Younes uses AI to support cross-border sourcing for global procurement. [Photo/Yongpai app]

Moroccan entrepreneur Younes is building an AI agent in Ningbo to help international buyers discover Chinese factories that are often difficult to find through traditional sourcing channels.

Based in Ningbo, Younes is developing DeepSource, an AI-powered sourcing system that uses multi-agent workflows to map suppliers across fragmented Chinese-language data sources, including business registries, mapping platforms, trade fair records, and certification databases.

His path to Ningbo began with an experiment: while using ChatGPT to explore potential cities in China for starting a business, he was unexpectedly recommended Ningbo — a mid-sized coastal hub known for its strong manufacturing base and lower operating costs than major metropolitan areas. He decided to follow that lead.

Coming from a Moroccan business family with strong ties to China's import trade, Younes arrived with hands-on experience in e-commerce operations. Once in China, he identified a persistent gap in cross-border sourcing: many capable small and mid-sized factories remain largely invisible to overseas buyers, while international platforms tend to concentrate demand around a limited group of established suppliers.

To address this, he began designing an AI system that breaks sourcing into modular tasks. Different agents handle discovery, verification, and filtering based on criteria such as production scale, export history, and order requirements, reducing what is typically a manual and time-consuming procurement process.

Beyond DeepSource, he also works on cross-border commerce projects connecting Chinese suppliers with markets in North Africa.

Now part of Ningbo's emerging AI startup ecosystem, Younes works within a local founder community focused on applied AI tools, describing the city as a practical environment where manufacturing infrastructure and rapid AI experimentation intersect.