Microsoft has pledged £150,000 of funding toward digital infrastructure for a Bradford College student’s start-up.
Abdul Rahman Majid caught the tech giant’s eye with his business, Kallabot.
The idea for Kallabot came to Abdul when he moved to Bradford and found it difficult to communicate with utility companies about bill payments.
Kallabot is described as an “AI-powered call-centre solution” which offers automated customer support, sales calls, and appointment scheduling using intelligent virtual agents.
The AI agents are specially designed to suit various business industries, are programmed to handle hundreds of calls simultaneously, and can speak more than 30 languages.
Abdul said: “I noticed that many businesses are outsourcing this sort of work by hiring entire call centres, so wanted to build a more affordable solution that could provide the same service.
“When I was calling companies, I would often wait on hold for considerable amounts of time and knew there could be a better alternative.
“Sales calls can be a tedious process and often very resource intensive for businesses, meaning less time to focus on other areas.
“This is what sparked the idea.”
With the structure of Kallabot in place and the company ready to make its market debut, Abdul applied for Microsoft funding aimed at start-ups in the sector.
The bid was successful, securing the new company £150,000 of backing to be used on digital infrastructure such as servers and website domains.
Abdul said: “The call centre industry is a huge pie and I want to take a small piece of this to build something big.
“After Bradford College I want to go to university and make new friends and connections, while also hopefully seeing Kallabot flourish.”
Daniaal Rauf, one of Abdul’s teachers, praised his achievement.
He said: “It’s impressive to see a student excelling in both studies and entrepreneurship, especially when balancing academia and running a business can require exceptional time management and dedication.
“Abdul not only demonstrates a strong commitment to learning but also showcases the ability to persevere in what he wants to achieve.
“His love for the business, as well as education, is incredible to see and is having an influence on other learners in his class.
“His success to date reflects a proactive mindset and determination to achieve his goals, setting a great example for peers by inspiring them to pursue passions alongside their education.
“We are so proud!”
More information about Kallabot is available at https://kallabot.com/
