To grow, a startup needs networks, expertise, resources and technology. We Encourage, a Finnish startup that supports victims of domestic violence, has gained momentum through Microsoft’s Founders Hub to launch its AI-based service.
In Finland, startups have employed tens of thousands and have the potential to become a foundational aspect of the Finnish economy within this decade.
However, launching a successful startup is a demanding journey that undoubtedly presents the founder with challenges and unexpected situations to overcome. In addition to perseverance, diverse expertise, networks and funding are often needed.
At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft aims to accelerate the startup boom with a program called Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.
“We want to help new Finnish software companies right from a promising idea onwards. Through the program, startups get access to a large number of Microsoft technologies that allow them to develop and test their services and select suitable solutions for them to base their business on. In addition, we offer technical support and a global mentoring network,” says Tarja Jernström, Commercial Partner Lead at Microsoft.
At the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, startups can explore and test numerous Microsoft technologies and AI models such as GPT-4 flexibly and easily in one place. With the help of the program, the startup will receive, for example, 150,000 US dollars worth of Azure cloud platform credits and licenses for Microsoft 365, GitHub and LinkedIn Premium, for example. In addition, due to AI development, the Azure AI service in particular, which can be used to build products on top of Open AI’s AI models, has enabled many new startups to launch a new AI product quickly.
“For a new software startup, the technical expertise of the Founders Hub is particularly crucial. Microsoft offers numerous technologies, so guidance to the most suitable tools may prove to be valuable for a startup,” says Veli Myllylä, Partner Development Manager at Microsoft.
Through the program, the startup receives support from Microsoft engineers who help the startup, among other things, identify the most suitable technologies, reduce technology costs and improve the functionality of its own technology. Startups can also be offered mentoring from successful startup entrepreneurs and investors.
The Founders Hub offers founders significant advantages regarding ownership structure
“At the Founders Hub, we give startups a relatively large amount of credit for using technologies, which reduces the need for startups to raise funds in the early stages. This allows owners to keep a larger share of the company in their own ownership, which can benefit them when funding is raised in the later stages of the startup when the valuation is higher. If a startup must give up significant equity to fund its tech infrastructure from the start, it can negatively impact its future prospects,” Myllylä adds.
One startup that has utilized the Founders Hub is the Finnish We Encourage. We Encourage’s activities began with a desire to tackle a social problem, domestic violence. This type of violence is often challenging for those involved to identify.
“When someone close to you engages in violence, one of the biggest obstacles to seeking help is shame and possibly uncertainty that you have actually become a victim of violence in your own close relationship. It can be difficult to put your situation into words, which makes it difficult to seek help and identify your own need for help,” says Anna Juusela, founder and CEO of We Encourage.
As a solution, We Encourage is developing a service called AinoAid™: a database of expert knowledge on domestic violence and an AI-powered chatbot, that anyone can discuss their own situation and thoughts with. Trained with a comprehensive knowledge base, the chatbot adapts its answers to each questioner’s situation. Help is available regardless of place and time, safely and free of charge.
Many survivors of violence even say that they would rather seek information from a chatbot: talking to a human about a personal situation can feel challenging for many.
“I first heard about Founders Hub at Slush. And what a stroke of luck it was: it has been very useful for us,” Juusela says.
With the help of the program, the We Encourage team has been able to develop the databank and its integration with the Azure and GPT Turbo 3.5-based chatbot flexibly, experimenting with different features.
“At Founders Hub, we have been able to make the first versions of the service and test the suitability of different solutions for us. In addition, our contact persons have given us really good advice and help with our problems. Microsoft team members in several countries around the world have worked hard to find the right experts in the company to solve questions related to our development work. The experts have done a great job giving their time for us,” he praises.
AinoAid™ has reached a stage in its development where the first version of the service has already been published and is open to users. Further development is underway: the service will be improved on the basis of user data and feedback, and by supplementing the contents of the databank with new areas not yet covered by the service. The team also has a roadmap for new features that guide the future development of the service.
AinoAid™ has also gained momentum from the European Union’s Improve project, which aims to improve the position of victims of domestic violence across Europe. The project will enable AinoAid™ to launch not just in Finland, but also in Germany, Austria, France, and Spain during 2024. The advantage of the project funding received by the startup is that the project accelerates the development of the service, and after the project is completed, the company will continue and expand the operation of the service.
“Overall, I’ve been very impressed by the focus on its partners, which notably distinguishes it from other operators. The people at Microsoft have worked for us and looked for new ways of working to help fulfill We Encourage’s mission and accelerate our company’s success,” concludes Ulla Koivukoski, Head of Ecosystem and partnerships at We Encourage.
