INNOVATION CHALLENGE FINALISTS JANUS AI INTRODUCES NEW DIGITAL TEAM MEMBER

The Isle of Man is an ideal environment for digital innovation, it offers a mix of flexibility, connectivity, and supportive regulation that help businesses try out and grow new digital ideas. One way this progress is happening is through the Innovation Challenge. This competition highlights and supports creative ideas that solve real problems. By connecting tech entrepreneurs and start-ups with industry experts, funding opportunities, and access to a live testbed environment, the Challenge helps promising digital ideas move forward.

This year, one of the finalists in Digital Isle of Man’s Data & AI category is Janus AI, a local startup that is changing how businesses manage customer communication across all digital channels.  

Janus AI was born on the frontlines of customer service. The challenge was how to provide high-quality, personalised service on voice calls, WhatsApp, SMS, email, and web chat, all at once. Founder James Crawford, wanted to find a way to use AI to handle these conversations with the same care and tone as a human team. 

In August 2024, James and Technical Director Reza Ehsani began building Janus AI. Their goal was to create an AI platform that fits easily into business workflows and is fully customisable, not just a tool for answering common questions. 

AI as a digital team member 

Janus AI is built entirely in-house and it handles both incoming and outgoing messages and links with systems like CRMs (Customer Relationship Management), calendars, booking tools, and phone platforms. This makes it a complete automation tool. 

What sets Janus AI apart is that it works alongside human staff. It takes over repetitive tasks and simple enquiries, freeing people to work on more complex and important jobs. Key features include: 

• Full integration across all platforms for consistent customer service 

• Deep customisation to match each company’s style and needs 

• AI agents that learn and improve in real-time 

• Fast voice responses for smooth conversations 

• Easy handover to human staff when needed 

Rooted in the Isle of Man, built for global scale 

Janus AI’s roots in the Isle of Man are deliberate, James and his team relocated to the Island in early 2024, drawn by its quality of life, innovation-friendly environment and growing tech ecosystem. For Janus AI, the Innovation Challenge is both a launchpad and a strategic opportunity – a chance to raise their profile, access early-stage investment, and form partnerships with other forward-thinking businesses on the Island. 

As Managing Director Kadir Levent explains, “We see the Isle of Man as the perfect environment to grow. It’s agile, supportive, and has a real appetite for digital progress. We want to help put the Island on the map for practical, scalable AI innovation.” 

Preparing for growth 

Janus AI is now gearing up for its next milestone: a commercial hard launch targeting businesses across the Isle of Man and the UK. The team is actively refining the platform through pilot partnerships, with plans to scale by integrating new features and responding rapidly to client feedback. 

In a world increasingly driven by digital efficiency and user-centric service, Janus AI offers a powerful solution for businesses looking to scale without sacrificing quality. 

Register here to attend the Innovation Challenge 2025 and catch their live pitch as they compete in the Data & AI category! 

This article features third-party organisations and initiatives as part of the Isle of Man Innovation Challenge. The views and opinions expressed are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the Isle of Man Government.