Dhrumil Patel and Richa Singh Madnawat are the founders of EdSay.ai, one of seven businesses gaining expertise this summer through EPICentre.
By the end of their time in the RBC EPIC Founders program, Dhrumil Patel and Richa Singh Madnawat hope to be ready to launch their service, EdSay.ai.
“The guidance that we are receiving from our mentors and leaders is helping us figure out the loopholes in the business model and how to eradicate them in order to build a product that is efficient,” says Madnawat, an M.Eng student in electrical and computer engineering. “Various workshops held by the EPICentre are helping us understand real-world challenges and how to face them.”
Their company aims to apply artificial intelligence to automate responses to inquiries from international students for educational institutions.
“We feel a company like ours does help the community in terms of how international students can be helped to study and live here in a way they can blend into the culture seamlessly,” Patel says. “The problems they face shall be solved efficiently and contribute to the diverse culture that Canada intends to be.”
The Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) hosts the founders program, a 12-week startup accelerator for students and recent graduates who want to turn their ideas into businesses. Participants receive a stipend of up to $6,000 that can be used as seed funding, attend workshops and seminars, and receive one-on-one mentorship.