Francois
van der Merwe

An award-winning founder, technologist, public speaker, board member & advisor.

Bio

Francois van der Merwe is an award-winning AI technologist, innovator, and public speaker who believes technology can build a safer, brighter future for humanity. He is the Founder & CEO of Otinga.io, an innovation company that helps enterprises design and scale products and services using hackathons, ideathons, innovation frameworks, and AI solutions.

About

Over the course of his career, Francois has:

  • Built predictive AI models for the Tour de France bicycle race.

  • Helped transform one of the world’s largest ICT service providers through automation at scale.

  • Founded multiple successful startups and has won the coveted Startup of the Year award with Otinga.io

  • Guided global organizations across finance, insurance, and technology sectors in embedding AI and innovation into their core strategies.

  • Led executive lectures on AI Adoption, Enterprise Innovation, and Digital Transformation at Henley Business School and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).

Francois is known for blending deep technical expertise with a passion for human-centered innovation, ensuring technology creates meaningful impact, not just hype.

Speaking Topics

Francois speaks on the intersection of AI, innovation, and leadership, inspiring audiences to think differently about the future. Popular topics include:

  • AI Adoption: From Hype to Real-World Value

  • Enterprise Innovation: Scaling Beyond Product Development

  • Digital Transformation: How to Lead in a Disrupted World

  • What It Means to Be Human in an AI World

  • The Hard Truth About Innovation vs. Product Development

  • Building Antifragile Teams and Mindsets for Disruption

Recent Engagements

Francois has been featured as a keynote speaker and lecturer at some of Africa’s most prestigious institutions and events, including:

  • Henley Business School → executive lecture series on AI Adoption, Enterprise Innovation, and ROI.

  • Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) → lectures on Enterprise Innovation and Digital Transformation.

  • ConnectLive 2025 (Cape Town, Durban & Johannesburg) → AI-driven innovation and digital transformation.

  • SACAP (South African College of Applied Psychology) → keynote on humanity in the age of AI.

  • BPESA GBS & BPO Conference → keynote on AI innovations and the future of work.

  • Santam Hackathon 2024 → driving insurance innovation through AI and collaboration.

  • CFO Conference → innovation and AI for financial leadership.

Style & Impact

Francois combines storytelling, practical frameworks, and bold insights to spark conversations that move beyond hype and into action. His sessions are known for being:

  • Inspiring → Encouraging new ways of thinking about technology and leadership.

  • Practical → Offering frameworks for applying innovation inside enterprises.

  • Human-centered → Balancing the excitement of AI with empathy, psychology, and purpose.

Organizers and attendees consistently highlight his ability to simplify complex concepts and inspire immediate action.

Beyond the Stage

When not helping enterprises innovate, Francois enjoys:

  • Behavioral psychology and exploring how human biases shape technology.

  • Scuba diving and discovering the hidden depths of the ocean.

  • Electronics design and experimenting with future-facing technologies.

  • Philanthropy & mentorship, empowering the next generation of innovators.

Booking & Inquiries

To book Francois to speak at your next conference, summit, or corporate event, please visit otinga.io, book a call or connect with him directly on LinkedIn.

💡 Why Book Francois?

  • Engages audiences with inspiring, practical, and human-centered insights

  • Audiences rate his talks 9.24/10 on average.

  • Recognized Startup of the Year (Civitas Network)

  • Built predictive AI models for the Tour de France

  • Transformed one of the world’s largest ICT providers with automation at scale