Archive: March 1, 2024

The world’s first AI employee is here, and she might be after your job

March 1, 2023: Artisan AI, a San Francisco based startup, has launched their first AI digital worker after securing $3.5 million in funding from YCombinator, Sequoia Scout, Fellows Fund, Oliver Jung, among others. Ava, the world’s most efficient sales rep, spearheads the company’s ambitious rollout of AI employees, slated for 2024. Their pipeline includes Liam, The Marketing Artisan, and James, The Customer Success Artisan.

Ava, the first Artisan, can do the work of 10 human outbound sales representatives, and will save your team a remarkable amount of time and money

An adaptable, interactable digital worker, Ava develops a unique understanding of each company she works for. Businesses who are interested can now apply for exclusive access. Upon approval, Ava integrates into your existing sales workflow and is customized to meet your specific needs.

As an AI sales representative, Ava can manage the entire cold email sales cycle from start to finish. She has the productivity of 10 human employees at just 10% of the cost. Designed to work alongside human employees, she’s the perfect solution for businesses who are looking to drive productivity, while keeping costs down.

Ava leverages her database of over 200 million contacts to find the best targets for outbound sales campaigns

Using an advanced LLM, she does in-depth research into each prospect to craft hyper-personalized outbound email sequences.

What else can Ava do?

Create TCPs through conversation with the user

Reply to prospects with superhuman product knowledge

Warm up mailboxes to maximize outbound email deliverability

Create meeting link clicks & positive sentiment responses

Send 1000’s of emails per month

Artisan AI is on a mission to create the next Industrial Revolution

Unlike previous paradigms of AI agents, Artisans are the first generation of digital workers who onboard themselves, collaborate via chat, complete full job workflows from end-to-end, and grow to understand each organization.

Artisan AI has ambitious plans to pioneer the future of work – by creating an ecosystem of capable, human-like digital workers who are able to work together across different business verticals.

The ultimate goal? A fully integrated SaaS platform, with built-in Artisans that are indistinguishable from real people.

Artisan AI is founded by 22-year-old CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack and Oxford PhD Graduate CTO Dr. Rupert Dodkins

A third-time founder, Jaspar previously ran an international branding agency and an on-demand services app. He has teamed up with Dr. Rupert Dodkins, who has a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Oxford and over 10 years of machine learning experience. They currently have a team of 11 people, with plans to expand rapidly over 2024.

Pusan National University Researchers Improve the Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells

1st March 2024: Perovskite solar cells are considered the strongest contender to replace silicon solar cells. While they achieve high power conversion energy, they also suffer from lead leakage and perovskite degradation due to moisture. Now, Pusan National University scientists leverage the technique of interfacial passivation, where lead ions are bound by crown ether B18C6, obtaining 21.7% power conversion energy. The crown ether also resists degradation due to moisture for 300 hours at room temperature and 85% humidity.

Perovskite solar cells are thought of as the strongest contender to replace the conventional silicon solar cells in next-generation photovoltaics. They are made of an A+ cation, a B2+ divalent cation, and an X- halide. Generally containing Pb2+ or Sn2+, they achieve high power conversion energy that is suitable for commercial use. Unfortunately, the presence of lead ions causes issues such as lead leakage, which is a hazard for the environment. Moreover, in the presence of moisture, the perovskite tends to get corroded. Multiple approaches have been suggested to resolve this issue, including encapsulating the device and compositional engineering of the perovskite light absorbers.

Now, a team of researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea have published a study in Volume 92 of the Journal of Energy Chemistry in this direction. It was made available online on 1 February 2024 and has been published in the May 2024 edition. The researchers tested many crown ethers in this study to improve the stability of perovskite solar cells. When asked about the relevance of this study, lead researcher Assistant Professor Ji-Youn Seo from the team says, “This study emphasizes the efficacy of interface passivation by achieving increased power conversion efficiency, and demonstrates that crown ether not only blocks lead leakage through the formation of host-guest complexes with lead ions but also imparts strong resistance to moisture to the treated films, showing improved long-term stability in high humidity environments compared to existing solutions. This research highlights the potential of crown ether to simultaneously address lead leakage and long-term stability for sustainable perovskite solar cells ready to advance commercialization and renewable energy applications.”

