ZAGREB, 15 Nov 2021 -  The Zagreb-based AI startup Mindsmiths is the winner of the global award Top of AI Startups given by the Alliance for Responsible AI to projects that responsibly apply artificial intelligence.

The Croatian startup, with its AI platform, was recognized as the best among 17 projects from 10 countries.

The Mindsmiths AI platform enables the creation of Autonomous Support Systems that are applied in a number of industries, from healthcare for chronic patients to financial advice to clients in the banking sector.

A startup from Russia and the UAE, Life Peak, a digital system that enables online monitoring and predicting dangerous psychophysical conditions for individuals, was second. The Spanish solution Insikt, which works to develop AI models that allow organizations to gather intelligence on online activities directly related to terrorism, hate speech, extremism, radicalization, or human trafficking, was third.

"We believe that artificial intelligence is a tool that must be used for human good. Although there are threats associated with artificial intelligence, we are convinced that this technology must be at the service of humans. That is why we have launched a competition that will recognize and reward startups that work on projects for the benefit of society as a whole," said Juan Ignacio Rouyet, president of the "We The Humans" organization.

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November 13, 2021 - Croatian AI startup Mindsmiths received 1.2 million euros in seed funding from Feelsgod investment fund which supports companies with proven positive social impact. Mindsmiths will use this investment to further develop and expand its AI platform. 

Mindsmiths is a pioneer in the field of Autonomous Support System (ASS). By connecting with the Mindsmiths platform, digital systems become autonomous, make independent decisions, and approach users proactively.

“When your doctor, bank, mobile provider, or educational institution proactively offers you a solution to a problem it has identified, there is a great possibility that it was made possible by an autonomous support system based on Mindsmiths platform. Thanks to this technology, organizations can now provide their users with a smart solution at the right time,” explained Mislav Malenica, founder and CEO of Mindsmiths. 

Besides AI engineers, Mindsmiths employs humanist experts whose task is a continuous shifting of boundaries of possibilities when it comes to the relationship between a man and a machine. Sociologists, psychologists, and behavioral scientists ensure that artificial intelligence systems built on the Mindsmiths platform display the ability to understand users’ needs and provide emotional support in challenging situations. 

Malenica says this investment is a milestone in the democratization of approaching such important technology. 

“Machine autonomy is the next big thing and it will unlock the incredible potential of increasing quality of life worldwide. Mindsmiths is here to realize that potential. We are aware that with such great power comes even greater responsibility which is why we are dedicated to the UN goals of sustainable development and guide ourselves by the principles of developing reliable AI,” Malenica added.

The potential of Mindsmiths was recognized by Feelsgood, a VC investment fund. This is the first VC fund developed completely in Croatia that not only invests in ventures that have a great potential of return on investment but also fulfill sustainability goals and create positive social impact. 

“Feelsgood is the first Croatian social impact VC fund. We are proud to have invested in Mindsmiths, which has won us over with its approach. We estimated that Mindsmiths has great growth potential and is dedicated to achieving positive social impact. Because they create technology that makes democratization of knowledge possible, we expect profits to rise with an increase of quality of life for great numbers of people,” concluded Renata Brkić, partner and board member of Feelsgood. 

So far, the Mindsmiths platform has been used to build autonomous support systems in various industries, from healthcare for chronic patients to financial advice for clients in the banking sector. This relationship between a man and a machine as an axis of the next level of interaction with AI motivated Davor Bruketa, internationally awarded Croatian creative genius, to invest in Mindsmiths in the angel round. 

Mindsmiths says they want to make the platform available to everyone who wants to use it to build positive social impact solutions. Izabel Jelenić, co-founder and CTO of Infobip, helps them realize their vision as a technical advisor.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.