Moroccan-Dutch Founder’s Technology Reaches 100 Countries, From Factories to Container Ships
Said Ouissal, a Dutch entrepreneur of Moroccan origin, leads ZEDEDA, an American technology company whose solutions are now deployed in more than 100 countries. Based in Silicon Valley, he is developing tools that allow industrial companies to manage their equipment and artificial intelligence systems remotely.
From ships to car factories and energy facilities, the technology developed by Said Ouissal has taken hold across numerous industrial sectors. According to a statement published in August 2026, his company ZEDEDA’s platform is now used in more than 100 countries. This marks an international expansion for the company, founded in 2016 by the entrepreneur of Moroccan origin, who has spent most of his career between the Netherlands and the United States.
On Bladi.net : Moroccan Founder’s AI Startup Acquired by Notion Less Than Two Years After Launch
Said Ouissal’s career began in Enschede, the Netherlands, where he studied computer science at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. After graduating in 1998, he specialized in networks and digital infrastructure, at a time when the internet was profoundly transforming the telecommunications sector.
His career took him to several international groups, including Redback Networks, Ericsson and Juniper Networks, where he held senior positions. In 2016, he founded ZEDEDA in California, aiming to make it easier to manage machines and software installed at thousands of industrial sites.
The company’s name has a distinctive feature linked to its origins. In an interview with Unite.AI, Said Ouissal explains that he chose ZEDEDA in reference to a Moroccan word evoking novelty and innovation.
His company develops technology known as “edge computing.” It enables information to be processed close to the machines that generate it. In a factory, for example, equipment data can be analyzed locally while software is managed from a central platform.
Millions of dollars raised to conquer industry
The business has attracted numerous investors. In February 2024, ZEDEDA announced a $72 million funding round, bringing its total funding to more than $127 million. In March 2025, Said Ouissal told financial news outlet Mergermarket that his company had now raised $140 million since its founding.
Investors include funds linked to Porsche, Chevron and Rockwell Automation. These groups are interested in industrial applications of the technology, particularly in the automotive and energy sectors and in the management of connected equipment.
Expansion continued in 2026. In its official statement in August, ZEDEDA said it was equipping two of the world’s five largest container shipping groups and two of the five biggest automakers. Its software runs on equipment spread across more than 100 countries, while its teams are based in the United States, Germany, India and the United Arab Emirates, among other places.
The company is also accelerating its development in artificial intelligence. During a presentation at the NVIDIA GTC conference in March 2026, Said Ouissal described applications of his technology at hundreds of car washes, where image-recognition systems can analyze vehicles and automate some operations.
In September, ZEDEDA also announced a partnership with American processor maker Ambarella. The collaboration is intended to facilitate the remote deployment and updating of artificial intelligence systems used in cameras, industrial facilities and connected equipment.
