Kenya - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Somo-GPT is a Generative Artificial Intelligence teaching and learning conversational assistant. In simple terms, a high school student/teacher can ask 'Somo' any subject-based question and get in-scope answers as per the approved national curriculum.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Upeo Labs Limited is a research and development company aiming to apply the latest cutting-edge A.I. and blockchain research (e.g. generative A.I.) to society challenges in Africa. We find innovative ways to tap into the benefits of such new technologies for Africa's needs despite the costs of in-house infrastructure development given that the country (Kenya) and Africa in general has not seen investments to match the current international early adopters and proprietors (e.g. OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Mistral AI, etc). Our initial African-centric generative A.I. application is on national curriculum digitization for high school subjects such as Biology, History, Physics, etc. Our approach is an expansion from research that led to the development of such chat agents as ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Gemini (Google). We have developed Somo-GPT which uses the power of transformers (large language models) to hold human-like conversations about subjects offered in Kenya's high schools.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

We are on a mission to equip every learner and teacher with a full-time AI assistant that can hold human-like conversations to answer any subject-based questions the same way a teacher would or an approved text book would. In doing so, we address such problems as 1) Teacher-student ratio imbalances 2) Democratization of high school education [SGD 4] 3) Lag in innovation for AI adoption for high school improved learning outcomes. 4) Under-resourcing of teachers both from a teacher availability and support-material availability standpoint.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

In addition to being a key sustainable anchor of SDG 4 advancement and the Kenyan government's Vision 2030 initiative, Somo-GPT address such problems as 1) Teacher-student ratio imbalances 2) Democratization of high school education [SGD 4] 3) Lag in innovation for AI adoption for high school improved learning outcomes. 4) Under-resourcing of teachers both from a teacher availability and support-material availability standpoint.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

High school Teachers High school Students

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-11-23

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

0

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

CEO - Roy Khasiani Murwa Roy is a self-taught deep learning artificial intelligence engineer and beneficiary of the Google-Gebeya merit scholarship award. He dropped out of Strathmore University for lack of school fees but continued with his passion for education and secured the scholarship accordingly. This was after his 3.5-year service as a senior business analyst in Telkom Kenya Limited.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.somo.chata

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

h) IT (digital services, equipment and software)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

6

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

By accessing Somo-GPT, students are are able to talk to Somo about other useful life issues such as Mental health and Menstrual health. This introduces students to self care and well-being early enough at almost no cost.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

Somo-GPT is at its core, an education product. It enables students get artificial intelligence support when studying subjects and needing remembering or further explanation at a students convenience.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Somo-GPT contributes to democratisation of high school education across gender. No biases are given as both genders are able to chat with the AI without revealing their gender as a requirement.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

4

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Somo-GPT contributes to the overall mission of skills capacity-building and digitization in the face of vision 2030. These are key aspects of ensuring guarantee of decent work and economic growth.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Somo-GPT is the ONLY technology in its category offering curriculum digitization using the human-like conversation generative AI approach. This speaks to the height of its innovative contribution.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

Somo is inanimate. The artificial intelligence as a teaching assistant has no regard or bias of gender. Thus said, it adds to the teaching assistants but without introducing gender imbalances.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

4

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.08 Justification for my startup

Somo-GPT uses the groundbreaking transformer technology in artificial intelligence algorithms which has only seen successes abroad.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

No company is dedicated to offering what we offer as of yet.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?