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Thérèse Kirongozi

Also known as Thérèse Izay-Kirongozi, Thérèse IzayKirongozi

Thérèse Kirongozi is a Congolese industrial-electronics engineer and entrepreneur known for her team’s intelligent traffic robots in Kinshasa. She earns an engineering-technician diploma at ISTA in 1999 and founds Women’s Technology in 2013. Her team’s work expands to school science with the Muyej chemistry robot and to water treatment with ISABO. The traffic robots appear at the 2023 Francophonie Games, and the team presents ISABO in 2025. As of October 2026, she leads Women’s Technology in its work with the National Road Safety Commission on Kinshasa traffic.

Now at
Women’s Technology
Born
1973
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1999

    Industrial electronics at ISTA

    In 1999, she earns a technical-engineering diploma in industrial electronics at ISTA in Kinshasa, specializing in automation and programming.

  2. 2013

    Founding Women’s Technology

    She founds Women’s Technology in 2013.

  3. 2014–2017

    Leading the traffic-robot project

    In 2014, she is president of Women’s Technology and project lead for its intelligent traffic robot in Kinshasa. By 2017, her robots regulate intersections in Kinshasa and other Congolese cities.

  4. 2019–2021

    New inventions and Muyej

    In 2019, she presents three inventions for water, electricity and education to the science minister. By 2021, her team’s Muyej robot makes chemistry lessons more engaging for secondary-school students and demonstrates how to separate hydrogen from oxygen.

  5. February 2021

    Encouraging girls in science

    In February 2021, she encourages girls to pursue science and technology.

  6. 2023

    Robots at the Francophonie Games

    At the 2023 Francophonie Games opening ceremony in Kinshasa, her traffic robots appear among the elements presented as Congolese heritage.

  7. July 2025

    ISABO for water treatment

    In July 2025, she presents ISABO, a Women’s Technology device that uses salt and solar power to turn unsafe water into drinking water.

  8. As of October 2026

    Women’s Technology and road safety

    In March 2026, Women’s Technology, under her direction, strengthens its collaboration with the National Road Safety Commission to develop traffic-control equipment for Kinshasa. She leads the organization as an industrial-electronics engineer and entrepreneur.

Career

  1. Since 2013Women’s TechnologyFounder, President and project lead

Education

  1. 1999Higher Institute of Applied TechniquesTechnical-engineering diploma in industrial electronics

From the biography.

  1. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI each year from 1955 to 2025, tracing the shift from university labs to companies.
  2. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIWe estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.
  3. 43% of living people shaping AI work outside their country of birthWe estimate that 43% of living people shaping AI work outside their country of birth (520 of 1,198 people with known birth and employment countries).
  4. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionWe estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.

Sources and credits

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  1. Thérèse Izay-Kirongozi, l’ingénieure qui a donné un visage congolais à la technologie urbaine – CONGO CEO congoceo.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. KIT17MS2024 Thérèse KIRONGOZI Izay - Fdec fdec.cd. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Thérèse Izay: «La création du robot roulage prouve que la femme congolaise peut faire de grandes choses» | Radio Okapi radiookapi.net. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Thérèse Kirongozi, conceptrice de Robots-roulages : «Je suis une selfmade woman» | Radio Okapi radiookapi.net. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. RDC : "j'ai inventé le robot roulage mais je n'arrive pas à le commercialiser en Afrique faute de moyens", regrette Thérèse Kirongozi | Actualite.cd actualite.cd. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. Thérèse Kirongozi présente ses nouvelles inventions au Ministre de Recherche Scientifique et Innovation Technologique | Lemag lemag.cd. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. La cheffe du Projet Robot intelligent encourage la jeune fille à se lancer dans la science pour le développement de la nation | ACP acp.cd. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. Jeux de la Francophonie : « nous avons compris que le développement de notre pays repose notamment sur notre culture », Thérèse Kirongozi | Actualite.cd actualite.cd. Checked 21 October 2026.
  9. Office National d’hydraulique rurale : Thérèse Kirongozi propose un robot qui transforme l’eau insalubre en eau potable - Droit & Finances.CD droit-et-finances.cd. Checked 21 October 2026.
  10. Embouteillages à Kinshasa : l’ingénierie féminine de Women’s Technology et la CNPR unies pour des solutions technologiques | Congo Quotidien congoquotidien.com. Checked 21 October 2026.