When it comes to making user-friendly tech, AI has the potential to become your best friend – and luckily this is no different for native apps and software development. Coding can be a strenuous and drawn out process and luckily CraneAI is leveraging AI to change this. The AI-powered platform leverages a combination of computer vision, natural language processing, and machine learning to create enterprise-grade apps quickly and efficiently. It features its own bot named “Elly” that guides you through the development process. Able to create wireframes, prototypes, offer project management support, and even write code, Elly is a developer’s new best friend.
AlleyWatch chatted with CEO and cofounder Tomer Dicturel about the company and where they plan to go next.
Tell us about the CraneAI.
CraneAI is a tool for software development – a new platform that utilizes artificial intelligence to significantly cut down the time it takes to write the code and build enterprise-grade apps. Through natural language processing, computer vision, and machine learning, CraneAI can develop a diverse range of code projects – in a fraction of the time it takes traditional developers using current tools.
How is CraneAI different?
What differentiates CraneAI from other software development toolsets is how it uses AI. CraneAI generates real code, real specifications and real documentation, in addition to providing a functioning prototype, all of which can be used toward the development of a final product. Competing toolsets create simple prototype walkthroughs or generate proprietary outputs that have severely limited options when building the full application.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
We are squarely focused on the global software development economy, which is estimated to be $1.6T in size today. There is a mountain of efficiency and happiness to squeeze out of that, which we intend to do in the most aggressive way possible.
What is the business model?
We are looking at a multi-tier SaaS model, capturing monthly per seat fees, where functionality and scale increases as you commit to different price tiers.
As AI evolves and matures, how do you prevent it from becoming commoditized or is that the goal?
As AI evolves we expect the quality of code coverage to increase in a fairly dramatic way. If we commoditize anything, we hope it is to make efficiency and focus commonplace, where today it is quite hard to find. There is simply too much pain for all involved in the software development process.
What inspired the business?
My cofounder Ryan Hickman (CraneAI CTO) and I had worked on a number of ventures previous to CraneAI, where the core of the business required the development of software or a native app. Our experience every time was typically painful and frustrating. Long and drawn out executional timelines, scope creep, spiraling budgets and general development frustrations were ever-present. So, we both became obsessed with finding a more efficient path. Enter AI and CraneAI was born.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
The next six months is all about bringing CraneAI successfully into the market. CraneAI is the first company to bring a commercially viable product to market using AI to fundamentally change the software development process.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
Raising money is a time-consuming and painful process, no matter how incredible your product and idea is…we’ll use AI to solve that problem next! For example, we had huge momentum from an event at Google, early on in our development and with so much investment interest, we were certain we were on easy street. That momentum blinded us and instead of going down a traditional investment route, we jumped on an opportunity that looked to solve a sales channel partnership, while at the same time raising funds quickly. Needless to say, the intent of that deal never materialized – it was too good to be true. That deal set us back months upon months. It was an incredible learning moment.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
Michael Bloomberg – his leadership and desire for positive change are unmatched on the scale in which he operates. Bloomberg is the quintessential leader/innovator.
Why did you launch in New York?
There is no greater city to launch in than New York City. Talent, investors, partners and customer – its all here!
Where is your favorite fall destination in the city?
Central Park, of course.
