In the past couple of years, assistive technologies have emerged phenomenally combined with a range of products that use cutting-edge tech, prioritise intuitive functionality and analyse the social context as well.
Dutch startup Envision, which is a software platform that enables people with visual impairment to live more independently has raised €250,000 seed investment from the newly established tech and impact investment fund 4impact.
Fund utilisation- Marketing and expanding the portfolio
As per the press release, the fund will be used to drive localised marketing efforts and commercial partnerships to reach more visually impaired people around the world.
Moreover, the company will utilise the funds to enable the team to expand to wearable cameras and smart glasses, bringing Envision one step closer to its vision equal access to information for all.
“This fundraising will allow us to further support people with visual impairment, for whom independence is simply access to information. We look forward to working with 4impact who are aligned in our strategy and are committed to helping us achieve global impact”, says Karthik Mahadevan, the co-founder of Envision.
Additionally, the investment will allow the team to add new features and functions to the platform.
Envision, so how does it work?
Backed by tech incubator, Yes!Delft, Envision speaks out the visual world for the blind and low-vision users. It combines the assistive technology and artificial intelligence to bring the experience of independence to the visually impaired. Envision’s text recognition tools can read any kind of text, from any surface, in over 60 languages. The startup claims to have the fastest, accurate and easiest to use reading solution.
Enables independent living
With Envision, visually impaired users can shop in supermarkets, use public transport, read menu cards in restaurants, recognise their friends, find their belongings and so much more.
Context-based approach
Available on both Android and iOS, the app process the images taken by a user to extract useful information. It can read texts in multiple languages, recognise faces and objects and describe scenes around a person. As per the company claims, each aspect of the app is carefully designed to be accessible and easy to use.
The visionaries behind Envision
It is developed by Karthik Mahadevan and Karthik Kannan, a designer-engineer duo who were deeply inspired by the people they met at a blind school and decided to build a solution to make them more independent.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more updates in the tech startup world.
5 innovative European sci-tech startups you should know about in 2019
