AlgoFace’s facial analysis technology gets a boost from Microsoft and the National Science Foundation
Call it a banner year for Arizona-based facial biometric analysis company AlgoFace, which released a trio of announcements celebrating strategic and financial wins.
The first is its inclusion in the Microsoft for Startups program, which supports early-stage startups as they scale their businesses by providing Azure credits, AI services, technical and ethical support, and mentoring opportunities. “We are honored and excited to have been accepted into the Microsoft for Startups program,” said Andrew Bart, CEO of AlgoFace. “This partnership unlocks a wealth of resources and knowledge that will allow us to accelerate our growth and engage deeply with the Microsoft ecosystem.”
The next item on the company’s list of achievements is receiving, in February, a US$150,000 grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) as a winner of the Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC), one of the largest business plan competitions in the USA. an even bigger cash injection in the form of a $275,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF). A statement says the money will be used in conjunction with two AlgoFace patents to conduct research and development on its Face Analyzer/Semantic Search technology, “an AI-based system that can locate facial attributes in photos through descriptive text searches without the need for a photo probe.”
The company emphasizes its ethical approach to AI development and points to potential applications in national security, law enforcement, building security, video search, digital asset management, spatial analysis, programmatic media and other industries. AlgoFace Vice President of Partnerships, Innovation and Government Randy Gustafson says the company is excited to have received the grant for further development of its patent-protected biometric technology.
Having received a Phase I SBIR grant from the also known as America’s Seed Fund, AlgoFace is now eligible to apply for Phase II funding and additional supplements totaling up to $2 million.
Article Topics
Algoface | biometrics | facial biometrics | facial analysis | financing | Research and Development
