Zareh Zurabyan, head of the Americas division at eLabNext, joins us to discuss how the company has integrated generative AI workflows into their digital notebook solution for scientists. He addressed some of the main challenges hindering wider AI adoption in biotech, particularly privacy concerns related to data handling. We also explored Zareh’s journey to becoming an investor and the trends he’s most excited about in the biotech sector.

Hayk Karapetyan, executive director of the organizing committee for the World Conference on Innovation and Technology 2024 (WCIT), joins the podcast to discuss this premier tech event coming to Yerevan this October. Hayk shared insights on the impact that hosting WCIT in 2019 had on Armenia's tech ecosystem and outlined this year's agenda. With the global tech community set to be focused on Yerevan, Hayk emphasized why this is a pivotal opportunity for Armenian tech to showcase its strengths, branding the country as an ideal place to develop advanced technologies and commercialize them globally.

Perouz Taslakian, a research scientist at Service Now, and Erik Arakelyan, a Ph.D. student at the University of Copenhagen, discuss the recently held “Summer School on Large Language Models (LLMs)”. The program brought together researchers from around the world in the field of AI to Yerevan to teach a week-long summer school on the most recent advancements in LLMs. Perouz and Erik talk about the program’s impact in advancing research and scientific ecosystems, and how to strengthen collaboration between the Armenian diaspora and local students, engineers and scientists in Armenia. Finally, Perouz and Erik share insights on advancing AI research in the country.

Khachatur Gharibyan, the co-founder and CTO of NolanAI, joins us to discuss how their AI platform assists screenwriters, producers, and directors in the pre-production phase of filmmaking. We discussed how their product utilizes AI to assist in the creative process of writing screenplays. Additionally, it generates images of scenes based on the script to aid in visualizing the story even before filming starts. Finally, we had an engaging conversation about the capabilities of AI systems to be creative and the origins of creativity itself.

Hayk Margaryan, a digital transformation consultant, joins us to discuss how Armenian businesses are adopting digital tools to increase productivity. Hayk shared with us why digital transformation, through the adoption of tools such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems help boost business productivity, which leads to economic growth. Lastly, Hayk emphasized the importance of strong management in ensuring that any new system or tool effectively addresses real business problems.

Hovhannes Kuloghlyan, the co-founder and CEO of Groksmith, a software design and development company, joins us to discuss opportunities in AI product development and how no-code platforms are disrupting SaaS businesses. Hovhannes shared his thoughts on what the pillars of a strong start-up idea are, and why focusing on building more specialized, niche solutions may become the norm in the coming years. We also spoke about the energy sector and opportunities for entrepreneurs to enter the market with AI solutions. Lastly, Hovhannes shared his thoughts on the importance of science fiction in helping imagine the future.

Arevik Hambardzumyan, co-founder and CTO of TACTUN, joins us to discuss their product; a hardware controller and no code software platform which helps automate manufacturing processes. Arevik also shared her thoughts on the challenges involved with importing electronic parts to Armenia, and the need for legislative reforms around procurement.

Babken DerGrigorian, co-founder and CEO of Kartes Analytica, joins us to discuss the role geospatial data plays in national defense applications. Babken breaks down the data that is collected through satellites, and how it needs to be processed to provide insights for better decision making. We also spoke about the current regulatory environment around space tech in the country, and how Kartes became the first private company to receive a space license in the country.

Emmanuel Ghandilyan, co-founder and CEO of Foldink, joins us to discuss the world of bioprinting and how bioinks, the source material used to 3D print biological materials, will fuel innovation in regenerative medicine, cell cultured foods, and personalized medicine. Emmanuel shared with us his company’s approach to producing bioinks, and the promise the technology holds for the future of medicine and other advancements in biological sciences.

Luiza Avetisyan, the co-founder of Staff.am and Hirebee, joins us to discuss her journey as a serial entrepreneur in the HR tech space. Luiza spoke about the impact Staff.am has had on raising employer brand awareness in Armenia’s labor market, and how Hirebee is helping companies recruit global teams more effectively. We also spoke about trends in Armenia’s labor market, such as the influx of Russian tech workers and companies to Armenia. Lastly, Luiza shared with us her most recent initiative, FemPower, which has a mission of empowering one million women globally to pursue their careers and start businesses.

