In the fast-paced ecosystem of startups, stories of perseverance and vision remind us what drives true progress. Kiana Ehsani, co-founder and CEO of Vercept, stands out as a prime example of this resilience. Her journey, marked by grit, resourcefulness, and a passion for making technology serve human creativity, is a blueprint for rising entrepreneurs. As someone who has founded multiple startups, this story deeply resonates with me, and I think it will with you too.
Ehsani’s work at Vercept is redefining how we interact with technology. Based in Seattle, Vercept is at the frontier of AI applications that automate mundane computer tasks, freeing users to focus on creative pursuits. Their product, Vy, functions as an intelligent assistant that “watches” workflows through screen captures, learns them, and executes tasks autonomously across various apps. This concept fascinated me because it challenges the typical assumption that automation is solely about productivity, it hints at a future where professionals can reclaim their time for what really matters.
But Vercept didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Ehsani’s background sets the foundation for her success. She grew up in Iran, ranked 64th nationwide in her university entrance exam, and became a published researcher as an undergraduate. After earning her PhD in computer science at the University of Washington, she honed her skills at top institutions like Google, Meta, and the Allen Institute for AI. Her technical expertise is clear, but what’s even more intriguing is how she’s carried lessons from her early academic struggles into today’s competitive AI market. Her ability to do more with less is inspiring, especially for startup founders without massive budgets.
Key lessons from Ehsani’s journey
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Resource constraints drive innovation: Ehsani’s experiences in academia and nonprofit work shaped her ability to deliver impactful results without unlimited resources. At Vercept, this mindset translates into high-impact AI tools that rival those developed by tech giants like Google and OpenAI.
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Find the right co-founders: Vercept’s roster, including AI luminaries like Oren Etzioni and Matt Deitke, is a study in building an all-star founding team. Ehsani’s approach emphasizes shared vision and complementary skills, something I’ve learned is non-negotiable for success.
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Use technology for meaningful outcomes: Beyond technical functionality, Vercept aims to empower users to use their reclaimed time for exploration, creativity, or even enjoying life offline. This aligns with her personal passion for outdoor activities, such as ultramarathons, skiing, and hiking. It’s a reminder that startups thrive when founded on a genuine, relatable mission.
How to approach your first startup with a “scrappy persistence” mindset
In my network, I often meet founders who feel overshadowed by well-funded competitors. Ehsani’s story reassures us that scrappiness isn’t a limitation, it can be your competitive edge. Here’s a framework I’ve refined based on experiences like hers:
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Start with a core problem: Ehsani identified a clear pain point, tedious, time-consuming computer tasks, and used her deep knowledge of AI and robotics to solve it. If you reflect on your industry, what specific challenges can you tackle in bold, efficient ways?
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Embrace iteration: Early startups rarely have it all figured out. Whether it’s pivoting technologies or switching markets, flexibility is vital. Ehsani had the courage to experiment with different research approaches during her PhD, which later informed her radically creative solutions at Vercept.
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Invest in the right story: Consumers don’t just buy products; they buy emotions, values, and solutions. Vercept doesn’t market Vy as cold technology, it’s positioned as a tool that enables people to prioritize what brings them joy or purpose. Think about how your startup’s narrative resonates with your audience.
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Leverage small team advantages: With just 12 employees (as of 2025), Vercept leans on agile decision-making and personal accountability. Large corporations move slowly due to bureaucracy; use your scale to turn ideas into actions faster.
Avoid these common traps
Building a startup comes with inevitable pitfalls. From my own experiences, and lessons drawn from Vercept, here are avoidable mistakes:
- Underestimating market demand: Even groundbreaking ideas fail if they don’t solve a market-validated problem. Ehsani understood that office workers everywhere face repetitive task exhaustion, which gave Vercept a strong demand foundation.
- Poor data practices: Ehsani ensures Vy only records data when processing active tasks, protecting user privacy. Without transparency, you risk alienating customers and regulators.
