Like it or not, you will not run away from AI. Its potential range is daunting, so it's no surprise that many organizations struggle to pinpoint exactly what they can do for them.
Promises to track is Dublin-based startup Brainstormx. Its founders Patrick Brennan and Brian Glancy will bypass the hype and provide AI solutions that deliver tangible results.
Brennan and Grassey met while working at Kingspan. Brennan was CTO and Glancy (a background engineer who holds personal patents in logistics, construction and manufacturing) was Director of Digital Strategy and Head of Innovation.
The path to the formation of Brainstormx began in 2023 when software engineer Brennan began using AI to build health and wellness startups.
During his research process, he found an opportunity to provide AI services to the general market focused on “why” and “why” to help organizations answer two important questions. Convinced that this opportunity had a foot, the founder pivoted to develop what became BrainStormx.
“We all know why we use AI, so we focus on the most important aspects of the day. But there are so many teams trapped in AI limbo and we don't know where to start.
Furthermore, while large companies have the resources for AI to take advantage of their strategic advantage, smaller organizations are left behind. Our mission is clear. Build intuitive and powerful AI tools that any business can use to develop victory strategies that drive growth, innovation and competitive advantage in increasingly complex global markets. ”
“What makes us different is that by working directly with organizations to transform their approach to AI, helping them understand their value in terms of what they can do for them,” adds Brennan. “We identify practical applications and help them implement them without being buried in jargon or technical complexity.”
“Specifications”
The client provides “specs” to BrainStormx. For example, the company will recommend the best ways to use AI to promote efficiency or improve processes.
“You can instantly turn your current few weeks of consulting work into an AI strategy. Unlike many AI startups chase quick wins, you burn security and regulatory compliance into every solution,” says Brennan. “We are a boutique for a reason and we are building our own AI solutions for our services because we need to master the technology before you can implement or advise on it.”
Brennan has discovered from his conversations with companies that many are worried about how the tools that many people use to train AI models are being used. He also came across companies that could not explain how personal information about them appeared in the public domain. And the fallout is not finished yet.
Brennan predicts the next wave of AI will become increasingly important for organizations to lock down how they use AI to minimize risk, keep their brands safe, ensure data, and keep their day-to-day operations on the right side of governance and regulations.
“Our focus is on organisations implementing AI,” says Brennan. “This means risk analysis in line with compliance with EU AI law and design. New technologies put organizations at risk, but unlike other technologies, AI risks are still largely misunderstood. This is why human-centered solutions and monitoring are important.
“We prioritize quality, security and brand protection in an uncertain new world. AI is not without debt, but it also has amazing possibilities. Data within a siloed organization can be a source of future value if it is safe to use AI and capitalized without unnecessary exposure to open models.”
Brennan says rapid advances in AI have fundamentally changed the timeline for establishing new businesses such as Brainstormx. “Even four or five years ago, maybe 20 people would have been built a year to do what we did. We did it alone in three months.”
Funds
Previous investments in the company have been operating for around 100,000 euros between personal funding, feasibility grants from the Fingal Local Enterprise Office, and scholarships from Enterprise Ireland as part of the new Frontiers programme.
The company has been making revenue since the end of last year, along with clients from Ireland, the UK, the US and Europe, with plans to start an early seed round of 500,000 euros at the beginning of next year.
Interestingly, founders are eschewing the SaaS revenue model due to public fatigue at recurrence fees. Instead, they chose a one-time fee to provide clients with reports on what they need when it comes to AI and how to implement it.
The Brainstormx platform will be fully developed by the end of this year, and once all the elements are in operation, the company will begin hiring.
However, rather than having many technicians on board, Brennan says he's looking for business development experts who have the tricks to deal with people.
In his view, the more technology is taken over in the business, the more important it is to have a personal relationship with clients.
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