MTN, which is in the process of acquiring Nigeria-based IHS Towers, is beefing up its digital infrastructure investments, backing AI networking start-up Oran Development Corporation (ODC).
ODC secured $45m (about R770.4m) in series A funding meant to architect “the global distributed compute grid”, it says, which will “power the AI-native era”.
While in the past data processing was mainly done through data centres, ODC’s software platform — built using Nvidia technology — enables mobile operators to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) directly into the radio control loop, allowing cellphone towers to perform real-time computing tasks.
Network operators such as MTN can move beyond simple connectivity to hosting heavy computing workloads such as those associated with AI through that infrastructure.
The investment into ODC was led by Booz Allen, Cisco Investments, Nokia and chipmaker Nvidia, alongside telecom operators AT&T, MTN and Telecom Italia.
This group of investors joins Phoenix Venture Partners and existing seed investment from affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management.
Series A funding helps a start-up refine its product and gain traction, whereas Series B is designed to push rapid growth and market share. Series A is normally preceded by one or more “seed” funding rounds meant to help a business get off the ground.
ODC’s investors serve as partners to help grow and scale the enterprise. For example, AT&T, MTN and Telecom Italia ensure that ODC’s technology is present across the US, Africa and Europe.
Global partnerships
The company is partnering “with top-tier global customers and expects to ramp these and other commercial engagements throughout 2026″, it said.
For Africa, AI-RAN (radio access network) represents “a leapfrog opportunity to deliver world-class intelligence from our largest cities to our most remote rural villages”, said MTN digital infrastructure CEO Mazen Mroué.
“By partnering with ODC, we are taking a leadership role in enabling advanced, precision-driven digital solutions across the industry landscape in Africa. 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, serving as a true force-for-good and supporting the development of Sovereign AI across the continent.”
ODC chair Shaygan Kheradpir highlighted the broader implications for the platform. “The successful raise of our series A allows us to scale our engagement with global partners who recognise that the wireless edge is the ultimate frontier for AI.”
“This is more than a technical deployment; it is a technological odyssey to build a US-based nervous system for the physical world. Our platform transforms the network from a communication pipe into a distributed compute grid — a global network of token factories capable of everything from general AI inference to the real-time spatial sensing required for autonomous systems.
“We are now focused on ramping up our engagements and accelerating the commercial deployment of this intelligent infrastructure throughout 2026. From powering industrial robotics to protecting critical national infrastructure, ODC is enabling the fabric that makes the physical world intelligent and sovereign.”
This comes a few weeks after MTN offered to buy out Nigerian-based IHS Towers for $2bn. For that amount, MTN aims to acquire the 76% of IHS it does not already own. By taking control of this asset base, the group will have greater control over how technologies such as those offered by ODC are developed and used in Africa.
