startup.ro Interview: Introducing Scientific Research Automation

In a world where artificial intelligence is transforming industries at breakneck speed, we at ExtensityAI have developed a novel solution for scientific research. Founded by Marius-Constantin Dinu and Claudiu "Leo" Leoveanu-Condrei, our company is changing how researchers approach their work by automating the entire research process—from ideation to publication.

This article follows our recent feature in startup.ro, where our founders discussed our vision and technology. You can read the full article here: https://start-up.ro/extensity-ai/

Our Origin Story

The story of ExtensityAI began in early 2023 when Leo discovered Marius's open-source project on a Discord channel. "I looked at it for about 5 minutes and realized it was 90% of what I had in mind," Leo recalls. After exchanging messages on LinkedIn and a two-hour call, they met in Austria just two weeks later, rented a house, and coded intensively for seven days straight.

This partnership, which started with a shared vision for improving research processes, has since evolved into a thriving business that has already reached €1 million in revenue without external investment.

What Makes Our Approach Different

While many AI companies simply leverage existing open-source technologies, we stand apart with our unique approach to artificial intelligence—combining neural networks with symbolic systems to create what's known as neuro-symbolic AI.

"We saw this trend of large language models reaching a plateau phase and unable to scale further except through investments. So we decided to combine neural networks and symbolic systems in our product," explains Marius in our startup.ro interview.

This combination allows our technology to be more efficient and precise than traditional AI models. Instead of requiring massive amounts of data and computing power, our solution uses a more intelligent, targeted approach that delivers better results with fewer resources.

The Problem We're Solving

Scientific research is a time-consuming, complex process. From gathering raw data to analyzing results, organizing information, and finally publishing findings, researchers spend months or even years completing their work.

We aim to automate this entire process, making it possible for researchers to:

• Efficiently organize and interpret data

• Generate initial research structures and ideas

• Create comprehensive literature reviews with proper citations

• Draft complete research papers, patents, or books

• Produce different versions of the same content for various audiences

"One of our clients generated an entire book from start to finish," Marius shared with startup.ro. "The process of publishing a scientific book is complex. You have raw materials and data that might take weeks or months to understand and organize into a scientific paper."

Using our platform, clients can produce multiple books in a single week—whether it's a scientific publication, a children's book, or content for experts.

Beyond General-Purpose AI

While tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are widely available, our solution offers something distinctly different—a complete research automation solution rather than just a general-purpose chatbot.

"Search engines and general AI models are just part of the process, not the process itself," Marius explained in our startup.ro interview. Our technology focuses on the entire research workflow, connecting information through knowledge graphs, managing literature citations, and ensuring technical accuracy in specific domains.

Moreover, our platform can be customized for various industries and use cases, from patent creation to book publishing, making it a versatile tool for any research-intensive organization.

Our Vision for the Future of Research Automation

Looking ahead, we're planning to enhance our platform with features that will close the loop on research automation—from literature review to experiment design, simulation, and publication.

"The most important resource will be research—the human mind. We can automate research processes, but we don't want to automate minds," Marius emphasized in the interview.

We're currently seeking a funding round of €500,000 to €1 million to scale up our team and expand our operations. We aim to transition to a SaaS model while maintaining our consultancy services for larger clients.

Our Open-Source Philosophy

Central to our mission is our commitment to transparency and open-source software. "We don't believe in closed-source AI models," Leo explained to startup.ro. "We want to champion transparency for researchers and developers."

This philosophy not only builds trust with our clients but also contributes to the advancement of AI research as a whole. By making our core technology available to everyone, we're helping democratize access to powerful research tools.

Research as the Currency of the Future

Perhaps most intriguing is our perspective on the future value of research. "We believe that research will be the currency of the future," says Leo. "It's probably going to be the only thing that cannot be automated—the creativity would be in the hands of researchers."

By automating the tedious aspects of research, our technology allows scientists and scholars to focus on what truly matters: generating innovative ideas and pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.

As AI continues to transform our world, solutions like ours demonstrate how technology can enhance human capabilities rather than replace them, creating a future where research is more efficient, accessible, and impactful than ever before.

We are currently in alpha testing phase, inviting researchers and research teams to provide feedback on our platform. To learn more about our services or to participate in our testing program, please contact us through our website.

This blog post is based on our feature interview with startup.ro. Read the complete interview here: https://start-up.ro/extensity-ai/