Benvision

What makes your solution innovative?

Our solution emphasizes on the beauty of the sorroundings rather than pure navigation which most solutions in the market provides. BEN also works in real-time navigation and it doesn’t rely on a video call with a human aid.

1. Uniqueness - while most solutions in the market is purely navigational, we look at it in terms of how we perceive beauty. If we can use the spectrum of light to see our environment, then how great would it be if we can also use the frequency of sound.  

2. Addressing Unment needs - the primary pain point based on on research for the visually impaired in the difficulty in travelling independently especially in museums and educational institutions. 

3. User Centric design - we iterated our solution based on input by one of the visually impaired individuals (Chris McNally) and always in collaboration with visually impaired groups and institutions.

How does your solution address or plan to address UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 for Good Health and Well-Being?

Creating a solution that has a more holistic approach rather than purely navigational provides better well-being for the visually impaired. We understand the pain points of traveling especially going through hotels, museums and educational institutions and our solution creates a better experience for the visually impaired.

Describe the AI components and underlying data that powers your solution.

We are using Artificial Intelligence to identify objects like chair, tv, potted plant and water bottle and once the AI identifies them, we then convert those images into symphonies. Every stationary object in the environment is associated with a unique ambient sounds, while haptics indicate whether they are interactive, providing a one-of-a-kind beautiful synesthetic experience. These experience will mimic 4 aspects of vision namely: (1) Look; (2) Focus through use of controller; (3) Observe and (4) Enjoy which includes activation of particle.

How are you ensuring ethical and responsible use of AI in your work? How are you addressing or mitigating potential risks in your solution?

Currently, we have clearly define roles and responsibilities regarding AI development, deployment, monitoring and accountability for addressing issues that may arise. We do not collect patient data as of the moment but if ever that changes, we have a responsibility to be HIPAA compliant.

What are your impact goals for the next year and the next five years, and how will you achieve them?

Our goal in the next five years is to ensure that visually impaired individuals will have a more holistic experience navigating ones sorroundings. Our objectives include among others:

Increased Accessibility - measure user percentage increase 

Enhanced Independence - evaluate daily activities without assistance

Community Inclusion - measure social interactions through our meetup group

Affordability and Availability - assess product affordability and availability compared to other solutions in the market  

What type of organization is your solution team?

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

How many people work on your solution team?

We currently have 5 full time staff and 5 part time.

How long have you been working on your solution?

We have been working on the solution since January 2023 and have been iterating based on our interactions and research.

Since winning in the MIT Reality Hack 2023 (Working Together for Inclusion and Equality Track) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, we have incorporated in Delaware and constantly iterate our product. We released our beta version last month and in 1st Quarter of 2024 we will be available on IOS.

What is your approach to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into your work?

We adopt an inclusive design approach to ensure that the product is accessible and usable by a wide range of users, including those with different abilities, cultural backgrounds, and perspectives as well as actively seek feedback from a diverse group of users and stakeholders.

Patrick is a tech team leader, part time educator, and public speaker with a background designing AR experiences, video, and motion graphics for top brands. He also volunteers at the Oral Hull Foundation for the blind.

Louell practiced medicine for more than 12 years in the Philippines before coming to the United States. He has been in the startup field for 5 years and volunteers at the New York Public Library - Stephen Schwarzman Building and the Brooklyn Community Pride Center in Brooklyn New York.

Aaditya is South Asian - Canadian and a self-driven XR Developer based in Toronto. He has experience in leading and developing products for startups and working at research labs to create fast-paced tech products.

Soobin is a korean audio designer and composer with 10 years experience in the film and gaming industries. She also graduated summa cum laude at the Berklee College of Music and is dedicated to creating immersive experiences that resonate with audiences.

Lucas is an LGBTQIA+ UI/UX designer and National Design Singapore Scholar. 

Mateusz is a versatile Polish senior programmer and a self-directed leader can foster a collaborative and supportive team environment from Poland.

Building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment is a multifaceted and ongoing process and it is important to have leadership commitment and inclusive policies. At Benvision Inc, we have a welcoming culture, flexible work environment and we promote and collaborate especially with marginalized sectors.

What is your operational model and plan?

We have a clearly defined mission and vision and we implement an inclusive design approach to ensure that the product is accessible to users with diverse levels of visual impairment. We conduct extensive user testing with visually impaired individuals to gather feedback on usability and effectiveness and iterate the product based on user feedback to continually improve user experience. 

We define and implement a phased development approach with clear milestones and implement mechanisms for continuous improvement, including regular updates and feature enhancements. In addition, we also identify potential partnerships with organizations working in the field of visual impairment such as the Oral Hull Foundation for the blind in Oregon and constantly collaborate with experts and stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and well-informed approach in our strategies.

What is your plan for becoming financially sustainable?

We are a B corporation registered in Delaware and currently, we are looking for adaptable and collaborative partners willing to support our mission and vision. 

1. Capital Raising - we are fundraising by applying to various accelerators and Venture Capital

2. Partnerships and Government Grants - we have partnered with Microsoft, Snapdragon, and the Oral Hull Foundation for the blind and also applying to various government grants

3. Revenue - we have an enterprise subscription model tailored on location with a supplementary revenue which includes consumer subscription which is free basic features and a premium option.

What are your current operating costs, and what are your projected operating costs for the next year? Please include human capital estimates.

We currently have monthly USD 5,000 operations cost and we have a projected cost USD 250,000

1. Product Development and Research - 34%

2. Employee Salary - 25%

3. Operations - 16%

4. Legal/Compliance and Insurance - 14%

5. HR Training and Benefits - 6%

6. Marketing and Sales - 5%

Applicants can request and receive funding at a minimum of 50k and maximum of $100k. How much funding are you seeking to continue your work in 2024, and how did you select this number? What would you use this funding for? Funding is limited; please consider carefully the right amount to request.

We are requesting for a funding of USD 100,000 for operations costs including iterations, additional features for product development and begin beta testing in real world scenarios. If selected we would use the 100,000 in the following:

1. Product Development and Research - USD 34,000

2. Employee Salary - USD 25,000

3. Operations - USD 16,000

4. Legal/Compliance and Insurance - USD 14,000

5. HR Training and Benefits - USD 6,000

6. Marketing and Sales - USD 5,000

The Cure Residency will provide winners with seed funding, mentorship, lab space, mentorship, educational programming, and networking opportunities. How do you imagine this opportunity will help support your work? Which aspects of the Cure Residency would you be most excited about?

The Cure Residency will give Accessibility priority and to be front and center in the discussions for Inclusion and Equity. The Financial Support provided  will also be crucial for covering current operational costs and mentorship can provide insights and contribute to the overall growth of Benvision. 

Our initial focus includes the visually impaired groups in New York and Portland Oregon, hence a dedicated space which provides a center for educational programs and networking can open up our company to various opportunities for not only financing but also partnerships. 

Benvision is also the Winner of Working Together for Inclusion and Equality Track in Reality Hack 2023 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. With this traction, we want to be included in a community of founders and ventures passionate about helping alleviate the plight of marginalized communities such as the visually impaired.