Techspert.io, a Cambridge based startup, has recently secured £1m in funding for its pioneering expert-finding and evaluating technology. Simon Thorpe led the second round of funding. Thorpe was an investor in Swiftkey and Vocal IQ – Cambridge-founded businesses bought by Google and Apple, respectively, for a combined $350 million.
The round was also backed by Angel CoFund, John Spearman, GW Asia Capital Ltd and Adrian Lloyd also participated, alongside all three non-exec directors from round one, who have re-invested in the startup.
Techspert.io has developed the world’s first search engine capable of sourcing experts from around the world, able to answer the complex questions of all types of business. In every field from rare disease research to the development of sustainable fuels, this quick access to expertise is essential for growth and progress.
The startup aims to eliminate companies current dependency on established ‘expert networks’, including the current market-leader, US-based Gerson Lehrman Group.
The techspert.io AI can pinpoint niche specialists who may not be members of current networks, in any given country. It is also able to quantitatively evaluate expertise in a move to create greater objectivity and transparency.
Following this latest round of funding the team plan to target the $5 billion global spend on sourcing and speaking to experts across all sectors and geographies – the ‘economy of knowledge’.
The companies co-founder and managing director, David Holden-White said: “Our vision is for any company with a thorny question to get a better answer, quicker. Before techspert.io, companies seeking specialist knowledge typically had to use experts signed up to networks, leading to a high degree of self-selection.”
Techspert.io was founded with the goal of creating democratic access to expertise across the globe. Clients are charged for the time they spend speaking to experts or can opt for a subscription to the service, with techspert.io taking a percentage of this charge.
