Platforms for Leveraging AI Win ISG Startup Challenges

SilkFlo, Kognitos and Ema voted top technology pitches at ISG events in London and New York

Solutions for helping enterprises manage automation and AI pipelines, build automated workflows and deploy a universal AI “employee” won ISG Startup Challenges at recent events in London and New York hosted by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

ISG Startup Challenges feature entrepreneurs behind innovative solutions who deliver pitches on how their technology will add the most value to a business or community. Event judges question the presenters, and audience members vote for the technology they are more likely to implement within their own organizations.

Audience members at the ISG Digital Business Summit, June 25–26, at the Royal Lancaster London Hotel, voted SilkFlo the ISG Startup Challenge winner. SilkFlo is a SaaS platform for automation and AI pipeline management. Its founder Alexander Leonida pitched against Mark Green, CEO and founder of change management provider Change Rebellion, and Thomas Naylor, founder of business-to-business directory Hifo.co, which matches buyers and sellers of technology services and solutions.

“The ISG Market Lens™ Artificial Intelligence Study found the top enterprise priorities for AI are to create a long-term AI strategy or roadmap and identify AI use cases that build new revenue streams or improve customer experience,” said Karen Healy, partner and global leader of ISG Events. “Given the strong marketplace interest in harnessing AI, it’s no surprise the ISG Startup Challenge winners at our events this spring were pitching solutions for developing, launching and governing AI.”

Erick Pringle, builder, Kognitos, won the Startup Challenge at the ISG Future Workplace Summit, May 13–14, at the Convene 360 Madison event space in New York City. Kognitos uses natural language processing automation and large language models to enable business users to build automated workflows using everyday English. Additional contestants were Julian Ginsberg, CEO of AI-powered networking platform Tapply Inc.; Joseph Zarb, president of cloud-based channel execution sales platform Selgine, and Nachi Junankar, CEO and founder, Avrio AI, Inc., an AI-powered recruiting and hiring platform.

At the ISG Xperience Summit, March 18–19, also at Convene 360 Madison in New York City, Kausar Mukadam, senior engineer at Ema, which deploys a universal AI employee that integrates into existing enterprise IT infrastructure, was named the Startup Challenge winner, after pitching against Protik Mukhopadhyay, chief operating officer of Protecto.ai, which promotes the responsible use of GenAI for enterprises, and Robert Bradshaw, president of CX business intelligence provider WiserOwl, LLC.

“ISG Startup Challenges are a platform for entrepreneurs to speak directly to engaged, motivated and knowledgeable technology leaders,” Healy said. “The questions and real-time feedback they receive at ISG events helps them gauge their approach and refine their strategies as they launch their innovative products and services. Similarly, attendees at ISG Events can be among the first in the market to experience the technologies that may be ready to impact their organization.”

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 900 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including AI and automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,600 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

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