Toby Ruckert: Startup that makes human to machine communications as natural

UIB is a Singapore-based startup that innovates and builds Unified Communications (UC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) platform technologies. UIB’s Conversational AIoT platform makes human to machine communications simple.

Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor. Then, when I started studying piano professionally, I wanted to be a concert pianist. My passion for technology started when I was using modems to set up a BBS (Bulletin Board System) in 1992 before experimenting with voice recognition and mobile phones in 1994. I want to empower people to regain control of their digital lives by creating solutions that help us to realize the importance of our attention and to manage it with the awareness to consciously shape our destiny.

My primary job as the CEO of UIB is to create hope and remove fear when it comes to innovation, disruptions caused by technology and startups, and the future of living in a world powered by AI+HI collaboration. It’s already incredible to see the difference we are making for companies and their customers around the world but a lot of work still needs to be done.

“No one succeeds without being authentic with themselves.”

The toughest part of leading a startup is the constant race for innovation while balancing the resources needed with the market forces at play to successfully launch that innovation in the market. If you’re too early, your tech is going be too old, and if you’re too late, you’ll have missed the first-mover advantage. The only way to overcome this challenge is by reading the zeitgeist and the signs of the times better and better.

I define UIB as a ‘universal translator’ between humans and machines, leading a new market category of conversational AI with cognitive IoT capabilities which allows us to “simply communicate.” Communication has become quite complex and with the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), we now not only communicate with each other but also with our “things.”

“Data doesn’t innovate, humans do!”

With millions of connected devices driving billions of interactions between humans and machines, we use Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to make human to machine communication as simple and as natural as human to human communication (see https://youtu.be/suOXCl3A1v0). We are playing a leading role in giving people choice, whether they decide to own their data (and monetize it themselves), trust a device manufacturer to own their data, or trust a paid service.

In just six years — we just celebrated UIB’s 6th anniversary on February 6 — we built the three integrated platforms (messaging, IoT, and AI) and the underlining IP and technology stack, which enable UIB to be a master translator between all things human and machine. UIB’s team members are connected by this shared purpose. Diversity — supported by our six values of respect, resiliency, accountability, open communications, smart thrift, and global productivity — is UIB’s edge. How and why we do things define us even more than what we make and sell. For example, my CTO and I have worked together for two decades, cementing a track record of successful execution.

“We have entered the golden age of collaboration between humans and AI.”

One of the unique qualities that differentiate UIB is customers 100% owning and controlling their users’ conversational data and analytics, as our platform is fully encrypted end-to-end and also works on-premise. We constantly remind each other to look for ways to think outside of the box by leveraging our creativity, courage, and resourcefulness, and by inspiring, empowering, and showing others how to do the same.

I want UIB to be the company that is known for making human to machine communications as natural, and as simple, as human to human communications. Just as Gottlieb Daimler forever changed transportation, UIB is forever changing communications — allowing people with a single UnificationEngine^®-powered SmartContact™ in their smartphone’s Contacts to use natural language text and voice messaging to talk to any cloud-connected software, service, ERP, chatbot, robot, or device on over 30 of the world’s most popular communications channels (including WhatsApp!) in any language.