This startup just joined Techstars to make generative AI easier to use – GeekWire

Rene Bystron spent hundreds of hours at his last startup building an app that helps teach people how to use generative AI tools. And it was through that experience that the Seattle entrepreneur came to a realization.

“There’s this massive need in the market for a tool that allows people to leverage AI for workflow-specific tasks without prompting,” Bystron told GeekWire.

Bystron is the co-founder and CEO of DeltaGen, a new startup developing software that aims to help companies use AI tools that don’t require “prompting,” or the process of queuing AI systems for a specific answer.

Bystron previously launched and led AI LaMo, which built games, quizzes, and other interactive content to teach people how to improve their prompt engineering skills and interact with chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini.

“I’m cannibalizing years of work — I built my career in prompting,” Bystron said. “But I’ve just seen hundreds of companies and done dozens of generative AI workshops to know that this doesn’t come to people naturally.”

DeltaGen is building a platform targeted at enterprise workflows, starting with financial professionals. Its tool identifies workflows associated with a particular job by scanning LinkedIn profiles of users, and then provides solutions designed for specific tasks.

“You don’t really need to write anything,” Bystron said. “You select and choose.”

Bystron said the software leverages around 30 APIs from different AI models and picks the best one for a particular job.

“There are models that work better for some workflows, and others that work better for others,” he said.

DeltaGen is still in beta mode. It plans to generate revenue using a traditional software-as-a-service model, charging users for premium features.

The 5-person company recently joined the latest cohort of the Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator, a Denver, Colo.-based program designed for tech startups addressing labor market challenges. Another Seattle startup, Incskill, is also participating in the three-month program.

Techstars earlier this year shut down its Seattle accelerator.

Bystron previously was a project leader at Boston Consulting Group, and founded and led Meltingpot Forum, a large multidisciplinary speaker event in the Czech Republic.

DeltaGen co-founder and CTO Avinash Uddaraju previously co-founded Gritly, which also participated in Techstars’ workforce accelerator and was acquired by IIA Healthcare. Other co-founders at DeltaGen include CMO Abdullah Raja and COO Casey McCullar.