Visakhapatnam (Vizag)-based start-up Zebi Data India has come up with 'Zebi AI Chain', its blockchain-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution and says it has been deployed in over 200 hotels in the city. Announcing this at a press conference in Hyderabad on Tuesday, May 1, Babu Munagala, the founder and CEO of the company said hotel brands such as "Novotel, The Park, Taj Gateway, Ginger use 'Zebi AI Chain,' not only to protect their guest data but also to help law enforcement officials in proactive identification and prevention of criminal activities."
He says historically, the data transfer between the hotels and law enforcement offices has been done manually, by carrying paper-based documents. This carries huge privacy risk as the sensitive data on the papers are vulnerable to misuse during transportation and storage of papers. At the same time, the processing times are also unnecessarily long and cumbersome. The company is talking to others potential customers and looking at other sectors too such as education.
Land records in Andhra
A major breakthrough for the company has been its engagement with the government of Andhra Pradesh, where, in December 2017, it launched its Zebi Chain, a block chain-powered tamperproof and immutable data security solution. It has been deployed for land records of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority. Earlier, in December 2015, the three year old start up raised $1 million (Rs 6.8 crore) from a bunch of unnamed San Francisco-based angel investors and again in February and March this year raised another $ 10 million from its Initial Coin Offering (ICO). It now harbours hopes of crossing $ 60 million after four years, be profitable in three years and get there with less than 1000 people. Currently, it has close to 30 people. Its business model is build largely around the transaction fee and the data access fee that will emanate after the product is deployed.