EVN Disrupt

Sona Veziryan, Director of the Business Angel Network of Armenia (BANA), joins us to provide a review of the progress and developments in Armenia’s tech ecosystem throughout 2023. Sona offered insights into the variety of companies she encounters as an investor, and the kinds of companies she aspires to see more of in Armenia in the future. She also shared with us her thoughts on the state of the...

Arman Atoyan, founder and CEO of ARLOOPA, joins us to discuss all things augmented and virtual reality. We discussed how his company enables anyone to build augmented reality (AR) experiences and content using the ARLOOPA platform. Arman also shared with us the history of AR, how it’s developed over the last decade, and what capabilities can be expected in upcoming releases from the major players...

Adam Bittlingmayer, co-founder and CEO of ModelFront, discusses how machine translation has evolved and improved over the last 15 years. Adam explained how his company aids human translators by identifying sections of machine-translated text in need of human review, enabling them to concentrate on specific areas rather than the whole text. Finally, we delved into the ongoing debates within the AI...

Anna Shahinyan, co-founder and CEO of Fivebrane, leads a platform designed to streamline the development of AI models in healthcare. Fivebrane provides tools that enable data scientists and healthcare professionals to collaborate while working with the data critical to developing their models. It also provides analytical tools to evaluate the quality of their data. Anna shared with us how AI is us...

Christian Posse, the Vice President of Data and AI at ServiceTitan, joins us to discuss his long career in the world of data science, and how data practices inform decisions and influence product development at the world’s largest companies. We also spoke about how start-ups should best utilize the generative AI technologies that have been released over the last few years, and how ServiceTitan has...

Mushegh Gevorgyan, the co-founder and CEO of Dowork.ai and Rumors Monitoring, discusses his entrepreneurial journey and the work he and his teams are doing at his two companies. Mushegh began by sharing his path with Rumors Monitoring, a platform that provides insights into how companies are perceived across the media sphere and his most recent venture, Dowork.ai, an AI agent for customer service...

Gevorg Poghosyan, the founder and CEO of reArmenia, joins us to discuss how their platform has facilitated collaboration between Armenians globally over the last two years. Through reArmenia, projects can raise funds or find collaborators who can serve as advisors for projects. Gevorg spoke about reArmenia’s curated “Expert Community'', a group of professionals worldwide who are matched with proje...

Adrine Naslyan, the General Manager of QaylTech, joins us to discuss how her company enables remote rehabilitation using virtual reality. QaylTech’s devices, such as MetaGait, allow people with disabilities to imitate gait (a person’s manner of walking) while being immersed in a virtual environment using VR headsets. Adrine shared how QaylTech’s idea emerged after the April 2016 war, and how their...

Irina Ghazaryan, Co-founder and CEO of Doctor Yan, joined us to talk about how her startup simplifies the process of scheduling and managing appointments for doctors and patients in Armenia. Ghazaryan also spoke about Doctor Yan's additional initiatives, such as educating the public about specific treatment protocols and offering guidance on the recommended frequency of medical check-ups. Lastly,...

Sargis Karapetyan, the interim CEO of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE), joins us to discuss the tech community’s role in building a prosperous and secure future for Armenia. Karapetyan explained his vision for UATE and the role it needs to play in talent building, fostering connections in the industry and advocating for a regulatory framework under which companies in Armenia can...

Avetik Grigoryan, the CEO and Co-Founder of Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory, and Masis Kumrigyan, the Technical Director of Space Programs at the Center for Scientific Innovation and Education (CSIE), join us to discuss the upcoming launch of Hayasat-1. Developed in a partnership between Bazoomq and CSIE, Hayasat-1 is a CubeSat. Grigoryan and Kumrigyan explain what CubeSats are, their uses, and...

Mariam Torosyan, the CEO and founder of Safe YOU, joined us to discuss her platform's mission to empower women by providing tools to report cases of sexual and domestic violence, seek help, and to create a virtual safe space for women. We delved into the progress Safe YOU has made since its inception three years ago, including the thoughtful consideration of various cultural factors that guide the...