The team found that B18C6 was the best ether for interfacial passivation. With B18C6, there was an increased charge carrier lifetime (or the time spent by an electron in the conduction band of a semiconductor and a hole in the valence band of a semiconductor) seen within the perovskite. The work function (or the minimum energy required to move an electron from a metal’s surface) between the hole transfer material and the perovskite was also improved. Thus, the researchers obtained an exceptional power conversion efficiency of 21.7% with B18C6. Compared to untreated perovskites that showed signs of lead leakage, the perovskites with B18C6 showed no signs of lead leakage when a depth profile of all layers was conducted. Furthermore, while normal perovskites showed lead iodide formation when exposed to 95% humidity at room temperature for 300 hours, no such issue was observed for the perovskite passivated by B18C6.

Within the next five years, perovskite solar cell technology, as a type of next generation emerging solar technology, is positioned to potentially replace the globally prevalent silicon solar cells. This technology can enhance photoelectric conversion efficiency to over 30% when used alongside existing silicon solar cells, thereby increasing the possibility of replacing fossil fuel-based energy sources and contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality. Additionally, perovskite solar cells exhibit superior photoelectric conversion efficiency even under indoor lighting, making them applicable to electronic devices and the Internet of Things (IoT), thus offering significant energy-saving opportunities.

“In ten years, this technology could be applied to the energy, display, and semiconductor materials industries through the heterojunction structure. If leveraged effectively, it could lead to the development of high-efficiency hydrogen production devices, high-brightness, flexible displays, and the development of three-dimensional organic and inorganic semiconductor materials and devices, contributing to leading the advancement of high-tech nations,” says Dr. Seo about the long-term implications of this study.

Here’s hoping for the commercialization of perovskites with crown ethers soon!

SurveySparrow hosts RefineCX 2024 focusing on AI-powered CX Transformation

Mumbai, India 01st March 2024: SurveySparrow, a leading customer experience management (CXM) platform, hosted ‘RefineCX India’ at Sofitel Mumbai BKC on Feb 23, 2024. The event had over 50 CX leaders delve into the transformative potential of generative AI and its application in modern customer engagement strategies.

Star-Studded Panel Discussions Illuminate the Path Forward 

The event featured panel discussions on the intricacies of personalizing customer journeys and strategic use of social reputation. Notable industry figures such as Mithila Mahajan, Global Head of Customer Experience at BDx Data Centres, Akash Surekha, Ex-Managing Director, JP Morgan and Chase, and Gaurav Sharma, Vice President & Head of Operations at Bajaj Allianz shared their insights during the discussions. These conversations underscored the evolving landscape of customer expectations and how businesses can not only meet but exceed through technology.

Akash Sureka, Ex-Managing Director, JP Morgan and Chase expressed that: “By harnessing the power of social reputation, we can build trust, driving sustained growth and success in today’s dynamic marketplace. It was delightful to share insights at the event, fostering meaningful discussions and learning from fellow industry leaders.”

Mithila Mahajan, Global Head – Customer Experience, BDx Data Centres reflected on the event, stating: “Reimagining the customer experience panorama requires constant awareness of customers’ points of interaction. It was exciting to discuss the latest innovations and practical solutions for brands to deliver a nuanced customer experience. It’s an amazing time for CX professionals to utilize Generative AI to its fullest.”

Honoring Customer Heroes And Making CXM Accessible 

SurveySparrow, serving more than 4000+ businesses, recognized the efforts and mastery of leading customer-favorite brands by presenting “Customer Voice Champion” awards to Meesho, Tata Digital, and Decathlon. It spotlighted the impact these brands had on their customers over the years.

Moreover, to better serve the Indian market and encourage more businesses to enhance customer experience, SurveySparrow has introduced INR pricing starting from Rs. 599, making their platform more affordable.

Expanding the Horizon with Generative AI 

SurveySparrow showcased its star AI features –AI Wings and CogniVue to enhance CX with its presence at 20+ customer touchpoints. AI Wings serves as a versatile digital assistant, streamlining feedback collection, customer service, and managing reviews. CogniVue, on the other hand, offers advanced data analytics, simplifying the process of deriving meaningful insights from voluminous datasets. Additionally, the platform announced its plan to extend Reputation Management support to over 100+ review platforms, including Google Reviews, MakeMyTrip, G2, and Capterra.

Shihab Muhammed, Founder and CEO of SurveySparrow said “Incorporating generative AI into our platform has unlocked new possibilities for deep customer understanding and engagement. Staying ahead of technological advancements is key to driving growth and delivering value.”

Looking Ahead: RefineCX USA 2024

Buoyed by the success of RefineCX India, SurveySparrow is gearing up for another edition, this time in New York City with RefineCX USA 2024 slated for April. The event is poised to further SurveySparrow’s vision of continuous improvement in customer experience.

