By Francis G. Boayue
Monrovia, Liberia — Hellen S. Momoh, a Liberian based in America has founded an artificial intelligence startup, emerging on the global stage, earning recognition for its work in helping governments and public institutions deploy advanced AI systems while retaining full control over their data. Surna Technologies, a sovereign AI and cloud infrastructure company, has been selected as a semifinalist in Harvard University’s prestigious President’s Innovation Challenge.
Hellen S. Momoh, a Liberian and graduate student in Data Science at Harvard University, Surna Technologies is positioned as more than a single startup.
The competition highlights high-impact, student-led ventures from across Harvard’s 13 schools.
Chosen from thousands of ventures supported by Harvard Innovation Labs, Surna Technologies stood out for its focus on data sovereignty and national AI infrastructure, particularly for African institutions.
At the core of Surna’s mission is a bold premise: Africa must own and control its full technology stack. Rather than outsourcing sensitive data and intelligence systems to external providers, the company advocates for locally built, secure infrastructure that enables governments to develop, deploy, and govern their own AI capabilities.
According to Momoh: “Data is the new oil,” Momoh explains. “But without our own refinery, we cannot capture its true value. Surna is building the foundational infrastructure that allows African institutions to benefit from their own intelligence.”
Surna’s advancement in the Harvard Innovation Challenge marks a significant moment for Liberia, placing the country among a growing group of African nations contributing to the development of sovereign AI systems.
Technology analysts note that Surna reflects a broader continental shift, as African innovators across sectors—from fintech to climate intelligence—push to design and deploy national-scale systems built within Africa, by Africans, for African needs.
Using Liberia as its initial testing and deployment environment, Surna plans to expand across West Africa and ECOWAS member states. Its offerings include secure cloud infrastructure, national observability platforms, and AI solutions spanning multiple sectors.
Harvard Innovation Labs described this year’s semifinalists as some of the university’s most promising emerging ventures, with finalists set to be announced in March 2026. Five finalists in the Open Track will compete live for a share of more than $500,000 in funding.
For Momoh, the recognition carries broader meaning.
“This isn’t just a win for Surna,” she said. “It’s proof that Liberia can innovate at the highest global level and compete alongside the world’s leading technology ecosystems. This is the start of a new chapter for Africa’s digital future.”
