We ensure that the data that is inputted into these tools remains secure, within the organisation, and is never leaked to the public. After the initial training, we sit with these companies, we find out how their processes are, we find out their daily motions, their challenges, where they aspire to be, and their targets. And then we come up with customised solutions specifically meant for them,” he says.
Dime’s services have attracted organisations from diverse sectors, including financial services, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, and professional services.
While Kenya remains its key market, the firm is also seeing interest from organisations across Africa, including Rwanda, Tanzania, Somalia, and Ghana.
