NEW YORK, Jan 23, 2026, 19:37 EST
- Shares of Brand Engagement Network surged nearly 90% as investors zeroed in on a licensing and investment deal linked to Africa.
- The company announced the deal involves a $2.05 million preferred equity contribution recorded as IP licensing revenue, along with a 35% cut of revenue and a 25% ownership in a newly formed entity.
- A distinct, non-binding memorandum sets the stage for a student wellbeing AI pilot at South Africa’s Nelson Mandela University.
Shares of Brand Engagement Network jumped roughly 90% on Friday after the AI firm announced a licensing and investment deal with Valio Technologies. The partnership aims to expand its platform throughout Africa. 1
The shift is significant as Brand Engagement Network aims to generate near-term licensing revenue from its technology while retaining upside via an equity stake and a share of future sales, instead of developing a full-scale operation on its own.
In small, thinly traded stocks, deal structures mixing an upfront payment with ongoing revenue sharing can trigger sharp price moves. Investors see these deals as a gauge of whether the company’s model can succeed beyond the U.S.
A regulatory filing revealed the deal closed on Jan. 20, linking Valio with a newly established South African company. As part of the agreement, Brand Engagement Network will receive a $2.05 million preferred equity contribution—an investment in a share class that typically ranks above common stock. The company said this would be logged as intellectual property licensing revenue. 2
The filing revealed Brand Engagement Network will own 25% of the common equity in the new company and secure one board seat. It will also receive a 35% cut of revenue from software, software-as-a-service (subscription software), and related services sold through the venture.
The deal gives the new entity an exclusive, perpetual licence to use Brand Engagement Network’s technology throughout government and private sectors in Africa. It also includes a right of first refusal on any future sale of the entity.
Valio’s CEO Lefentse Nokaneng said the company chose Brand Engagement Network because “accuracy, governance, and trust are essential” in mental health applications. Brand Engagement Network CEO Tyler Luck described the deal as aligning with a strategy that combines “commercial scale” and “institution-approved deployments.” https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brand-engagement-network-secures-2-050-million-ai-licensing-partnership-in-africa-302666461.html 3
The filing also outlined a separate memorandum of understanding with Nelson Mandela University, detailing a governance- and institution-approved AI pilot designed to support student wellbeing. It noted the memorandum is non-binding and imposes no material financial obligations on Brand Engagement Network.
TradingView’s news feed, summarizing the filing, labeled the deal as a perpetual licensing and investment setup. It involves an upfront payment, equity stakes, and a revenue share linked to deployments across Africa. 4
Brand Engagement Network has positioned its platform as “governed” conversational AI tailored for regulated sectors — systems built to operate within strict compliance frameworks. The company noted that its Africa deal hinges on its proprietary model and retrieval technology.
The key lies in execution. The university pilot is still non-binding, and the real value of the deal will depend on whether the new entity can successfully sell and deploy products at scale — a figure nowhere detailed in the filing’s forecasts.
Brand Engagement Network offered no further financial guidance in the filing, aside from outlining the deal terms and detailing how the preferred equity contribution will factor into revenue recognition.
