Envision Technologies

Envision Technologies, a privately held company founded in late 2017 by Karthik Mahadevan (CEO) and Karthik Kannan (CTO), is focused on developing assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired. The founders, friends with backgrounds in engineering and artificial intelligence, were motivated to apply technology to make visual information accessible. They began by creating prototypes and working with beta users, which led to the creation of the Envision software. Located in The Hague, Netherlands, the company has grown to serve users in over 200 countries.

The company's core business revolves around AI-powered software that audibly describes the visual world. This software is delivered through two main products: a smartphone application for iOS and Android, and the Envision Glasses, which are built on the Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 hardware. The business model operates on a subscription basis for the app and direct sales of the smart glasses. The app is free to download with a two-week trial period, after which users can choose a subscription plan. Envision primarily serves individuals who are blind or have low vision, but also targets enterprises and organizations seeking to improve workplace accessibility for their employees.

The product suite is designed to grant users greater independence. Key features include real-time text recognition from any surface, including handwriting, in over 60 languages. The technology can identify faces of friends and family, describe scenes, recognize cash, detect colors, and find specific objects. A significant feature is the ability to make hands-free video calls to trusted contacts, called 'Allies', who can see what the user is seeing and provide assistance. Envision has also partnered with Aira to offer access to professional visual interpreters. The software platform is continuously updated with new functionalities, including the integration of an AI assistant powered by technologies like OpenAI's GPT-4.

Keywords: assistive technology, AI-powered smart glasses, visual impairment, blindness, low vision, optical character recognition, object recognition, scene description, face recognition, text-to-speech, wearable technology, accessibility solutions, Google Glass, Envision Glasses, Karthik Mahadevan, Karthik Kannan, Aira integration, assistive AI, independent living technology, workplace accessibility