Dahanu Festival 2.0:A Celebration of the Incredible Culture and Tourism in Coastal Maharashtra

Dahanu,1st March 2024: The 2024 edition of the Dahanu Festival, ‘Dahanu 2.0’, took place at the Sea View Park on Dahanu Beach from February 23rd to 25th. This three-day annual event was the biggest tourism attraction in the coastal Maharashtra region. The festival was free to attend and began with a grand inauguration attended by Corporators and important government officials. The HindughoshDhol Pathak provided a rousing start to the event with their electrifying beats during the opening ceremony on the 23rd of February. On the first day, Zee Marathi show celebrities attended and interacted with the public. Big Boss Marathi’s famedDadus show stole the spotlight on the second day, and the international kite-flying event was held at the beach. The third day was highly energizing; it had the horse race held on the beach, along with a helicopter show by the Coast Guard, and concluded with singers like Vishwajeet Borwankar& Anshika Chonkar, delighting the audiences with their favorite Bollywood numbers.

Apart from the important highlights, the event had an excellent dance, music, and art program schedule that featured some of the most popular names, such as the phenomenal Rasika Dhoble and internal musicians.

Dahanu Festival 2.0 underscored the region’s excellent tourism potential and Dahanu’s emergence as an easily accessible yet peaceful beach holiday destination near Mumbai. The annual festival is organized collaboratively by the Government of Maharashtra, the local government bodies, and the Dahanu Municipal Councilto promote local art culture and local entrepreneurship.

Speaking about this,Mr. Vaibhav Aware, Chief Officer of Dahanu Nagar Parishad, said, “Dahanu’s potential as a beach tourism destination is at par with the best locations in India. The Dahanu festival aims to promote our beach tourism infrastructure and invite visitors from all over India and abroad to come and explore local culture, art, and craft. The peaceful and serene atmosphere of Dahanu is ideal for those looking to unwind. For adventure or water sports lovers, we offer activities like aero sports, water sports,and horse riding on the beachto get a first-hand experience of the coastal rural lifestyle in Maharashtra. With each new addition, we are witnessing greater awareness about Dahanu, and we thank everyone who visited us for Dahanu 2.0.”

Abhijit Deshmukh, Tehsildar of Dahanu, said, “The fantastic response to this year’s Dahanu festival has been quite encouraging for us. We continuously focus on making our beautiful town a sought-after tourism destination, not just for the tourists from Mumbai or nearby areas of Gujarat, but for travelers from all over India and other countries. Dahanu 2.0 has surpassed the past records, and we look forward to seeing an even bigger turnout at next year’s festival!”

Dahanu 2.0 offered diverse attractions, making it a truly enriching experience for attendees. Among its major highlights wereengaging workshops on pottery and paintingthat offered an opportunity for artistic expression and skill development. The festival also witnessedcaptivating art displays and exhibitions, as well as sand art displaysshowcasing the creativity of local and visiting artists.

The festival wasn’t just confined to the main venue but also offered off-site activities such as star gazing, farm visits, night camping, and explorations of fisherman’s villages, ensuring a well-rounded and memorable experience for all participants.

While the festival has ended, Dahanu is a fantastic beach destination visitors can enjoy throughout the year. It is connected by road and rail to all major regional towns and cities and metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The nearest international airport is Mumbai, and it is just a couple of hours’ drive to this off-beat paradise from there.

Aakash Launches Study Material in Bengali

Kolkata, March 01st 2024: Aakash, the national leader in preparing students for Medical and Engineering Entrance Exams, added another feather in their cap by introducing study material in Bengali version for NEET(UG) aspirants of West Bengal.

Today in the Launch Event held at Aakash South Kolkata Centre, the Head of the Departments and other senior faculty members from Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology Departments involved in the project unveiled the study material in Bengali version.

While addressing the press today, National Academic Director- NEET Division Mr. Nabin Kaarki said “Students were always in demand of appropriate Study Material in Bengali from a national brand since a good number of students prefer to write NEET (UG) in Bengali. Aakash, being a pioneer since 1988, has taken this initiative seriously. After an exhaustive hard work of expert team for more than one year, we could make it possible. I am sure that this content will cater to the need and contribute strongly in preparation of vernacular students.”

Last year, 1,04,923 students have registered in NEET (UG) 2023 from West Bengal out of which 43,890 students have opted for Bengali. Statistic from NEET (UG) 2019 to 2023 clearly indicates the increasing interest of students to write in Bengali. This is first of its kind initiative by any National Level Institute that can directly benefit such students.

