The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
Babson startup personalizes AI
William Schulhof and Justin Jin say the inspiration for the startup they’ve formed as Babson College, dubbed Klonos, is rather sad. Jin had experienced the passing of a friend’s father, and wondered why there was not a better way to preserve the memories, stories, and legacy of those who die given the advances in technologies like artificial intelligence.
These students, who met as freshmen in an English class in 2023, had some success with this concept at pitch competitions and interest from funeral homes. But they sensed there might be a broader application for their technology, which they are also working on with co-founder Joseph Rizzo, a Bentley University student.
Initially as part of an Nvidia accelerator program and later gaining access to funding at a $15M valuation, the students turned their focus to using AI to create digital avatars that organizations from hotels to museums to schools can use for branding and customer service. Those interested in the technology can get started by building a “Klone” using an image, an audio clip, and a set of questions and answers.
The interactive avatar that results can answer questions on behalf of an organization, though Schulhof cautions that “the technology is not meant to replace human interaction, but rather enhance and streamline communication.”
Jin adds that Klonos can save organizations a lot of time answering questions they respond to repeatedly, while also improving their branding. The technology also allows them to answer questions in multiple languages, he says. Klonos collects information about trending questions to give clients information they need to supply answers for when those questions are asked in the future.
Klonos has generated a few dozen interactive models for clients or potential clients, with a handful of them live and public. The business also offers adjacent services, such as content creation.
One challenge for Klonos is focus, as its technology is flexible enough to address numerous applications. Its focus to date has largely been on smaller organizations that might not be able to afford higher-end avatar technologies. The small but growing Klonos team of about 15 people includes programmers, marketers, and sales personnel.
Jin hopes small business owners who read about Klonos will explore the company’s technology. “Our next bet as AI gets bigger and bigger is that there will be a swing more toward personalization, people putting their own brand out there both on social media and their company websites,” he said.
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Enjoy Wellesley in Bloom!
Support our local merchants! Through May 11 enjoy Wellesley in Bloom, a week-long celebration of spring in Church Square, Wellesley Square, and Linden Square. Featuring floral fun, store events, and special offers.
Peaceful Pooch opening
Peaceful Pooch, which offers pet grooming services, says it is ready to open its Wellesley Hills location at 245 Washington St., on May 6.
This marks an expansion for the business beyond its long-running Needham location.
Services range from nail trimming and skunk treatment to full grooming and buff/fluff.
Pediatric dental office moves in
Perla Pediatrics Smiles has leased 3,000 sq. ft. of space at 70 Hastings St., in Wellesley at a building recently converted from general office space to medical space. Commercial real estate provider Hunneman announced the lease on behalf of landlord Grander Capital Partners.
Another 2,000 sq. ft. will be made available to tenants seeking office or medical office space.
Know of Wellesley businesses coming or going? Let us know: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
