University of Melbourne PhD researchers secure major investment for AI start-up

The AI start-up of the PhD researchers is called Phonely and it has received a substantial US$500,000 (AUD$749,720) investment from the Silicon Valley startup accelerator, Y Combinator.

Study in Australia: Two PhD researchers from the University of Melbourne are going to Silicon Valley to join the world’s largest start-up accelerator program. Will Bodewes and Nisal Ranasinghe will join the program to develop their artificial intelligence (AI) phone receptionist, capable of handling up to one million calls simultaneously.

Phonely - the AI start-up has secured a substantial US$500,000 (AUD$749,720) investment from the Silicon Valley startup accelerator, Y Combinator. The objective of the start-up is to create a service that enables businesses to provide lifelike phone support to customers, addressing a crucial need in the market. The researchers in Professor Saman Halgamuge's AI research group in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology started their venture nine months ago.

“We are eager to connect with industry leaders, gain insights from experienced mentors and showcase Phonely to potential clients who can benefit from our technology. This is a unique opportunity to grow our network and refine our product with feedback from some of the best minds in the field," Ranasinghe said.

Phonely: More Details

The inspiration came from a real-life problem faced by Bodewes'father, who struggled to hire staff for his veterinary clinic, resulting in missed calls and lost revenue.

Bodewes said, "Developing Phonely was about solving a real-world problem. AI had reached a point where it could offer a viable solution, and with Nisal's expertise, we built technology that responds accurately to every phone call."

Ranasinghe elaborated on the challenges and said, "It's not a simple problem. Large language models (LLMs) need precise training and instructions to prevent speech errors and interact seamlessly with scheduling software. Moreover, in voice applications, everything has to happen in under a second."

The start-up uses advanced speech-to-text and text-to-speech technologies, ensuring human-like speech that is ready to assist at any hour. It eases the challenge of waiting for 30 minutes to an hour, providing immediate support to callers.

While immersing themselves in Silicon Valley's vibrant start-up culture, the researchers are going to remain focused on their goal of enhancing business operations.

Read more:

• Northern Michigan University Offers CSI Certificate Program
• Harvard Business School MBA Admission: Application form revised with new set of essays