Founded in 2018, Ask Brian has already raised angel funding. Björn Kolbmüller and Paul Schwarzenholz, the founders of Zenloop and Flaconi, as well as several other business angels from consulting firms, have been supporting the startup since June 2020. Founder and CEO Pavol Sikula answered our 7 questions.
Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Pavol Sikula, Ask Brian: Ask Brian is founded on Pavol Sikula (CEO) and Matthias Ruppel (CTO). I'm Pavol Sikula (40), a business graduate with 15 years of management consulting experience, specializing in reorganization, restructuring, and support functions optimization. Matthias Ruppel (34) studied computer science and worked for many years in software development, focusing on IT architecture design, backend development, and big data.
Brian not only answers questions but also creates documents
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Pavol Sikula, Ask Brian: Too much valuable time is wasted on tasks that could be completed much faster and more cost-effectively using the best digital services and databases. The problem is that busy professionals aren't familiar with these solutions, don't trust them, or don't know how to use them.
Our Brian – an AI-based business assistant – takes over these tasks. Think of him like Siri, only he communicates (for now) via email and not only answers questions, but also provides or modifies documents. For example, he can translate documents from or into 100 languages, provide information on industries and companies, and even provide PowerPoint graphics. The current 'skills' are tailored to the needs of consultants and are constantly being expanded.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Pavol Sikula, Ask Brian: Of course, there are alternatives for each of the features (such as translations, text recognition, research). But no product exists that integrates all of these features in a simple way and is immediately available for use across companies. The integration, however, is what makes it exciting: Brian, for example, can translate scanned documents into 100 languages or provide research content in 100 languages. We know of no solution that can deliver this added value to customers – 24/7, within three minutes. Feel free to try Brian for yourself; there's a free trial available for everyone.
The first version of Brian could tell jokes
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Pavol Sikula, Ask Brian: It was difficult until we found Matthias – we had big ideas, but at the same time, Brian, who could only tell jokes and recite tax rates. The key was to form a core team whose skills complemented each other perfectly and, above all, worked well on a personal level and shared the same vision. The second challenge was building Brian – much more difficult than either of us initially imagined. And the final challenge was completing our first financing round in the midst of the coronavirus crisis – right when the DAX fell to 8,500 points.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Pavol Sikula, Ask Brian: In a year, we want to have thousands of happy users and have established ourselves as a gold standard, especially in management consulting. We want every consultant to want Brian on their side – because that way, people can focus on the truly exciting tasks and deliver more value to their own clients. If Brian's users also enjoy working with us globally, we will have achieved our goals.
“The Isar Valley has a clear advantage over Silicon Valley”
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Pavol Sikula, Ask Brian: For us, Munich is the perfect location: a global consulting powerhouse, talented individuals, experienced B2B investors, an incredible quality of life… I can't imagine a better location globally. For us, the Isar Valley clearly has an advantage over Silicon Valley.
Munich Startup: Risk or security?
Pavol Sikula, Ask Brian: There's certainly a risk involved. But we're also confident that we deliver added value for our customers. And we're confident that our collaboration is interesting for our business partners. We're also confident that we're an exciting asset for our investors. But will it be enough to truly succeed? Try Brian and see for yourself!
