Pibots

Formal systems, mobile applications, websites posit and disadvantage many users from gaining access to essential financial products and services, asserting their rights, or claiming critical government benefits.

Many mobile applications and social programs are designed such that they exclude many, as such people do not know how to use or unable to access them.
Artificial intelligence powered virtual assistants can act as guides and service pathways to address these challenges for the easy access and simplistic usability they offer. The intuitive interactive ability embedded makes them favorable for struggling users. Many of these users are mystified by mobile app technology and complex systems so are unable to access dire services but own/operate a mobile phone.
Access to essential services by civic/financial inclusion can especially make a substantial positive difference in improving poor people’s lives and ultimately national economies to bring about prosperity.

In Nigeria, fewer than 10% of the population is covered by the national health insurance scheme. Private health insurance initiatives come along with high cost charges so gain low participation as well. G2P programs such as subsidized health insurance for low income and vulnerable populations is hardly subscribed to so masses often incur catastrophic health expenses. This also applies for the financial inclusion profile in Nigeria as 37% of the population is excluded. 

The traditional systems available are either too complex or costly and disadvantage excluded individuals from gaining access to these dire services. Unfortunately, there’s also a constraint on the availability of service agents e.g. financial service agents or trained health care workers to cater to the needs of the excluded populace.
Barriers to participating in social programs or access to financial services for these excluded populations include behavioral perceptions, communication, affordability such as low income and high access charges, Institutional exclusion such as low literacy levels, tech savviness or proximity to service.
Technically, about 40 million adult Nigerians do not have access to formal financial or social services but operate a mobile phone.

Populations excluded from accessing social services include the non tech-savvy, the elderly and low-income earners. They are mostly located in rural areas and are marked with low literacy levels. Many of these users are comfortable to chat or use messaging applications on mobile phones. 

At Pibots, we are developing service specific artificial intelligence powered chatbots to promote inclusion. We have deployed “DiseaseInfo” as a Facebook Messenger chatbot that provides insights, diagnosis and prevention tips on the 30 deadliest diseases as listed on the WHO website. We have also deployed Biya as a chat-based platform that allows users access financial products and services easily. Our natural language processing use-case repository collects behavioral patterns for machine learning and use on Language Understanding Intelligence Service for better determination of user intents.
We are working to integrate processors for health insurance subscription packages in these bots as well as enable service providers request and collect payments/information seamlessly over messaging.
These will bypass the rigors of needless mobility, complex data filling, third-party extortionist charges as well as other inconveniences to ease excluded populations into inclusion.

Chatbot technology is fundamentally low-tech and could be leveraged into messaging channels for easy access and convenience for excluded populations. 

Our solution is the provision of artificial intelligence powered chatbot utilities that are available to use at any point in time, readily accessible on the web as well as on popular pre-existing messaging applications such as Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Slack and Skype. 
For instance, Biyabot is a chat-based platform that allows users make payments for essential services easily. It also allows business owners request and collect payments via chat and is accessible to use on four messaging channels as well as the web.
These artificial intelligence powered chatbots provide walkthroughs to the user to serve as guides in collecting required information and simplifying function, they would allow users subscribe for health insurance packages, make easy payments or inquiries for dire value-added services or utilities such as airtime credit, internet access, power etc. and transfer of funds seamlessly from the convenience of a messaging app/conversational interface. 
The deployed process is machine learning and natural language processing to provide personalized service experience to users over messaging apps or a conversational interface.
This intuitive and secure chat bot will also be capable of timely notifications to subscribe/pay for utility services. It stores up necessary information so reduces operation time for repeat functions. It requires merely the ability to chat to use and sometimes someone else in a household can help. It does not necessitate the need for a specific software application to download or hardware to use. 

We apply deep technology, a culmination of machine learning and artificial intelligence in a new service approach to Nigerians.

We personalize user data and process function using decision algorithms to better determine user intents. We also apply innovation to utilize context switching in language processing to understand colloquial expressions.
Request for information/payments by service providers interaction with users is also a novel feature. Our solution also leverages as much as five secure channels, the web and four popular social messaging applications to offer a larger addressable populace.
These features have earned our utility several innovation awards and recognitions. Examples include
Financial Inclusion Innovation award by Nigerian Interbank Settlements System
Disruptive Innovation by Ogun state government
Top 20 most innovative startups in Africa by Startupbootcamp Afritech
Innovative payment solution award by Fintech Nigeria

The core technology in use is Artificial intelligence over messaging. Our bot solution is built on a Node/MongoDB stack and makes use of the MicrosoftBotFramework and LUIS.ai for natural language processing.

