Amid an upswell of AI startups focused on finding new uses for large language models, St. John’s-based atlantiq AI hopes to distinguish itself by offering software that automates day-to-day tasks for small businesses, like lead generation.

Founder Nurul Ibrahim is a Memorial University physics student, and his graduation this spring coincides with the release of atlantiq’s mobile app in about two weeks.

In an interview Thursday, he said his goal is to automate tasks for which small employers would otherwise need expanded staffs. For example, atlantiq AI can conduct account research for salespeople, as well as manage digital marketing campaigns.

“I think that’s our unique proposition,” said Ibrahim. “It’s not just about chat, it’s about actually getting things done."

Atlantiq's software interacts directly with systems such as email servers and customer relationship management software, with users entering their credentials via sign-in pages from platforms like Google.

To date, Ibrahim and his team offer AIs for customer service, sales and marketing, with a focus on the e-commerce, financial services, education and tourism industries. They have signed eight clients since the business was created last year, with letters of interest from about another 30. So far, Ibrahim’s team has customized their offering for each client, but when the app launches, it will be sold under a more standardized freemium model.

“Let’s say you have a sales prospect — it searches through all the data on LinkedIn or on any other platform, and then it sends a personalized email to the prospect,” said Ibrahim. “Then it also carries out the conversation … so you don’t have to worry about these things. If there are any issues, it will address it to you.”

Atlantiq was one of six finalists to compete in the final round of Newfoundland and Labrador startup hub Genesis’s Pitch Showcase for companies from its Evolution accelerator.

“The problem (for many small businesses) is workforce, so they’re just stuck in this slow growth cycle,” said Ibrahim. “They cannot just hire more employees, because they need to make more money. But to make more money, they would have to hire more employees.

“Our solution is we give them virtual employees … that can also scale up and complete more difficult tasks as needed. They can all communicate together, like real employees, and they can strategize to get to one goal together.”