MTN Joins $45 Million Round in AI-Native Radio Network Startup Alongside Nvidia, Cisco and Nokia

MTN Group’s digital infrastructure arm has joined a $45 million funding round in ORAN Development Company, a U.S.-based startup building AI-native radio access network technology, alongside Nvidia, Cisco, Nokia, AT&T and Telecom Italia.

The Series A round, announced Thursday, positions ODC to develop software that would transform conventional cell towers into edge computing hubs capable of running AI workloads locally, rather than routing data back to centralized data centers. The technology, known as AI-RAN, integrates AI processing and sensing capabilities directly into the radio access network. ODC’s platform is built on Nvidia’s AI Aerial software stack for high-performance, software-defined 5G.

For MTN, the investment represents a bet on next-generation network architecture with potentially significant implications for African markets. “For Africa, AI-RAN represents a leapfrog opportunity to deliver world-class intelligence from our largest cities to our most remote rural villages,” said Mazen Mroué, CEO of MTN Digital Infrastructure. “This isn’t just about connectivity. It’s about building the distributed AI compute foundation required to accelerate financial inclusion, industrial autonomy and local innovation.”

Mroué framed the investment as part of a push toward sovereign AI on the continent — the principle that African countries should develop locally hosted AI computing capacity rather than depending on offshore infrastructure.

The investment complements MTN’s broader digital infrastructure ambitions. In its 2025 annual results published earlier this month, MTN said it was positioning for AI-enabled data centers in South Africa and Nigeria and had shortlisted strategic partners for greenfield development.

ODC said the funding will accelerate the commercial deployment of its Odyssey platform throughout 2026. The company is working with global customers but has not disclosed specific African deployment timelines. Other investors in the round include Booz Allen, Phoenix Venture Partners and affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, which participated in an earlier seed round.