Case Study: Originality.AI
Background
Originality.ai, founded by serial entrepreneur Jon Gillham, followed the sale of a content agency he had previously founded and originated from his extensive experience in content marketing. In mid-2022, Jon and his team started to develop a tool that assessed the likelihood of content being generated by the AI Large Language Model GPT-3, which at the time, was not widely known. They launched the first version of Originality.ai in October 2022, days before the use of GPT-3 gained overnight popularity with the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT, which sparked tremendous demand for their solution.
Jon’s company offers a comprehensive toolset designed for website owners, content marketers, writers, publishers, and copy editors to publish content with integrity in the world of Generative AI. Trusted by industry leaders such as GM, Walmart, AT&T, and more, the platform addresses the unique needs of different stakeholders.
The Originality.ai team now includes experienced Machine Learning Engineers and Researchers, Developers and Marketers all on a mission to try and provide transparency on the true originality of any writing. Including south Georgian Bay residents Liam Mcnally (front end developer), Conor Watt (tech lead) and Madeleine Lambert (marketing lead).
Joining the Growth Program
When Originality.ai came to the GB Accelerator, Jon had a few main challenges he was hoping to address.
One of these challenges was that the company initially operated with a large percent of the team being freelancers and contractors, including an international member who played a key role. While this allowed for flexibility during the early stages, the high-risk nature of relying on freelancers became apparent as the demand increased.
Another challenge was that Originality.ai had started by primarily selling its solution to individual users, and the pricing model was entirely based on a usage credits system that offered little revenue predictability. As they acquired more enterprise clients their model and capacity to support these clients needed to adapt.
As part of the GB Accelerator's Growth Program, Originality.ai was matched with three mentors, Daniel Shaw, Meg Blair and Jason Read.
Meg Blair, who specializes in human resources, played a pivotal role in helping Jon create a formal organizational structure and recruit key personnel. To address the challenges posed by an international team member, the Accelerator introduced Jon to an immigration lawyer, initiating the process of relocating the key international member to Canada.
Daniel Shaw’s mentorship supported the optimization of the pricing model and package offerings. The introduction of a subscription model allowed Originality.ai to address enterprise clients more effectively, and significantly increased revenue predictability. The mentorship process helped Jon and his team better understand the unique needs of enterprise clients, equipping them to handle larger accounts effectively.
Jason Read worked with Jon to look at opportunities for Originality.ai on how they might expand their offering by creating new market categories within the relatively new field of AI generated content detection, and then dominating those categories as the standard solution. This sparked the development of Originality.ai’s recently released automated Fact Checker tool, and a few more concepts that are still in the team’s pipeline.
"The coaching value was being able to have higher-order, strategic, and honest dialogue that can't happen inside the current organization."
- Jon Gillham
The accelerator program also connected Originality.ai with government funding opportunities, resulting in an Elevate IP Grant. This financial support was critical in accelerating the company's growth.
Results and Achievements:
The Growth Program ran for four months. At the end of the program, Originality.ai demonstrated remarkable growth and achievements:
Revenue close-to doubled
Signups doubled, indicating a substantial increase in user adoption.
The team grew from 10 full-time members to 11, with the local team in Collingwood growing from two to four members.
Secured an Elevate IP Grant for $50,000 to support patent filings
Two draft patents and three provisional patents were filed, highlighting the company's commitment to innovation.
"This was an opportunity to pressure test and ensure key decisions are being viewed 360."
- Jon Gillham
Conclusion:
Originality.ai's journey with the GB Accelerator's Grow Program is a testament to the transformative impact of strategic mentorship. Through mentor support, the company successfully navigated challenges, optimized its operations, and achieved substantial growth.
This case study highlights the importance of mentorship in fostering innovation and helping startups evolve to scalable and impactful businesses.
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