Potbot is an app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to sort through over 30,000 strains to help you find the right one for your needs. The technology scans through studies, active cannabinoids and medical journal peer reviews to compile its strain suggestions.
To date, the company has raised $5 million to develop and advance its technology, according to CNBC.
CEO David Goldstein said, “We definitely see there’s interest in the industry, for sure. It’s one that has real potential in the United States and internationally. A lot of investors like non-cannabis touching entities, because they feel like they are hedging their bets a little bit.”
For now, they are focusing development on the New England states. The developers wish to scale searches quicker by having the state-by-state regulations also play a factor in strain suggestions.
The idea for Potbot came to Goldstein when a family member fell ill. He said, “She refused to get this medicine because she felt it wasn’t a professional experience.”
Goldstein enlisted his father, Baruch Goldstein, PhD., to be the co-founder, which took a bit of convincing. Goldstein’s father worked previously in combining AI with medical research.
Goldstein said, “It was a little bit of an uphill battle convincing him, but he met some of the medical marijuana patients I introduced him to. He realized if you take a real medical approach, it was the same.”
Photo: First Harvest Financial