TelioEV expands its services across the Asia Pacific and GCC region; providing EV Charging Management Solutions services to 5 countries

New Delhi, 01st March 2024: TelioEV, India’s leading EV Charging Management Solutions provider, has announced its entry in five countries – Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Oman. TelioEV has grown its business overseas within 18 months since its inception.

TelioEV’s commenced its operations in the five geographies from December 2023. TelioEV’s management is in talks with several stakeholders including charge point operators, OEMs, EV users, electric vehicle merchants, Vehicle OEMs, and fleet owners for strengthening its operation in these regions. This significant milestone reflects TelioEV’s commitment to accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles across the globe and ensuring a seamless charging experience for customers.

TelioEV offers CMS (Charging Management System) and has partnered as software providers in  Asia Pacific and the GCC region. Through these collaborations, TelioEV will deliver cutting-edge software solutions, enabling customers to easily locate and utilise EV charging stations. TelioEV caters to various stakeholders in the EV ecosystem, like charge point operators, OEMs, EV users, electric vehicle merchants, Vehicle OEMs and fleet owners. As one of the top CMS providers in the market, not only offering the EV CMS to enable Charger point operators to manage their charging network but also Enabling Vehicle OEMs by providing services to enable digital journey, Cloud Services, Embedded software, and other EV Software services.

A SaaS-based EV Charging Solution provider start-up TelioEV offers Enterprise platform with a custom App in these nations. TelioEV has listed over 10000 EV charging stations on its Discovery App in India.

Speaking about this, Dr. Lalit Singh, Chief Executive Officer, TelioEV, said, ‘It’s a great pride that TelioEV- Made in India Company is expanding to other geographies in such a short period, we look forward to providing cutting edge technologies in these countries and take the Green EV revolution beyond India across the globe. We will continue to explore and enter more countries, expanding our reach and providing reliable charging infrastructure for EV users across the globe and EV software services to enable the EV ecosystem.’

TelioEV is working to reduce its carbon footprint and its mission is to make global transportation structured and promote the use of electric vehicles for both personal and commercial purposes with the help of technology as a lever, and its vision is to elevate eco-friendly mobility alternatives with 1 million EV Chargers by the year 2030.

Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs awarded Shilpi Gupta Prestigious FemPreneur Rising Award 2024

Shilpi Gupta, owner of Shilpi Gupta Atelier and chairperson of the IMS Design and Innovation Academy, was honored as the recipient of the prestigious FemPreneur Rising Award 2024. Smt. Anandiben Patel, the honorable governor of Uttar Pradesh, graced the award ceremony, which was hosted by the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs, at Raj Bhavan, Governor House, Lucknow.

Ms.Gupta has contributed an important boost to the creative setting and shown a dedication to enabling women in business as a successful FemPreneur.

Shilpi Gupta expressed thanks to the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs and said, “I am immensely humbled to receive the FemPreneur Rising Award.” I firmly believe that women can empower one another, and I’m dedicated to making the business community more welcoming and prosperous.”

Years of experience in the fashion business, coupled with Shilpi Gupta‘s creativity and passion, have earned her the FemPreneur Rising Award 2024. The award event recognises and appreciates the accomplishments of female business owners who have advanced their fields significantly.

AlphaTheta Corporation, market leaders in DJ hardware and software through the Pioneer DJ brand Launches OMNIS-DUO in India an Innovation Redefined

01st March 2024: AlphaTheta Corporation, market leaders in DJ hardware and software through the Pioneer DJ brand, is thrilled to announce the new AlphaTheta brand, leveraging the experience we’ve built under the Pioneer DJ brand. As we begin this journey, we’re releasing the OMNIS-DUO in the Indian market. This innovative portable all-in-one DJ system is set to redefine DJ performances with its unparalleled versatility and cutting-edge features.

“We are excited to introduce the OMNIS-DUO to the Indian market in collaboration with Alphatec,” said Yoshinori Kataoka, President and CEO of AlphaTheta Corporation. “This partnership signifies our commitment to providing Indian DJs and music enthusiasts with top-of-the-line DJ equipment that delivers exceptional performance and unmatched versatility. With the OMNIS-DUO, DJs can take their sets to the next level, whether performing at intimate gatherings or large-scale events.”

“We are thrilled to partner with AlphaTheta to bring the OMNIS-DUO to India,” said Devasis Barkataki, Founder and Managing Director, Alphatec. “As a leading provider of AV technology solutions, we are dedicated to delivering innovative products that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The OMNIS-DUO is a game-changer in the DJ industry, and we are confident that it will be well-received by DJs and music enthusiasts across the country.”