Andrei Komissarov, Founder And CTO Of DEVAR AI (MyWebAR) And OpenWay AI, Tells Us What He’s Looking For In TechRound100 Entries In 2025

Tell Us About Yourself

My name is Andrei Komissarov. I am the founder and CTO of DEVAR AI (MyWebAR) and OpenWay AI. Over the past ten years I have created products where computer vision, augmented reality, and applied AI intersect with real workflows. It is a gateway to the technology world for non-tech people. I am the inventor of 13 patents in augmented reality and computer vision.

Tell Us About DEVAR AI and OpenWay AI

DEVAR is one of the early pioneers of consumer augmented reality. Eleven years ago we created a new format in publishing: books with augmented reality. More than 15 million copies were sold. We implemented new business models at Hasbro and Nickelodeon. Today the books are sold in 75 countries and 27 languages. We expanded into packaging, marketing, retail, and education.

In 2021 we launched the no-code augmented reality platform MyWebAR.com (often referred to as “Canva” for augmented reality). In less than a couple of years the platform became one of the leading WebXR platforms. It enabled creating augmented reality not only for programmers but also for designers, creators, business owners, and marketers. Today it has over 250,000 users, including more than 200 universities from different countries.

OpenWay AI grew out of an internal challenge when the number of new sign-ups per day reached 2,000. The task then was to create personalized communication with learning and analysis of each user to increase conversion. Today OpenWay AI is an autonomous GTM platform that acts as an AI Growth Hacker for solopreneurs and SMBs. It automates the entire customer journey, from ever-generative websites to personalized deal closing.

What Advice Would You Have for Companies Entering the TechRound100?

For me one of the most important questions is the target audience and its real needs. I would suggest paying special attention in your pitch deck to researching your audience. Tell us how and how many hypotheses you tested or how many customer-development interviews you conducted to confirm the customer’s pain and how your product solves it.

It would also be great if you describe your working rhythm. Explain how you make bets weekly and turn ideas into product. Judges tend to favor teams that learn faster than their category.

What Can Entrants Do To Stand Out From the Crowd?

Look for unconventional solutions and don’t try to fit “standard stories.” When DEVAR was a startup, we came to Hasbro with the idea of creating books with augmented reality. We went through all the European offices to the American HQ. At that time there was nothing like it on the market. But we believed in this concept. Hasbro listened, and together we launched a global collaboration that opened up an entirely new category: coloring and activity books with augmented reality. We also implemented a fundamentally new business model at Hasbro. Within a couple of years it spread to more than ten countries.

This story showed that a startup with a strong product and product-market fit can change the rules of the game inside corporations. This is especially true if it knows how to create a win-win situation.

Any Final Thoughts?

I would like to add that the involvement of founders and the founding team is a defining component in a startup. It is quite a worrying sign if a startup is not the founder’s primary professional focus. When someone treats their project as a side activity while working full-time elsewhere, it usually signals insufficient commitment. A startup is not just about testing an idea. It is a bet the founder makes, investing time, energy, and resources. It may succeed or fail, but only with full dedication.