Dear Friends of Viamo,
As we say farewell to 2023, I wish you renewed hope for the year ahead.
This year has been a defining one for Viamo, marked by groundbreaking initiatives and a steadfast commitment to our goal of digital inclusion for all.
Generative AI breakthroughs
In 2023, breakthroughs in Generative AI gave us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform our users’ experience and make our Viamo Platform 10x more valuable to our users, partners and clients.
In Zambia, we piloted an “Ask Viamo Anything” feature on our platform, powered by GenAI. People with basic, non-internet phones called a toll-free number and asked any question on their minds. In a matter of seconds, we provided them with a pretty great answer.
This innovation is a game-changer for those who are digitally isolated, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions. We can now answer any question across a huge range of topics. With the power of GenAI we are able to provide custom responses to posed questions without the need for pre-recording answers. And we can suggest follow-up questions so that the interactions flow like a real conversation.
This groundbreaking “Ask Viamo Anything” pilot has been a tremendous success. Through simple phone calls – no internet required – over 5,000 users have posed 46,000 questions and received instant, personalized and free answers. All thanks to the power of GenAI on the Viamo Platform.
The majority of questions asked, over half, could be specifically tied to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This highlights a strong link between access to this technology and its role in driving social behavior change.
Here are some of our favorite questions that have been asked:
- Can you explain to me the importance of family planning?
- Let’s say I’m buying cooking oil at 70 kwacha ($2.60), what’s the minimum profit should I make from that same product I’m selling?
- What are the effects of mining on the environment?
We believe this innovative technology has the potential to transition the nearly 3 billion people without internet access into the digital economy.
Stay tuned for our exclusive report coming soon where we’ll share our insights and learnings from our pilot.
This connection serves as a demo line with limited capacity.
It is not equipped to support high call volumes or sustained heavy traffic.
We appreciate your understanding and recommend limiting usage to ensure optimal performance for all users.
Greater engagement = Greater impact.
We set out to deepen engagement and impact by making changes to the Viamo Platform last year with our audience’s needs in mind – and the results speak for themselves.
In 20 countries, people are turning to the Viamo Platform for their daily dose of news, essential health information and to build key skills like financial literacy. The average Viamo Platform user calls the platform and gets 35 benefits annually.
Our growth in Nigeria is particularly impressive. With 1.35 million monthly active users, Nigeria now represents 20% of our global users.
The increase in engaging women is remarkable – our female audience in Nigeria has surged by 40%. Women now make up 38% of our total listeners there. This spike didn’t just happen; it’s all thanks to our targeted marketing and content that’s custom-made for the unique Nigerian market and inclusive for women.
Looking Forward
Heading into 2024, we’re setting our sights on expanding the “Ask Viamo Anything” service by rolling it out in 19 new countries and on all platforms.
On top of this, we’ll be working with partners to build custom, tailored “Ask an Expert” voice companions powered by GenAI to give specific, expert advice. We plan to push the boundaries of GenAI with conversational surveys, trainings and campaigns.
We’re also gearing up to launch 5 additional platforms in countries where we already have a presence, broadening our network and extending our reach, growing our yearly active users to 30M+.
For our partners, we’ve got some exciting developments in store. Viamo will be rolling out results-based pricing where we will take on the implementation risk by charging for the impact we deliver.
Most importantly, our journey continues – to connect the digitally disconnected with the information they need to live healthier lives.
Your partnership and support have been instrumental in our achievements this year and beyond.
Cheers to a new year and new progress,
CEO, Viamo
