Viven Launches Digital Twin Technology to Enhance Workplace Communication
Innovative Solution to Team Coordination Challenges
In today’s dynamic work environment, effective communication and collaboration among team members are crucial for project success. However, team productivity can suffer significantly when key individuals are unavailable, whether due to vacation or geographical differences. To address this issue, Ashutosh Garg and Varun Kacholia, co-founders of Eightfold—a rapidly growing AI recruiting firm valued at $2.1 billion—have introduced a groundbreaking solution with their new startup, Viven.
Launched earlier this year after a period of stealth development, Viven aims to revolutionize workplace communication by allowing employees to access critical information from their colleagues even when those team members are offline. The startup recently secured $35 million in seed funding from prominent investors, including Khosla Ventures, Foundation Capital, and FPV Ventures.
How Viven Works: Creating Digital Twins for Employees
Viven’s innovative platform utilizes specialized large language models (LLMs) tailored for each employee. By generating a "digital twin," Viven leverages internal electronic documents—such as emails, Slack messages, and Google Docs—to create a virtual representation of an individual. This allows other team members to query the digital twin for immediate answers regarding shared projects and organizational knowledge.
“When each person has a digital twin, you can engage with the twin as if you’re interacting with the actual person, obtaining instant responses,” explained Ashutosh Garg in an interview with TechCrunch.
Privacy Concerns and Data Protection
A major challenge that Viven addresses is the necessity of protecting sensitive information. Employees often handle confidential data or personal files they wish to keep private. Viven’s technology employs a unique approach called pairwise context and privacy, enabling its LLMs to discern what information can be shared and with whom within the organization.
According to Garg, the system is adept at recognizing personal contexts, ensuring that private inquiries—such as those related to employees’ personal lives—remain confidential. Moreover, users can view the query history of their digital twin, serving as a safeguard against inappropriate questions.
“It’s a very hard problem to solve, and it was previously considered unsolvable,” stated Ashu Garg, a general partner at Foundation Capital.
Adoption and Market Position
Viven has already attracted a range of enterprise clients, including Genpact and Eightfold. Garg and Kacholia balance their responsibilities between leading Eightfold and overseeing Viven as it expands its services.
In terms of market competition, Garg asserts that no other companies are currently developing digital twins for enterprise applications. Prior to launching Viven, he spoke with renowned investor Vinod Khosla, who confirmed the uniqueness of their approach and agreed to provide financial backing.
The potential for Viven’s technology is promising, as indicated by the enthusiasm from industry leaders. “When Ashutosh presented the concept to me, it became clear there was a universal challenge related to communication and coordination across various job functions that remains largely unaddressed,” noted Ashu Garg of Foundation Capital.
Future Outlook: The Digital Twin Landscape
While Viven currently enjoys a unique position in the market, the landscape may evolve. Established tech giants like Anthropic, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenAI’s enterprise search products are exploring personalization features that could overlap with Viven’s offerings. Nevertheless, Ashutosh Garg remains confident that their innovative "pairwise" context technology will provide a competitive edge.
In summary, Viven’s digital twin technology represents a significant advancement in promoting effective communication within organizations. By enabling teams to access vital information seamlessly and privately, Viven addresses a critical pain point in modern workplaces, setting the stage for future innovations in employee collaboration tools.
