Building technology solutions for the world’s most fundamental problems

Quantitative Engineering Design (QED.ai) builds data systems and AI for human health and agriculture, the two fields we believe are most relevant to the security of humankind. We are a fully mission-driven technology company. We have regional expertise in development and humanitarian projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Our work aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, and 15.

We empower local organizations in developing countries by using technology to build their capacity.

We shape and adapt software and hardware to address their needs on the ground, to improve collection and analysis of data to assist in making informed policy decisions. We focus on adjusting and deploying technologies in highly-demanding environments.

Our team works with local experts, gathering insights and developing practical solutions together. Simultaneously, we provide training to develop local capacity and ensure project sustainability. We have boots-on-the-ground data collection and project support in Sub-Saharan Africa. We have incorporations in USA, EU, Kenya, and Asia.

Since QED’s inception in 2008, we have provided mission-critical support to many health and agriculture projects, in 13 countries. We built data processing pipelines for the surveillance of malaria, child mortality, crop disease, and soil health. We provide the analytical tools needed by our partners to execute targeted interventions. Our projects are implemented in collaboration with organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Gates Foundation (BMGF), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Our History

Data systems for bioinformatics research, and statistical consulting for energy research and the social sciences.

Software to support end-to-end geospatial research, including geospatial imagery annotation, barcoding and process tracking, and digital soil mapping (Africa Soil Information Service).

Data systems to monitor child mortality in Western Kenya.

Inception of ScanForm: digitalization of paper-based handwritten data, using smartphones and A.I., to support health clinics in all environments.

Mapping of Nepali agricultural ecosystem; piloting ScanForm in Western Kenya for malaria surveillance.

Handheld spectrometers and soil analysis kits to address scarcity of lab equipment in resource-poor environments.

Clinical trials for malaria vaccines and prophylactics.

National-scale mapping of Nigerian and Ghaian croplands; COVID-19 accelerates demand for ScanForm, as remote reporting of data is desperately needed.

National scale-up of ScanForm for all HIV testing in Malawi, including facilities and communities. Extension to PrEP, PCR, and STI, and many more countries, including ZA, NG, CM, and others.

Looking forward to the future

Learn more about our work

We work on many issues, but they all share something in common: solving basic, fundamental problems. Intrigued? Learn more about our projects, services, and industries we focus on. Let’s find out what we can do together!

Download our Company Profile

Our Partners

Meet the Team

Dr. Jiehua Chen

Chief Statistician and Co-Founder

“JC” is the Chief Statistician and Co-Founder of QED, whose career path in Africa formed the inspiration for the company.

Dr. Jiehua Chen is Chief Statistician at Quantitative Engineering Design (QED.ai). She has been working on international development since 2008, starting in the villages of Uganda, and eventually throughout East Africa. She has lived and worked in over a half-dozen countries, including China, the USA, Tanzania, Kenya, Poland, Taiwan, and Malawi. The many struggles she experienced as a statistician working in the Global South, to collect usable data and demonstrate impact, provided the foundational impetus for the construction of QED. Dr. Chen grew up in China one generation after the Cultural Revolution, starting in a small shack made of mud and metal. She went on to receive her B.Sc. in Math and Physics from Tsinghua University summa cum laude, followed by an M.S. in Economics and Ph.D. in Statistics at Stanford. Dr. Chen is passionate about finding practical solutions, and provides strategic oversight of QED’s product development focus. She has extensive technical expertise in spatial-temporal statistics, randomized experiment design, and juxtaposing modern machine learning methods with traditional statistical models. In the words of R.A. Fisher, it is preferable to consult JC before your project starts, or else she will only be able to tell you what your experiment died of.

Dr. William Wu

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Will is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, who directs the technology focus and ground operations of QED in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. Link to CV

Dr. William Wu is CEO of Quantitative Engineering Design (QED.ai), a mission-driven firm working in global health and food security. He directs QED’s mission to empower data systems and data-to-action particularly in developing countries, and strives to build a culture of pragmatic innovation in QED, informed by working and living in Africa. Trained both as a researcher and as an engineer, he brings +15 years of experience with data systems and A.I. to help partners scale their operations. Example projects include surveillance of HIV and malaria through automated transcription of handwritten medical registers (ScanForm), and land cover and soil mapping in Africa and Asia. Prior to working in global development, Dr. Wu developed scientific computing solutions bioinformatics labs and computer vision startups, and worked as a telecommunications engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, writing code used by satellites and rovers. Dr. Wu has been featured in The Gates Notes as one of Bill's Goalkeepers. He earned his B.S. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, and M.S. in Math and Ph.D. Electrical Engineering (Digital Signal Processing) from Stanford.

Michał Łazowik

Chief Technology Officer

Mr. Michał Łazowik is the CTO of QED, overseeing the architecture and implementation of all technologies, and setting high standards for design, code quality, and performance.

Mr. Michał Łazowik strives to build industry-grade technologies that can deliver practical value toward the Sustainable Development Goals and are also scalable and well-designed. He has been passionate about computing throughout his life, and like many at QED, trained in computer programming contests as a kid. Michał has previously worked at multiple tech companies, including Google and Facebook. Over the course of a decade, through patient leadership and exacting attention to detail, Michał revolutionized the way in which QED carries out its technology development, drawing on his experiences from blue-chip companies to set extremely high standards for code quality, testing, documentation, infrastructure management, and principles of communication and coordination amongst developers and business leads. Michał has extensive technical expertise in back-end development, front-end development, and DevOps, tempered by practical experience. He studied computer science at the University of Warsaw.

Dr. Kevin Cain

Chief Medical Officer

As the Chief Medical Officer of QED, Dr. Kevin Cain supports the organization in bringing technological solutions to public health practice to save lives and prevent disease spread.

Dr. Kevin Cain is a values-based, impact-oriented executive leader with experience leading large, complex, highly visible organizations. He is a physician with over 19 years of experience in Global Health, including 9 years living, working, and leading overseas, and extensive technical expertise with multiple areas of health including HIV, TB, and pandemic preparedness and response. Kevin has a strong record of building successful collaborations, of valuing and leading people successfully towards goals that matter, and of communicating with the highest levels of U.S. and foreign governments, the private sector, and the media. Previously Kevin served as the Principal Deputy Director for CDC’s Global Health Center, which managed over 2 billion dollars annually across all countries. At QED, he ensures that the technological solutions we produce can have practical, meaningful impact on public health practice, to prevent the spread of disease, save lives, and improve livelihoods.

Dr. David Johnson

Agronomy Research Advisor

Dr. David Johnson is an expert in international agricultural research with a PhD in Agronomy and Plant Genetics. He provides strategic guidance for QED's development of agricultural tech and research collaborations.

Dr. David Johnson is an accomplished leader in international agricultural research. David’s core technical training is in agronomy and plant breeding. He earned his PhD in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from the University of Arizona, and he has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Agronomy and Crop Science from University of Wyoming. Previously he has served as the Deputy Director General of Research at the World Vegetable Center overseeing regional operations in Taiwan, Thailand, India, Korea, Benin, Mali, and Tanzania. He has also served on the USDA’s advisory committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture, and Director of Research and Plant Breeder at Alforex/Cal West Seeds. David is passionate about plant genetic resources, fostering safe and sustainable value chains, healthy diets, and impact evaluation of agricultural programs.