In this episode, Narek Aslikyan, co-founder and CEO of Armenian Code Academy, provides insight into the Armenian tech industry's talent infrastructure. He explains how the Academy prepares individuals for employment in both technical and non-technical roles. We also discussed what is required to create employment opportunities outside Yerevan, and the strategies to encourage various stakeholders t...

Gevorg Karapetyan, the co-founder and CTO of Zero, joins us to discuss the development of generative AI solutions for augmenting knowledge workers. We explore the company’s platform, Hercules, which delivers generative AI solutions for enterprise customers and the productivity benefits it brings. Gevorg also shared his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in building sustainable and defens...

In this episode, Davit Baghdasaryan, the co-founder and CEO of Krisp, discusses how his start-up has grown to be a leader in the voice productivity AI space. He shares his thoughts on AI product development in the age of large AI models, and what the newest developments are in the field of voice AI. Davit also talked about his journey of founding BigStory VC, an early-stage venture capital fund in...

Suzanna Shamakhyan, Vice President of Strategic Programming at the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST), joins us to discuss the organization’s initiatives to improve education and science in Armenia. She breaks down how the current poor state of the country’s education system can be viewed as an opportunity to pilot innovative new solutions. We also discussed FAST’s new Generatio...

In this episode, Khachatur Virabyan, the co-founder and CEO of Stylebit, discusses all things design systems. He breaks down how design systems are built, and how Stylebit helps companies track design system metrics such as adoption. Khacatur also spoke about how modern AI systems enable non-technical people to interact with engineering systems through natural language interfaces. He also shared h...

Hamlet Azarian, CEO and founder of Azarian Growth Agency joins us to discuss validating start-up ideas, gaining traction, and scaling companies. Azarian breaks down the data-driven approach the agency takes to growth marketing, and what metrics they track to ensure that start-ups reach their growth goals. We also discussed Azarian Growth Agency’s upcoming initiative called “[A] Growth Academy” tha...

In this episode, Mikael Matossian, principal at Tetra Tech, discusses Armenia’s energy sector and the progress of clean technologies adoption. We examine the current state of Armenia’s energy production and evaluate several initiatives that aim to expand the share of energy derived from renewable sources in the country. Matossian provides insight into the significance of renewable energy adoption...

Hayk Margaryan, the CEO of the National Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NCIE), joins us to discuss initiatives to facilitate technology transfer in Armenia. Margaryan also speaks about the scope of NCIE’s mission, and what plans the center has for the near future. Lastly, we discussed the Mars Simulation Mission, which is scheduled to take place in Armenia in spring of 2024. The post H...

In this episode, Hovakim Zakaryan, co-founder and CEO of Denovo Sciences, discusses how his company is using reinforcement learning for drug discovery, making the process faster and more efficient. He shares insights on the challenges involved in drug discovery, and how AI tools can help overcome them. Additionally, Hovakim sheds light on Armenia's biotech industry and makes the case for why strat...

Hayk Tepanyan, co-founder and CTO of BlueQubit, joins us to discuss all things quantum computing. We dive into the potential applications of quantum computers, and how BlueQubit's platform can help businesses create roadmaps for quantum adoption in their operations. Additionally, Hayk discusses how BlueQubit's quantum simulator can be used for running experiments and testing potential applications...

Rem Darbinyan, the founder and CEO of Viral Mango and Smart Click, joins us to speak about the work being done in AI and influencer marketing by his companies. During the first half of the show, we delved into Smart Click's technology-as-a-service approach that makes computer vision algorithms accessible through APIs. In the second half, we explored Viral Mango, an influencer marketing platform, a...

In this episode, we talk to Nerses Ohanyan, co-founder of HyeTech, about the organization’s recent trip to India and their efforts to connect the Armenian tech ecosystem with the rest of the world. We delve into why it's crucial for Armenia to develop its capacities in the space tech ecosystem, and Nerses shares exciting initiatives such as the Bazoomq space research lab, the Kemurdzhian Challenge...

Sergei Kungurov, Head of Core Product Foundation at Miro, joins us to discuss the company's first year in Armenia since relocating from Russia. As the popular collaborative whiteboarding tool continues to expand its reach (currently serving 50 million users), Sergei shares his insights on product development at scale. The post Sergei Kungurov: Miro’s Move to Armenia & Scaling Products appeare...