Ayoa by OpenGenius

Idea

Introduction

Ayoa - For when video conferencing is not enough!

Gartner forecast that the global market for collaboration software in the workplace was expected to grow to $4.8 bn by 2023. This was before the outbreak of COVID-19 which we believe has accelerated an already fast-growing sector.

Many teams are working remotely for the first time. Research from Buffer highlights ‘collaboration and communication’ as the number one challenge for teams. Video conference tools, whilst they appear to provide a virtual meeting setting, are simply not enough. We feel that existing task management tools facilitate work but don’t help teams to map out what work to do in the first place.

Ayoa, brought to you by OpenGenius, bridges the gap between meetings and actions. It's an intelligent digital workspace for remote teams to manage meetings, build plans, solve problems and action tasks - all in one.

With many great collaborative features and integrations with video conferencing tools such as Zoom (coming soon), Ayoa is the ideal solution to remote meetings and actioning ideas.

*Please note, the financial figures and claims quoted in the above video are from unaudited management accounts.

Intended impact

Ayoa addresses key problems faced by teams and individuals:

All meetings, no action - So, you’ve had four video calls today, but what have you actually achieved? We believe that this problem is becoming all-too-familiar for remote teams. The online equivalent of sticky notes and flipcharts never to be seen again, video calls only allow teams to communicate. This is simply not enough when it comes to turning ideas into actions. Ayoa seamlessly connects meetings and work by allowing users to capture key notes in meetings, develop ideas and manage tasks - all in one workspace.

Computer scientist and psychologist, Gerald Weinberg, discussed the productivity-inhibiting impact of ‘context switching’ which is said to destroy 20% of your time each time you switch context. An all-in-one solution to remote working, Ayoa allows teams to plan, track and complete tasks, with a crucial focus on prioritisation, saving customers 44% of their time (according to a 2020 survey).

Substantial accomplishments to date

- Launched in June 2019, Ayoa already has over 12,000 paying users.

- Ayoa is used by a number of people at reputable organisations such as the BBC, Ernst & Young, and Cambridge University.

- Strong month-on-month revenue growth (Based on unaudited management accounts).

- Ayoa has an average customer rating of 4.5 stars from 1,000+ reviews across the Apple App Store, Google Play and Capterra.

- Ayoa provides an inclusive and accessible software solution for teams everywhere; as a neuroinclusive tool, Ayoa is an approved DSA (Disable Students’ Allowance) supplier and has been approved by the British Dyslexia Association.

- Ayoa is identified as a government-approved Crown Commercial Service Supplier through the G-Cloud framework.

- Sales partners established in many global regions.

- OpenGenius is comprised of 26 full-time employees spanning development, finance, design, marketing, operations and customer service.

- Ayoa has caught the interest of global media outlets, with our CEO, Chris Griffiths, being featured in a number of publications (including the BBC, The Times, Forbes, GQ and The Telegraph) as an expert on topics such as creativity and productivity.

Monetisation strategy

We currently offer a free basic plan with users having the option to upgrade to the paid plan. Customers can choose to pay monthly, annually or for multiple years in advance.

At present we have over 12,000 paying users and c. 300,000 users who have signed up to the free product. We plan to more than treble this in the next two years.

We intend to establish a tiered pricing plan structure with the introduction of a higher-priced plan which will include additional features and a plan specifically designed for larger Business teams.

Use of proceeds

The funds will be used to further develop the product:

Smart Meetings (In development) - A new way to successfully hold meetings remotely, Ayoa’s new Meeting Board feature will allow teams host meetings (remote or otherwise) and simultaneously take notes, develop ideas and create tasks. No more time-wasting meetings.

Intelligent Digital Workspace (partially in development) - More than just a task management, mind mapping or meeting tool, Ayoa will become an all-in-one solution for teams, wherever they’re based to take ideas through to action.

Powerful Integrations (In development) - We’ll be introducing a suite of integrations to ensure users can use Ayoa alongside their favourite existing software, including video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Teams, and many more.

AI Research - We’ll be exploring the use of AI in running remote meetings, providing a team solution like no other.