For May’s Spotlight Series blog, we had a chat with Hub Member, Hami Bahraynian, CEO and co-founder of Wluper, a London-based Conversational AI company. After studying Economics and Computer Science, he started work in tech, caught the entrepreneurial bug, and hasn’t looked back. The relationship between humans and machines is an area that greatly interests Hami and which ultimately led him to co-found his company. Read on to hear more about his entrepreneurial journey so far:
In your own words what is Wluper?
Wluper is a London-based company that builds unique Conversational AI technology to automate workflows and business process for desk-less workforces in a variety of industries and domains. Our solutions “voicify” existing or new interfaces and increase the productivity and efficiency of organisations by allowing workers to interact directly with systems or software.
Engineering is all about solving problems. What problem is your innovation solving and what makes it ground-breaking?
Ever since I started using computers and later the internet, I’ve always had to fill in forms - whether it’s forms to plan a public transport journey, to contact a shop via their website, or when completing a meter reading. I wondered - why can’t the information be provided in an easier way? Why can’t it be made more intuitive? After looking into this problem from an end-consumer perspective, we soon realised the potential that existed for businesses. How workforces get work done is stuck in the stone age - for instance, completing inspections or maintenance forms is seven times slower and more expensive than it should be, because organisations are still using legacy software. We believe that workforces should and will soon perform a large percentage of their work with automated voice-based Conversational AI, just like call centres do already.
To apply our solution to many different use cases in a scalable way, we have created a unique middle way between classical supervised Machine Learning models and the massive general-purpose models (such as GPT-4). We call it Specialised Generative AI.
What was the moment that made you think “I can turn this into a commercial opportunity”?
After spending the last few years on building the tech and IP from ground up and exploring different application areas, the moment of realisation came when we saw how large corporates and SMEs complete tasks at scale. Digitisation may have been incorporated in some areas but for most enterprises, it doesn’t really lead to the levels of productivity and cost reductions that can be achieved with smart, AI-based tools.
Wading into unknown territory can be unsettling – what were you most excited by and what was most challenging for you when starting out?
I was particularly excited by the great advances that had been achieved in deep learning in the years prior to starting the company and the fast pace of change. The challenge was to create something meaningful that solved actual pain points as opposed to just building awesome tech for the sake of it. Identifying underlying issues and speaking to the right people and companies was another challenge that I would approach differently now.
Can you share a time when failure mattered in your business journey?
While having a focus is important, limiting oneself to a specific domain or industry was not right for us. We always knew that our technology could solve a variety of problems for many industries, but we wasted time becoming domain experts. We have now developed our platform in a way that allows us to cater for many uses cases and can switch to new use cases in a very short time.
What are your longer-term plans for Wluper?
Over the last few years, we were able to turn our research into actual technology. Now, we are looking to commercialise it into scalable products, with the aim to solving real-world problems. Our long-term goal is to become the go-to provider of voice-based Conversational AI for desk-less workforces.
What impact has the Shott Scale Up Accelerator had on your business so far? What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learnt?
The Shott Scale Up Accelerator impacted my business and myself personally, by allowing me to reflect on my leadership skills and improve in areas that I wasn’t even aware of before. My mentor and one-to-one development coach were great soundboards to run ideas past, and proved to be a valuable way to get external, unbiased views on certain things. I was also able to benefit from their experiences by applying some of their wisdom to my own challenges where possible. The connections I have established have helped me to develop as a leader, especially the sessions with my peers, because we could be open with each other and discuss challenges and learnings together.
You recently completed an international mission with the Enterprise Hub’s alumni programme EXPLORE. How did you find it, and how does it fit into your longer-term plans?
The EXPLORE programme was another great experience I was fortunate enough to make as an Enterprise Hub Member. Prior to the trip to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the several sessions and in-person workshops helped me to form a better understanding of how to expand deep tech companies to the US, both from a legal and operational perspective. In addition to this, I’ve also established great friendships and we spent the days in the US exchanging thoughts, sharing advice, and talking all things AI and robotics. The meetings and dinners organised by the Academy were great opportunities to connect with leading US-based investors, partners, and customers which supported our plans to be more active in the US market.
Quick fire
Who is your role model? My uncle
Tell us a random fact not many people know about you. I'm quite good at Tetris.
What’s your guilty pleasure? I like staying up until late even when I'm extremely tired.
When I was a child, I wanted to be… A caravan salesman.
I am currently binging [tv show] on Netflix/Prime… I don't like shows much, so I mostly end up renting old movies on Prime.
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Chill.
Conversely, what has been the worst piece of advice? Never make mistakes (as if this was in one’s control).
I don’t understand why… …people argue in comment sections on social media.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party? Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali, Marlon Brando, and probably a prophet.
If you were an investor, which Hub Member would you invest in? Simon Baker, CTO at Versed AI.
Is there something you know now that you wish someone had told you when you started? That there are more ups and downs than any ups and downs book could prepare you for.
If you had to start all over again, would you do anything differently? If so, what? Yes, too many things.
The Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub supports the UK’s brightest technology and engineering entrepreneurs to realise their potential.
We run four programmes for entrepreneurial engineers at different career stages. Each one offers equity-free funding, an extended programme of mentorship and coaching, and a lifetime of support through connection to an exceptional community of engineers and innovators.
The Enterprise Hub focuses on supporting individuals and fostering their potential in the long term, taking nothing in return. This sets us apart from the usual ‘accelerator’ model. The Enterprise Hub’s programmes last between 6 and 12 months, and all programmes give entrepreneurs lifelong access to an unrivalled community of mentors and alumni.
Our goal is to encourage creativity and innovation in engineering for the benefit of all. By fostering lasting, exceptional connections between talent and expertise, we aim to create a virtuous cycle of innovation that can deliver on this ambition.
The Enterprise Hub was formally launched in April 2013. Since then, we have supported over 350 researchers, recent graduates and SME leaders to start up and scale up businesses that can give practical application to their inventions. We’ve awarded over £11 million in grant funding, and our Hub Members have gone on to raise over £1.3 billion in additional funding.