deliberAIde Joins the Oxford University Innovation Startup Incubator

September 5, 2024 | Sabrina Afrin Simi
deliberAIde Joins the Oxford University Innovation Startup Incubator

On March 27 2023, a spark ignited an idea that would mark the birth of deliberAIde —a vision to transform democratic engagement by reviving and scaling citizen dialogue through the power of AI. With the goal of strengthening the legitimacy of democracies and empowering citizens to have a say in societal decisions beyond elections through dialogue-based participation formats, hosted, for example, by local governments, we set our sights on an ambitious journey. Shortly after, we applied to the prestigious Oxford University Innovation Startup Incubator, a program known for empowering groundbreaking ventures.

By June, the wheels were in motion. We attended a pre-assessment meeting with the incubator team, where we pitched the concept of deliberAIde, accompanied by our first-ever, carefully crafted pitch deck. A few weeks later, in late summer, our idea was met with validation as we were accepted into phase 1 of the program— the 'pre-incubation phase'.

deliberAIde pitch presentation at Oxford University Innovation

The pre-incubation program began in September, a whirlwind period of biweekly workshops at the incubator in Oxford. These sessions were led by seasoned business consultants and startup experts, who helped the cohort to refine and validate their business models. By December, after months of effort, we presented our refined business model to a jury. Just before Christmas, on December 21, the incredible news arrived—we were one of only five startups selected to progress to phase two, the 'incubation stage'.

The Oxford University Innovation Startup Incubator is more than just a platform for aspiring ventures. It is a space where innovation meets purpose, with a special emphasis on supporting startups that drive social impact. This mission aligned seamlessly with deliberAIde's core goal of innovating democracy and participation through AI by developing a tool for transcribing and analysis the debates in participatory formats, drafting summaries for decisionmakers and the public surfacing crucial insights on citizens' needs and concerns. The incubator recognized our vision as a social impact venture to promote collective decision-making.

Oxford University Innovation and deliberAIde partnership

What We've Gained So Far

Our journey with the incubator has been incredibly enriching, so far. Phase 1 offered expert guidance on refining our business model using tools like the Business Model Canvas. It also introduced us to a peer network of founders, where shared challenges and experiences created meaningful connections. The incubation stage has opened even more doors. Being officially recognized as an Oxford University Innovation Startup gives us a stamp of approval by a world-leading academic institution. The £10,000 funding we received allowed us to address critical needs such as legal advice, incorporation in the UK, and short-term hiring. Access to Oxford's vast network was equally transformative. Among others, it helped us secure a pilot partnership with Advanced Oxford, an Oxford-based organisation for research and stakeholder engagement on the development of the Oxfordshire region, to test our features and positioned us to engage with potential investors.

With the support of the incubator, its advisors, and our peers, we are determined to realize our vision to revive democratic engagement through AI-powered dialogue.

Stay tuned as we continue our journey to redefine democracy, one dialogue at a time.