MBABANE – South African tech entrepreneur Kiara Nirghin, known for winning the Google Science Fair at 16, is now making waves in Silicon Valley after founding her artificial intelligence company at the age of 22.
Kiara, now 25, recently earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 North America list, under the Artificial Intelligence category. She and her sister, Nikhara Nirghin, co-founded Chima, an AI startup focused on building systems that automate complex tasks in the business environment.
The Johannesburg-born tech innovator first gained global attention as a teenager when her science project using orange peels and avocado skins to combat drought won the Google Science Fair. The project, which helped retain soil moisture, earned her a prize worth R680 000 while she was still a student at St. Martin’s High School. 
Chima, headquartered in Silicon Valley, is led by the two sisters with Kiara serving as Chief Technology Officer and Nikhara, a qualified actuary with experience from Liberty, Deloitte, and Goldman Sachs, acting as Chief Executive Officer. The startup focuses on human reasoning AI systems designed to manage repetitive processes in corporate settings.
Kiara’s journey into technology took off after the Google win, which funded her Computer Science studies at Stanford University in 2018. She completed her Master’s degree in AI and Human-Computer Interaction in 2023.
Her professional experience includes roles on the Facebook Tech Sustainability Board and the Google Impact Fund Board. She is also a fellow of Thiel Capital and the 776 Foundation, programmes backed by billionaire tech founders Peter Thiel and Alexis Ohanian.
