Anni is an example of a tech company that has blended human connection and technology to achieve better outcomes for everyone.
Developed in October 2023, the business is an on-demand wellness advice platform that connects users with expert advisers who can help them address problems they are facing in wellness, nutrition, naturopathy, dermal therapy, fitness, parenting, and other areas, as well as finding them the products and services that will meet their needs.
Inspiration
The company itself was established a year prior and is the brainchild of Diranne Lee-Renwick, his wife Anna, and Timothy Smith, who sought to create a new service category and fill a gap in the market so people could find guidance on various topics. At the same time, they wanted to empower experts to monetise their knowledge.
“I believe healthtech holds immense global importance for revolutionising the delivery of health and wellness services. It has the innate ability to enhance patient outcomes, increase accessibility and foster a more equitable future for all,” Diranne explains.
Why the human touch was so important
Anni’s story did not come without challenges, primarily from the rise of Google, social media, and AI, which offer a rich repository of information, though are more prone to inaccuracies and misinformation.
“Seeking advice through these platforms can result in generic, misinformed or harmful consequences,” Diranne explains. “Most of us have wasted time, money and energy on ineffective and expensive social media hacks and products.”
Anni states that about a quarter of Australians have experienced negative consequences as a result of following advice found on social media. “Ultimately, AI cannot replace the emotional intelligence, sensitivity, intuition, complex problem-solving, creativity or adaptability industry professionals offer,” Diranne explains. “When you look at something like parenting, can AI put a baby to sleep? Can the robot look after a baby? The answer is no.”
This has been bolstered by data as well. An overwhelming 81 per cent of people would rather wait on hold to talk with a live customer service representative than chat instantly with an AI assistant. Diranne says that this preference for communicating with live individuals applies to wellness and wellbeing advice as well and serves as the foundation that the Anni platform is built upon.
The platform has had to address other challenges as well. Anni’s own research found that 27 per cent of Australians turn to social media for advice because they believe they have difficulty finding experts, while 29 per cent turn to social media because getting in touch with an expert is expensive.
In addressing these concerns, Anni sought to make the service as affordable and convenient as possible for people. “We strive to make trusted human-to-human connections possible,” Diranne says. “By eliminating the need for travel, Anni offers a unique solution as an Advice-as-a-Service platform, catering to busy schedules and budgets.”
Using tech where it works best
While Anni’s foundation is built on human connections, it has also made use of technology to facilitate its processes. For instance, in the management of profiles, payments and virtual consultations, Anni uses cloud-based machine learning techniques and AI to power the search and matching functionality and connect users to the right professionals. The platform can immediately provide relevant information when a user types in a few keywords. Anni’s powerful engine will suggest a number of experts who can address the user’s concerns. The list can also be refined based on availability and user preferences.
Anni also seeks to maximise AI’s potential in the healthtech space.
“By harnessing the collective strengths of both humans and artificial intelligence, people can now access specialist advice in a manner that is efficient and user-friendly,” Diranne says.
Looking ahead
Since its launch, Anni has shown significant growth and the founders are looking to take the company and the platform further. It recently raised $1 million in a successful first round of seed funding, which was secured privately through a mix of high-net-worth individuals and family funds. With fresh funding, Anni looks to hire more staff, including engineers, to improve the platform and expand awareness of its Advice-as-a-Service proposition to convince more experts and members to join. In particular, Anni is looking to provide digital goods in conjunction with the expert advice services. This would include how-to guides and meal plans, to name a few.
Diranne explains that the community Anni has built in such a short period has helped fuel its future growth plans. “Community is a driving force behind our expansion,” he says. “As we move towards cross-platform distributed on-demand advice, we’re setting up community groups to allow experts to interact with each other and share their common knowledge.”
Diranne’s vision is for Anni to be the go-to trusted advice service, not only in Australia but in the world. “We’re now in the process of curating the next Anni chapter, which will allow us to distribute our digital workforce and offer on-demand advice across multiple platforms globally,” he shares. “It’s an exciting place to be right now!”
This article first appeared in issue 45 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine
