Chooch.ai, a company focused on making computer vision technology more accessible for businesses to quickly identify and categorize visual elements, has announced a $20 million Series A funding round.

Vickers Venture Partners spearheaded the investment, with contributions from 212, Streamlined Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group, Waterman Ventures, and additional undisclosed investors. This latest funding increases the company’s total capital raised to $25.8 million, as stated by Chooch.ai.

“Our core objective is to replicate human visual understanding within machines. That’s the central focus of our work,” explained Emrah Gultekin, CEO and co-founder. The company describes its capabilities as the ability for Chooch AI to swiftly absorb and analyze visual data from various sources, creating AI models within hours capable of recognizing objects, activities, procedures, locations, conditions, and more.

Chooch.ai is aiming to stand out from other AI companies by adopting a versatile strategy applicable across numerous industries, rather than focusing on niche applications. Gultekin illustrated this by suggesting the software could be utilized to identify individuals not wearing masks within a facility or those lacking required head protection on a construction site.

Currently employing 22 individuals across the United States, India, and Turkey, Chooch.ai naturally fosters a diverse workforce due to its global presence. The company intends to maintain and enhance this diversity as it expands its team in the next year.

“As immigrants, we have experienced various challenges and are keenly aware of potential issues. We are very sensitive to these matters. With a senior team member who is a person of color, we understand the importance of developing this aspect of our organization,” Gultekin noted. He mentioned a recent company discussion centered on integrating diversity into the company’s policies and core values as it grows.

The company presently serves 18 enterprise clients and plans to utilize the new funding to hire additional engineers and data scientists, as well as to establish a global sales team to further develop the product and broaden its market reach.

Gultekin revealed that the company’s distinctive name is a combination of the words “choose” and “search.” He also shared that it’s an antiquated Italian term of disparagement. “It translates to ‘dummy’ or ‘idiot,’ which, in a sense, reflects the current state of artificial intelligence – a limited imitation of human intellect,” he said. His company’s goal is to ultimately change that perception.