Capti Voice survived a rough experience during the pandemic and is now seeing business pick up.
That momentum was bolstered recently by the announcement of a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The money will support research and development at Capti Voice as it seeks ways to improve literacy among children, CEO Yevgen Borodin said.
The company moved to Buffalo two years ago as a semifinalist in the 43North competition. It did not win but remained here anyway and now has four employees in the University at Buffalo’s Gateway Building. That team will likely grow to at least seven by year-end, Borodin said.
Capti Voice received an investment last year from ETS Strategic Capital, a global testing and assessment firm, which gave the startup validation and a more diverse mix of products to sell.
Borodin said the challenge is the K-12 procurement cycle.
“Once we talk to customers and they see our product, they see our value,” Borodin said. “But getting their attention is never easy in this market. One of the things we plan to do in the next year is to scale our marketing.”
Capti provides a personalized literacy and learning platform that seeks to help K-12 students improve reading comprehension through machine learning, artificial intelligence and natural learning processes.
Borodin pointed to the laggard literacy rates for children in Buffalo’s school district, and said he is hoping to deepen his local relationships. He is working with several education entities, including Erie 1 BOCES and the Sweet Home Central School District.
“We are coming back much stronger than we were before,” he said. “I’m exhilarated for our progress and excited that we’re in Buffalo, where we’re benefiting from a well-trained workforce and a welcoming community.”