Seda Papoyan, founder of FemInno, a female innovation conference and platform, joins us to discuss her efforts in advocating for greater engagement from women in STEM fields. Seda shared the fundamental barriers girls face in entering STEM fields in Armenia. We also spoke about how FemInno has grown into an international initiative, with events taking place in San Francisco and Sydney, in addition to Armenia.

Hrant Davtyan, founder and CEO of Metric and Pinsight, joins us to discuss how his company is building open source LLMs that are able to conduct analytics and extract insights from documents. Pinsight’s product, Anania, allows users to speak directly with their data – asking questions such as how much revenue the company generated last month, or when was the last time a certain customer placed an order. Hrant also shared with us the journey of finding a product that can gain market traction in the era of generative AI, and his thoughts on what ideas are worth pursuing in the AI space.

Lilit Margaryan, the operations manager of Gituzh, joins us to discuss what the initiative has managed to achieve over the last three years. We also dive into the concept of national research and innovation systems, and discuss the prioritization of strategic scientific directions. Lastly, Lilit shares with us their upcoming initiative called Science Week, a week-long series of events that aims to promote science in Armenia.

Vahe Nigoghosian, the founder of EngineerX, joins us to discuss their efforts in building a mechanical engineering ecosystem in Armenia. Vahe shared their recent achievement of becoming an official partner of engineering software provider SolidWorks in Armenia, and the importance of building up a talent pool with expertise in using the system. We also spoke about Vahe’s experience doing business in Armenia, and what it would take to attract a Fortune 500 engineering firm to open an office in the country․

Martin Mirakyan, founder and CEO of Profound Academy, joins us to discuss how their educational platform helps institutions deliver personalized computer science education for their students. Martin explains how Profound Academy utilizes an interactive approach to education, including their use of AI to provide personalized help to students when they’re struggling to understand difficult concepts or complete challenging assignments.

Karine Martirosyan, the founder and CEO of Wearify, joins us to discuss her start-up’s vision for helping online consumers try on clothes virtually before buying them. Karine shares how Wearify builds 3D avatars of their users so that they can see how clothes look on them while shopping online, just as they would in a real store. We also spoke about the role that 3D avatars will take on in the coming years as digital environments become increasingly used for a variety of use cases. Lastly, Karine shared her thoughts on how to decentralize tech in Armenia and promote greater activity outside of Yerevan.

Mikayel Khachatryan, the cofounder and CEO of Wirestock joins us to discuss their company’s increased focus on generative AI for stock content. Mikayel shared the trends he has seen in generated images becoming more common in stock marketplaces, and the products Wirestock is building to enable creators to make money in the age of generative AI. Lastly, he spoke about the capabilities of image and video generation models, and what he expects to see in the coming years.

Tigran Nazaryan, co-founder of 10Web, joins us to discuss how their platform allows users to build websites using AI. Tigran shared with us the founding story of the company, and how their product’s popularity has grown over the last few years. Lastly, Tigran spoke about how AI-built websites will evolve as the capabilities of large AI models continue to develop.

Samson Avetian, the founder and CEO of Eqwefy, joins us to speak about how the platform they’re building is helping enable non-traditional investors to invest in Armenian start-ups. Samson also shared his thoughts on the importance of educating society on personal finance, and encouraging more investing throughout society.

Sona Veziryan, Director of the Business Angel Network of Armenia (BANA), joins us to provide a review of the progress and developments in Armenia’s tech ecosystem throughout 2023. Sona offered insights into the variety of companies she encounters as an investor, and the kinds of companies she aspires to see more of in Armenia in the future. She also shared with us her thoughts on the state of the investment landscape both in Armenia, as well as globally, and what she expects in 2024. Lastly, Sona shared her thoughts on how to popularize angel investing in Armenia.