The bot is trained with everyday conversation styles including colloquial expressions for natural language processing. Entities are extracted and used to determine user intents to be processed accordingly. It relays this ability on a conversational interface as well as on popular social messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Slack and Skype.

From evidence gathered over our pilots, we saw the need to continuously iterate and fine tune to appeal users to drive adoption rates. Our product is hence built to not modify existing usage habits. We brought social services to where users are i.e. on social messaging networks. Millennials spend most of their on-screen time in chat apps. The non tech-savvy mostly mystified by mobile apps are also comfortable to chat and do so with ease.

Our utility breaks down communication and accessibility barriers to allow for social inclusion in a convenient and seamless manner. As excluded populations get to make use of it, so does inclusion across social programs grow and ultimately usher in shared prosperity. 

We are currently serving about 3000 users with considerable representation in underserved communities. It has organically grown 8x in the last 2 quarters.

In the next year, we project we would be serving a 500,000 user-base by deploying awareness campaigns to further fuel market penetration.
In the next 5 years, we expect we would be serving at least 10 million users across our platforms not only in Nigeria but across Africa in diverse and underserved communities.

We intend to perfect our product utility development and be ready for a full-scale launch within the year, grow customer base to at least half a million users as well as attain break even.

We are serving low income and underserved segments so to encourage adoption; service charges are very low/non-existent compared to traditional use cases.
Within the next five years, we hope to have made an indelible push on the financial/social inclusion profile in Nigeria as well as provide a major boost in health insurance and other social services. We hope to be in the service of about 10 million users and attained profitability to run without further funding support.

Access to networks: As a budding startup, we wish to partner directly with related business institutions rather than via service aggregators to better our markups.

Funding: We require adequate funding to the tune of $250,000.00 to scale. The founders have decidedly bootstrapped the entity so far and received a grant token of $1000 from NIBSS on the award for financial inclusion innovation. This funding will be used to obtain operations licensing at the scale we wish for as well as product development and awareness campaigns. It will also be used to foot the services of technical support and employee services on the route to profitability.
Expansion: Moving into markets beyond Nigeria may be constrained by country policies, incorporation, legal issues etc. There’s also the cultural adherence to alien communities outside Nigeria.

Network access: We take a part in community events and engagements which exposes us more to the public and periodically allows leverageable access to due networks.

Funding: We keep our financial records and dealings at the ready to share with investors. We take a part in pitching events and our funding request is our ASK.
International expansion:  We engage in fast tack and incubation events to intimate with a global audience. Our participation in Startupbootcamp in Cape town, South Africa heralded a wave of international partnerships e.g. AWS activate for startups.

Total 7

Full-time staff 3

Part time staff 2

Contract staff 2

The team is composed of three co-founders. Bello Sulaiman, Olumide Ojo and Eniola Fadare.

The three co-founders have a decade old relationship since their time in the university. We have worked on several projects together and leveraged on each other's strengths to setup platforms and implement solutions.

Bello Sulaiman is a techpreneur, experienced in IT administration, business analytics and operations management. He has a degree in Economics and a background in Pharmaceutical sciences. He has over seven years experience working across Finance and Tech industries. 

Olumide Ojo is a full stack developer with experience developing applications in a variety of frameworks, APIs and languages. He has over six years experience working in Fintech growth industries. 

Eniola Fadare is a systems administrator with experience in setting up, administering and managing platforms for applications. He is also a devOps engineer with competencies in Python, C and Linux scripting. He has over six years experience managing infrastructure for Telcos.

The team of cofounders are passionate and committed to innovative development of artificial intelligence tools, deployment of chatbots and virtual assistants to break boundaries on accessibility and service delivery to usher in social inclusion. We have worked on several amazing innovative projects together prior to the formation of Pibots as a unit.

Paystack: processes our payment calls

AirVend: value added service aggregator

Kangpe: Health insurance provider

For instance, product Biya averages 10% revenue growth MOM and has so far grossed over $10,000 revenue in value added service payments alone since Beta launch in 2018. Growth has been so far organic.

User base is currently over a 1000 users with about 400 active 
paying customers.

Key customers are millenials as they spend most of their on-screen time on the channels Pibots leverages for service availability. It also serves elderly users easy payment services from the comfort of thier homes and the convenience of their own chat enabled devices. 

Biya is built as a B2C and B2B2C service. This posits for increased 
customer acquisition rate as business owners introduce and push the service to their own customers.
Biya’s addressable market size bearing in mind mobile 
penetration rate and smartphone usage is 33.5million users.
Factoring user rationality, we project a customer base of about 
500,000 active users over the next few years.

