ConceptBytes with their two product lines Smart Surveillance & FynKrag, helps enterprises in safeguarding their intend on existing surveillance systems through a portfolio of eight products offered as a SaaS. Founded in 2011, the solution leverages hybrid edge AI on connected devices and video streams to generate actionable insights in real-time. Insights are presented to designated users in the appropriate format through the web, mobile or thick applications for timely action. Smart Surveillance has bagged the prestigious Forbes India AI Awards 2.0 presented by Microsoft in Feb 2020. The startup is a Microsoft Preferred Solution and is listed in Azure Marketplace serving global customers.ConceptBytes has subsequently bagged NASSCOM Emerge 50 awards in 2021 and they are currently part of NASSCOM Deep Tech Club.

Anand Subhash, founder and chief architect of ConceptBytes, has about 2 decades of industry experience mostly with Philips. He holds multiple patents and believes that products are built over time with patience in addressing the unmet and unarticulated needs of customers. He is currently bootstrapping his Enterprise SaaS Start-up and is enjoying sustained multi-year traction & steady growth.

AI is no longer an exclusive value add, but an imperative building block in future-forward technologies. While conventional datacentres and even cloud systems demand continuous data processing and are confined to one location, it makes real-time decision making aided by AI a challenge. AI on the edge is now gaining momentum, and extending its scope beyond mobile phones. In current times, real-time mass surveillance is one such use case that could greatly benefit from AI on the edge, and Bangalore-based ConceptBytes is driving R&D in Hybrid AI on edge.

The latest patent

Founded in 2011, ConceptBytes has an unshakeable core of R&D. In 2016, they created a Smart Surveillance SaaS product that leverages AI on the edge. This is expected to work with minimal & intuitive configuration UI exposed to users. One of the challenges at scale is to keep AI models updated over time considering & improving on outlier behaviour. The company has a patented technology with which the edge AI can automatically provide model feedback and the server subsequently cooks updated model & refreshes models.

India's advantage lies in owning AI refinements

As more startups enter the competitive fray, patents will be the key differentiator and USP for most, especially in the field of AI. India will have a more strategic advantage in ownership of AI refinements. 

Importance of patenting your inventions

In the past 3-5 years, AI patent filings have significantly increased. The competition is multifold, with startups sometimes competing with multinational corporations. Getting exclusive ownership of the IP involved in solving specific problems is going to be a key differentiator and value creator. 

Challenges in the patent filing process

Indian patent system is restrictive and currently caters to software-only or method patents. This needs to improve soon, and patent creators should be able to cast a wider net that even includes hardware innovation.