- Overexpansion too early: Some startups dilute their mission by chasing too many features or markets. Vercept has prioritized its flagship product, refining it for Windows and Mac, before branching out.
Insights from the AI startup landscape in 2025
Ehsani’s work mirrors larger shifts in the AI industry. Startups focusing on specialized tools (like workflow automation as Vercept does) are forcing tech giants to rethink their monolithic solutions. It’s also clear that niche users, such as knowledge workers frustrated by repetitive tasks, can lead you to scalable opportunities. What matters is clarity: solve specific problems better than anyone else.
Another crucial trend is the growing overlap of offline passions and tech solutions. Ehsani’s love for the outdoors illustrates how founders can ground their products in human experiences. This resonated with me because, as someone who rarely separates work from life, I see how technology should enable, not interrupt, our pursuits of fulfillment.
Wrapping up
Kiana Ehsani shows us what’s possible when talent meets purpose and perseverance. Her ability to translate challenges into innovative products is an inspiration for all entrepreneurs who feel daunted by resource constraints or the dominance of large competitors. More importantly, her leadership reminds us that the best startups aren’t just about tech, they’re about enriching lives.
Building a startup isn’t easy, but if I’ve learned one thing from profiles like Ehsani’s, it’s that what sets you apart is your mindset. Aim to stay “scrappy” and focused, no matter the odds.
For anyone curious to dive deeper into Kiana Ehsani’s work, I suggest visiting the GeekWire feature on her. You’ll find not only her entrepreneurial wisdom but also valuable insights into how technology can become a tool for meaningful change.
FAQ
1. Who is Kiana Ehsani and what is her vision as an entrepreneur?
Kiana Ehsani is the co-founder and CEO of Vercept, an AI startup. She aims to enhance how technology complements human creativity, freeing people from mundane computer tasks so they can focus on meaningful pursuits. Discover Kiana Ehsani’s vision and story on GeekWire
2. What does Vercept’s flagship product, Vy, do?
Vy is an intelligent assistant that automates repetitive computer tasks by analyzing workflows through screen captures and performing tasks autonomously across multiple apps. Learn more about Vercept's Vy on Fast Company
3. What sparked Kiana Ehsani’s entrepreneurial journey?
Ehsani's background growing up in resource-constrained environments and her passion for solving specific challenges using AI motivated her entrepreneurial path. Explore her journey on GeekWire
4. How does Vy differ from other AI automation tools?
Vy mimics a human-like understanding of computer screens by using screenshots to learn workflows, unlike other tools that rely on static page structures. Learn about the unique features of Vy on Fast Company
5. What makes Kiana Ehsani’s leadership at Vercept notable?
Ehsani’s leadership is characterized by her scrappy persistence, resourceful innovation, and passion for refocusing technology on meaningful human experiences. Find out about her leadership approach on GeekWire
6. What are the advantages of starting a scrappy AI startup like Vercept?
Smaller startups like Vercept benefit from agility, allowing them to rapidly iterate solutions and build resource-efficient tools without the bureaucracy of tech giants. Discover Vercept’s competitive edge on GeekWire
7. Who are the other co-founders of Vercept?
Vercept was co-founded by renowned AI experts including Oren Etzioni, Matt Deitke, and Luca Weihs. Learn more about Vercept’s founding team on GeekWire
8. What inspired Ehsani to develop technology like Vy at Vercept?
Ehsani aims to create solutions that reduce time spent on unproductive tasks, allowing people to engage more with creative projects or personal interests like enjoying the outdoors. Read about her inspiration on GeekWire
9. How did Ehsani’s academic and professional background influence Vercept?
Her expertise in robotics, AI, and computer vision, gained at institutions like Google, Meta, and the Allen Institute for AI, shaped Vercept’s focus on practical, impactful AI products. Explore her academic journey on her personal website
10. What trends in AI and technology does Vercept’s journey highlight?
Vercept reflects a growing trend of specialized AI tools that solve specific problems, focusing on automation for knowledge workers frustrated by repetitive tasks. Learn about key AI trends on GeekWire
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.