We aim to democratise AI adoption across businesses: KOGO chief Gopalakrishnan

Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly reshaping the global technology landscape, with notable effects felt in India. Indian tech giants like TCS and Wipro are leveraging AI agents to boost productivity and enhance employee experiences. Meanwhile, mid-level startups in areas like Large Language Models (LLMs) and on-premise deployment are garnering substantial investor interest, such as Bengaluru-based KOGO AI. Established in 2018 by Raj K Gopalakrishnan and Praveer Kochhar, KOGO AI recently unveiled KOGO OS, a customizable AI operating system that autonomously resolves software-related issues within enterprises without human intervention. In the fiscal years 2023 and 2024, KOGO AI saw revenues of Rs 2.5 crore and targets an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of $2.5 million by March 2025. This positions them favourably in the proliferating GenAI market, forecasted by EY India to potentially contribute 5.9-7.2% to India's GDP by 2030, reaching $359-438 billion. In an exclusive interview with TechCircle, Gopalakrishnan delves into their AI agent's unique features, addressing concerns regarding security and privacy risks linked with AI models and sharing insights into the company's future plans. Edited excerpts:

Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are all exploring AI agent potential for the future. How does KOGO, a startup, set itself apart in this domain?

KOGO has devised a no-code/low-code AI Agent OS operating seamlessly across platforms without ecosystem constraints. The key difference lies in the agility of KOGO's platform, enabling rapid, scalable deployment of AI Agents across diverse functions. While industry giants rely on resource-intensive frameworks like LLMs, KOGO's value proposition is clear: accelerated, large-scale deployment of AI Agents in various roles, aided by on-premise deployment for enhanced speed, reliability, and security.

What distinguishes AI agents from existing chatbots and conversation models in the market?

Currently, gen AI primarily enhances customer support. KOGO is revolutionizing accessibility to this technology across industries, empowering businesses to perform diverse tasks effectively. KOGO's technology transcends conversational AI, handling tasks like appointment scheduling, business plan drafting, extensive research, customer support, remote issue resolution, and more.

What innovative features do AI agents introduce, and could you shed light on recent partnerships in India?

Our innovation lies in on-premise deployment and the use of multiple Small Language models for hyper-intelligence in specific domains. Unlike LLM-based Agents, SLMs and SLM-based agents offer modularity, edge deployment capability, cost efficiency, lower computational demands, and tailored task customizability. Future AI implementation hinges on an AI Agent framework anchored in an SLM swarm. Leading enterprises like TVS, KTM, Bajaj, Hero, Enso, Jawa, Alok Masterbatches, and Mappls Travel harness KOGO to drive productivity.

Data privacy and security are paramount concerns for businesses embracing generative AI. What privacy risks do these technologies pose, specifically?

Public LLMs pose significant data privacy and security risks within enterprise AI implementations. KOGO addresses this with a multi-tiered data governance layer safeguarding proprietary data from model exposure. Moreover, our on-premise deployment minimises third-party risks and reduces the attack surface by seamlessly integrating within an organization's network and infrastructure.

How do companies select the most fitting AI Agent for their requirements? How cost-effective is your model in India, and which industries are ideal for adoption?

AI Agents have the potential to optimize workflows and productivity across sectors. Businesses should assess where AI Agents can streamline tasks and enhance efficiency. KOGO's AI Agents offer unparalleled cost-effectiveness, providing custom AI Agents for free, with charges based solely on usage. Enterprises utilising KOGO have enjoyed a 40% average productivity surge, aiming to democratically propel AI adoption across businesses.

Could you outline your business and financial model?

KOGO secured $3 million in early funding rounds from investors like MapmyIndia. With a robust order book, KOGO is set to surpass its $1.2 million ARR target this year, planning additional fundraising to fuel expansion endeavours.

What does the future hold for AI agents?

Enterprises exhibit a keen interest in AI adoption, crafting concrete implementation strategies and embracing the cost-saving and customer satisfaction benefits AI offers. The AI Agent market is on a rapid growth trajectory, anticipated to exceed $100 billion in the next seven years, and we are looking to drive this growth.