A Leicester AI startup has completed its founding team with the appointment of a Co-Founder and Technical Director they met through the Leicester Startups Incubator.
Art of Thinking AI (AOT-AI) has appointed Ed Brown as co-founder and Technical Director, joining founders Lizzie Soden and Dr Greg Scorzo. The three met through Leicester’s startup community, where conversations about technology and entrepreneurship grew into a shared vision “for a different kind of artificial intelligence.”
Brown joins with an equity stake and a seat on the board, bringing over six years’ experience building AI applications and machine learning systems for startups and established businesses. His arrival is a big moment for the startup as it continues developing AOT FISTBUMP, an AI-powered dialogue platform that helps people understand the beliefs and misunderstandings behind conflict.
Lizzie said:
“We’ve found someone who understands not only how to build sophisticated AI systems, but why this technology matters. Ed thinks deeply about how artificial intelligence can strengthen human understanding rather than replace it.”
Dr Greg Scorzo said:
“Working with Ed on the prototype has been seamless. He’s contributing far beyond software engineering. He’s thinking about architecture, deployment and how the technology can work effectively in real-world settings.Our backgrounds are very different, but together they create a unique combination of philosophical thinking, human-centred design and technical expertise.”
Brown started out as a structural engineer before moving into data science. He went on to co-found Appally, a workplace support platform for neurodivergent employees that reached the Tech Nation Rising Stars final. More recently he founded EB Data & AI Solutions, building bespoke AI tools for growing businesses. He said:
“What convinced me to join was the ambition and originality behind Art of Thinking and FISTBUMP. This isn’t simply another AI application. It’s a vision for how AI and humans could interact in a fundamentally different way, particularly within conflict resolution.”
Leicester Startups founder Ben Ravilious said:
“Co-founder matches are a fantastic outcome for our community, so I’m delighted to see this happen so quickly after opening our incubator. It’s a great example of what can happen when ambitious founders are brought together in the right environment.”
AOT FISTBUMP is currently at an early prototype stage. The company is SEIS eligible and is looking for investors interested in ethical AI, across sectors including workplace mediation, legal services, education and public services.