Easy language isn't "just" the avoidance of long sentences, but a defined language style from the field of accessibility that uses short sentences, simple grammar, and additional explanations to make information accessible and understandable for everyone. Until now, texts have been translated manually into easy language, which is expensive and time-consuming.
The Munich startup Summ AI wants to change this with its AI-based technology. Its AI-supported tool, 'Summ AI,' automatically translates any complex text into plain language, thus presenting information in an accessible and understandable way. Summ AI's solution is primarily aimed at government agencies and companies that are subject to legal accessibility requirements or want to offer plain language to communicate inclusively and understandably with customers and employees.
Up to 20 million people affected
Founder and CEO Flora Geske explains:
“Up to 20 million people in Germany are currently excluded from important information because they cannot understand complex texts due to learning difficulties, educational disadvantages, or poor German language skills.”
A problem that has now also been recognized by investors: Venture Stars, Müller Medien, Jvh Ventures, Superangels, a family office, and business angels are investing a seven-figure sum in the Munich-based startup as part of a pre-seed round. With this investment, Summ AI aims to expand its team, particularly in sales, and further develop its AI-based product portfolio.
Planned B2B market entry
Summ AI already has customers in the B2G segment. The city of Hamburg, the city of Aschaffenburg, and the Baden-Württemberg Cyber Security Agency rely on the Munich-based solution. The startup is now also planning to enter the B2B market, where the Accessibility Strengthening Act, so companies must expand their barrier-free offering of products and services.
Summ AI was founded in 2022 by Flora Geske, Vanessa Theel and Nicholas Wolf. The three founders tell how they met in Interview with Munich Startup:
"We [ ... ] know each other from our studies at the Technical University of Munich. We met in an interdisciplinary Master's program in Finance & Information Management – "FIM" for short – and realized pretty quickly that our team had practically been born with the tools to start a company, as we cover the fields of mathematics, computer science, and economics."
