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AI startup to connect disadvantaged people with vital services
A Bristol-based computer science graduate hopes to harness the power of AI to connect disadvantaged people in the city with vital services.
Ibrahim Maina, who graduated from UWE Bristol in IT Management for Business in 2024, launched the new AI startup, Nyata AI.
For his business venture, Ibrahim used the name his classmates in Cameroon affectionately referred to him by, which loosely translates as “the leader”.
As a bridge between his native Cameroon and his newfound recognition as a tech entrepreneur, Ibrahim launched Nyata AI just over a year ago at UWE Bristol’s incubator in Frenchay, Future Space.
The new app hopes to harness the power of AI to connect disadvantaged people in the city with vital services – photo: Nyata AI
When asked what led him to launch the niche startup, Ibrahim said it all stemmed from his experience of working at a local charity, where he saw first-hand the sheer number of people lacking access to basic needs such as food, clothing and hot showers.
With his experience in the charity sector and his academic background in computer science, Ibrahim believed there was a natural intersection.
The new app uses a simple search function to locate the nearest charities and help points offering support, whether for food, clothing, free hair cuts, washing facilities or a place to stay for the night.
With the use of live GPS tracking, the app can also arrange taxis for the users.
Ibrahim Maina, who graduated from UWE Bristol in IT Management for Business in 2024, launched the new AI startup, Nyata AI – photo: Milan Perera
Ibrahim lauded the support he received from Future Space in turning his idea into a reality.
He also pointed to the symbiotic relationship with fellow entrepreneurs at the incubator, who provided constructive feedback to help take the project to the next level.
He said: “Having a founder-friendly space to work in made a real difference in the early days.
“Every Tuesday, we’d sit down as a group of founders and talk through the challenges we were each facing and how to solve them, with brilliant mentors around the table.
“That kind of honest, practical support is exactly what you need when you’re taking an idea and turning it into a real startup.”
The conversational app is free to download on both Android and iOS app stores and the AI assistant can understand most languages whether it is Spanish, Somali, Arabic, Polish or Hungarian.
Nyata AI is based at the UWE Bristol’s incubator in Frenchay, Future Space – photo: Milan Perera
Ibrahim hopes to use the Bristol phase of the app as a blueprint that can be scaled up across other parts of the West Country.
Ibrahim admits the nefarious application of AI, as in any other field. But he reiterates the enormous potential of AI to be untapped to make a “real difference” in the world for large number of people, whether in education, health or generating income.
Main photo: Milan Perera
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