Kochi: AI innovation and apps startup Riafy Technologies has won the Google Partner of the Year in the category of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Asia Pacific Region, becoming the sole Indian company to earn the 2024 honour at the Google Cloud Next event in the United States.
At a ceremony in Las Vegas, Riafy CEO John Mathew received the award, a testament to its efforts of spreading social commitment along with technological advancements that has been the mission of the Kochi-based firm incubating under Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).
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Riafy, which Mathew founded along with five other youths in 2013, is known for its suite of apps in the categories of food, photography and fitness. Particularly important has been its interventions such as the AI Rescue System developed during the 2018 Kerala floods, an ambulance chain meant for medical assistance during COVID-19 times, Feddy that has been Federal Bank’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence chatbot, conversational AI envisaged to generate two lakh jobs, and R10 AI platform which is a Google Cloud-assisted WhatsApp feed on flight services.
Mathew, while thanking his team at the ceremony attended by 3,000 people, said the award was a “validation of the amazing founding systems we have at Riafy, which is based on inclusion as well as fairness.”
Google Ecosystem and Channels vice president Kevin Ichhpurani spoke highly about the efforts of companies that have been wielding a transformational influence and value system among customers. “Riafy’s work deserves special praise,” he added.
Riafy, which builds ethical, adaptable and accessible AI systems, has its consumer-end products being used by 75 million people in 23 languages. The company enjoys a global footprint in 157 countries, strong on its mix of technology, creativity and hard work.
Its consumer-end products, with world-class experiences, include apps that are in the top one per cent globally. KSUM is the Kerala government’s nodal agency established in 2006 for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.