Health insurance for struggling users will be a B2B2C approach. We engage health insurance companies and work out subsidised rates to deploy to users via our easy and acessible channels. We earn commissions over the provision of this service. 

We are seeking to raise $250,000.00 to provide for capital base for licensing as well as scale, push awareness campaigns and finance further product development.  

Revenue streams on Biya include a discounted 4% utility commission on airtime purchase, convenience fees and a competitive $0.05 service charge for funds transfer.

Araya(for health insurance) will obtain service commissions which will eventually break even on high user volume.

From data garnered over our beta activity, 470,000 user transactions per month projected to be hit under twelve months of scale will achieve us a profitable and sustainable revenue run. 

Projected $425,000 annual revenue run in the second year. 

We intend to be in the service of about 10 million users and attain profitability to run without further funding support.

We are applying to Solve to help better our business model approach and assist with technology deployed. 

We are also seeking support with access to networks with payment processing companies and valued service companies. 

We are importantly also seeking funding to scale growth and expand the initiative to promote social and financial inclusion for Nigerians and Africans at large. 

Payment processing companies such as Visa and Mastercard. 

Value added service companies such as MTN, Airtel. 

Health service companies etc

The core technology in use is Artificial intelligence over messaging. Our bot solution is built on a Node/MongoDB stack and makes use of the MicrosoftBotFramework and LUIS.ai for natural language processing.

The bot is trained with everyday conversation styles including colloquial expressions for natural language processing. Entities are extracted and used to determine user intents to be processed accordingly. It relays this ability on a conversational interface as well as on popular social messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Slack and Skype.

From evidence gathered over our pilots, we saw the need to continuously iterate and fine tune to appeal users to drive adoption rates. Our product is hence built to not modify existing usage habits. We brought social services to where users are i.e. on social messaging networks. Millennials spend most of their on-screen time in chat apps. The non tech-savvy mostly mystified by mobile apps are also comfortable to chat and do so with ease.
Our utility breaks down communication and accessibility barriers to allow for social inclusion in a convenient and seamless manner. As excluded populations get to make use of it, so does inclusion across social programs grow and ultimately usher in shared prosperity. 

We are applying for the AI innovations prize for our novel deployment of machine learning in Nigeria and to better our tools to include in served segments. This will offer inclusion and shared prosperity for populations as much as 40 million in Nigeria. 

Chatbots are fundamentally low-tech and is easily leveraged for use by communities to access health information and payment services. Our product is built to not modify existing usage habits by bringing social services to where intended beneficiaries comfortably are i.e. on social messaging networks.  The non tech-savvy mostly mystified by mobile apps are comfortable to chat and could also use the help of an individual in the household to easily access critical. government benefits and social services. 

Our utility breaks down communication and accessibility barriers to allow for social inclusion in a convenient and seamless manner. As excluded populations get to make use of it, so does inclusion across social programs grow and ultimately usher in shared prosperity. 

We are applying for the GM prize on community-driven innovation to give rise in service to community segments. This will promote inclusion and shared prosperity for these undersrved populations which are as much as 35 million in Nigeria. 

We apply deep technology, a culmination of machine learning and artificial intelligence in a new service approach to Nigerians.

We personalize user data and process function using decision algorithms to better determine user intents. We also apply innovation to utilize context switching in language processing to understand colloquial expressions.
Request for information/payments by service providers interaction with users requires ethical data collection and protection of collected data. 

The deployed process is machine learning and natural language processing to provide personalized service experience to users over messaging apps or a conversational interface.
This intuitive and secure chat bot will also be capable of timely notifications to subscribe/pay for utility services. It stores up necessary information so reduces operation time for repeat functions. 

We are applying for the Innospark Ventures Prize to enable us put  resources in privacy and security of data collected. 

Chatbots are fundamentally low-tech and can be easily leveraged for use by communities to access health information and payment services. Our innovative product solution is built such that it does not modify existing usage habits, by bringing social services to where intended beneficiaries comfortably are i.e. on social messaging networks.  The non tech-savvy users mostly mystified by mobile apps are comfortable to chat and could also use the help of an individual in the household to easily access critical government benefits and social services. 

Our utility breaks down communication and accessibility barriers to allow for social inclusion in a convenient and seamless manner. As excluded populations get to make use of it, so does inclusion across social programs grow and ultimately usher in shared prosperity. 

We are applying for the Morgridge Family Foundation Prize on community-driven innovation to aid provision of this service to community segments in Nigeria. The funds will be utilised in further product development and delivery of service via awareness campaigns. This will enable promoted inclusion and shared prosperity for these undersrved populations which are as much as 35 million people in Nigeria.