THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
EBO.AI is an Artificial Intelligence enterprise which enables the automation and personalisation of engagement. Dayna Camilleri Clarke speaks to Dr Gege Gatt, chief executive officer of the London-based company; he is also a digital entrepreneur and IT-Law specialist.
Dr Gatt, could you kindly tell us more about EBO?
EBO is a leader in customer engagement automation. We help enterprises build the right communication experiences through AI-powered Virtual Agents. Our Virtual Agents allow businesses to offer genuine human-like interaction across multiple languages and messaging channels. Through this, we are transforming the customer experience in the Healthcare, Financial Services and iGaming industries.
That sounds very forward-thinking! Why did you set up a base in Malta?
EBO’s team is spread over four territories: the UK, US, Armenia and Malta however we call Malta our home. We have found a strong pool of skills here and an excellent work ethic. Nevertheless, we believe in diversity and so have built a multi-ethnic team which reflects the diversity and aspirations of our client base.
What challenges have you found locally along the way?
The venture capital community in Malta is not as developed as in Northern Europe or the US. So, the faster maturation and more significant innovation of early-stage firms is limited. Subsequently, the vibrant tech ecosystem which is palpable in East London (known as the Silicon Roundabout) or the US (Silicon Valley) is mostly absent here. This creates a lacuna of mentors, innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs.
Many companies have shifted to EBO, why do you think this is?
I like to tell my team to focus on things which are ‘an inch wide yet a mile deep’. This strategy is all about finding your niche; that one focus area that is going to yield the best results. The fastest growing and most profitable businesses tend to position themselves as niche specialists. EBO is exceptionally disciplined in selecting the business pain points it should solve. Our data science skills are advanced but more important than technical prowess, we deeply care about the solutions we sell, and this motivates our customers to partner with us.
“We have found a strong pool of skills in Malta and an excellent work ethic”
How have you adapted to COVID-19?
The twin public-health and economic crises are driving changes in consumer behaviour that could have long-lasting effects in our society. We recognised this and adapted to the evolving needs of the market. Firstly, we created a dedicated AI toolset for the National Health Service in the UK to help address the growing public dialogue about COVID - this is now a Microsoft AI showcase product. Next, we changed our business model to allow for a more distributed and low-risk payment process to offer more favourable terms to our customers. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, we focused on empathy: understanding the concerns of the markets we serve and addressing these with renewed commitment and dedication.
What are the current technical challenges faced by EBO?
Technical challenges are generally surmountable. The real challenge is changing. Well actually change is not the problem; resistance to change is. EBO doesn’t merely sell AI technology; it provides a promise around change or profound organisational transformation. Therefore, the current challenge is understanding the most common reasons companies object to change and thus resist the adoption of our technology. Once we create a culture of trust and understanding, the challenges fade away.
Are you able to find the right skilled employees to drive the business forward?
As the adage goes, the smartest people always work for someone else. Thus, we are continually investing in attracting the right talent for us. However, people don’t work for a company; they work for a leader. This puts renewed focus on the importance of sound leadership principles. Having a positive mentality supported by boundless energy, and excellent communication skills are generally precursors to good leadership at any level.
With that in place, finding the right team members is more effortless. However, we also believe in broad collaboration, so we have set up an excellent layer of associates from New York to New Delhi, which provides the right skills at the right time. Gone are the days of employment. We live in the age of smart collaboration and continuous professional development.
“success is elusive – It’s a series of unfolding opportunities through which we discover ourselves as technology and change enablers”
The market is steadily picking up pace locally with others cropping up, what makes you stand out from your competitors? How do you keep up with advances in technology?
Many start-ups focus on the wrong things before finding the coveted ‘product-market fit’. They waste time talking about the company they want to build and endless PowerPoint decks representing that. Instead, the focus should be on making the product that will gain loyalty and sell quickly. Once you have that, you build a sustainable path around the concept.
EBO stands out because it has had a deep focus on its product and an intimate understanding of the markets it serves. It keeps at the front of its game by working closely with technology partners that provide the necessary structure for rapid innovation.
What feedback have you been getting for your service?
EBO’s solution is interoperable – it integrates well with existing platforms in the industry, making the roll-out painless. Most IT projects are still too complicated for today’s fast-moving world. CTOs rarely can deliver all the projects necessary for the business, so receiving feedback about the simplicity to adopt EBO is always a welcome success metric.
The second reaction we often get is that EBO solves real problems for real companies. Companies buy EBO to automate tasks in customer engagement when alternative options are either too complicated, too costly or just too analogue. This approach allows us to align our own company’s development with real-world needs strategically. We call this excellent product leadership.
What plans do you have for the future for EBO?
EBO’s value proposition is continuously evolving. Our most exciting plan is to see the product changing to meet the market needs over time, in turn allowing us to capture new and more sophisticated markets. As long as we measure success carefully and maintain discipline in execution, we’ll keep increasing our enterprise value significantly.
However, success is elusive – it is not a mere liquidity event or an exit point. It’s a series of unfolding opportunities through which we discover ourselves as technology and change enablers. It’s about building a company that has dignity and meaning to the people that work in it or buy from it. It’s about mentoring others along the path. EBO plans to become an ever more resilient organisation to face the challenges that the market presents whilst wielding the power of AI as a social good.
FEATURED IN THE NOVEMBER EDITiON
NOVEMBER 2020
Words by
Dayna is a senior speech therapist by day and feature-writer by night. When she’s not busy xing words, she is travelling the world to add to her fridge magnet collection.
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