Brand Engagement Network Secures $2.050 Million AI Licensing Partnership in Africa
Brand Engagement Network Secures $2.050 Million AI Licensing Partnership in Africa |
| [21-January-2026] |
Featuring Institution-Approved Mental Health Pilot at Nelson Mandela University WILMINGTON, Del. and JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Engagement Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNAI) ("BEN"), a provider of secure, governed conversational AI solutions for regulated industries, today announced the finalization of a strategic partnership with Valio Technologies (Pty) Ltd ("Valio") to establish an exclusive AI licensing framework for government and commercial markets across Africa. The partnership includes a memorandum of understanding with Nelson Mandela University for a regulated, institution-approved pilot deployment of artificial intelligence designed to enhance student wellbeing.
Key Deal Terms
The partnership leverages BEN's proprietary Engagement Language Model (ELM™) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technologies to deliver compliant, localized AI solutions aligned with growing data sovereignty and regulatory requirements across African markets. Nelson Mandela University: Governed AI in Practice. As part of the Africa expansion, BEN and Valio have entered into a memorandum of understanding with Nelson Mandela University to implement a governance framework for an AI-powered mental health support initiative for students. The planned deployment is intended to operate within a secure, closed-loop environment and is trained exclusively on institution-approved content, without access to external public models or the open internet. The initiative is designed to complement the University's existing counseling, wellness, and psychosocial services by expanding access to confidential, culturally relevant support while maintaining strict governance, institutional oversight, and appropriate escalation to human care when required. This comes at a critical time, as mental health challenges among university students are at alarming levels globally. In South Africa, prevalence rates for anxiety disorders reach up to 37.1% among students1, with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affecting 21-24.5%2, and overall perceived stress impacting 64.7% of university students across Africa3. Similarly, in the United States, 37% of college students report moderate to severe anxiety4, 44% experience depression symptoms5, and 60% meet criteria for at least one mental health issue6, underscoring the universal need for innovative, governed solutions like this pilot. "In mental health applications, accuracy, governance, and trust are essential," said Lefentse Nokaneng, Chief Executive Officer of Valio Technologies and General Manager: Research at Brand South Africa, South Africa's official national branding agency7. "We selected BEN because its technology is built with control and accountability at its core, supporting institutions as they responsibly explore how AI can complement existing support services." "This partnership reflects our strategy of pairing commercial scale with real-world, institution-approved deployments," said Tyler Luck, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of BEN. "Africa, with its rapidly growing digital economy and more than 1.4 billion people, represents a significant opportunity for governed AI adoption across public and private sectors. By combining exclusive licensing, equity participation, and trusted institutional collaborations like Nelson Mandela University, we are building a scalable ecosystem aligned with regulatory, cultural, and societal priorities." Valio Technologies is also the creator of eYakho Health, a digital health platform that aims to become one of Africa's largest connected health networks, linking patients, clinicians, pharmacies, diagnostic providers, and hospitals through a unified digital ecosystem accessible across the continent. This announcement marks BEN's second major international AI licensing agreement — following the highly successful Skye LATAM partnership in Latin America — and underscores growing demand for compliant, sovereignty-aligned AI solutions across life sciences, healthcare, insurance, financial services, hospitality, retail, and automotive sectors. About Brand Engagement Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNAI) About Valio Technologies (Pty) Ltd About Nelson Mandela University Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may affect results are detailed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. BEN undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Sources / Footnotes 1 Anxiety disorders prevalence in South African students: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10607458/ (2023 study)
SOURCE Brand Engagement Network, Inc. (BEN) | ||
Company Codes: NASDAQ-CM:BNAI,NASDAQ-NMS:BNAI |
View original content to download multimedia:
