How to Pick a Name for Your AI Startup

The Power of a Name in the AI Industry

In this world of exploding innovation in the AI industry, a great name paired with a great product will make your technology rise above. What’s in a name? A name starts the story of your company or product. A great name won’t make a lousy product soar. And a terrible name won’t necessarily drown fantastic technology. But in this world of exploding innovation in the AI industry, a great name paired with a great product will make your technology rise above.

Key Factors for Naming Your AI Startup

Before naming your AI technology or company, you should consider several key factors that may help determine the right naming strategy. Let’s start with “AI” itself. The acronym AI is used in many of the new names in the market, from established frontrunner OpenAI to Elon Musk’s newly launched xAI. This term is less likely to be a naming fad that will fade out of fashion because of its tangible nature. “AI” will likely follow a similar trajectory with another trending tech term thanks to its tangible nature: “cloud.” At first, many naming experts feared the term would eventually sound dated and overused — but more than a decade after it began spreading as a naming word-part, “cloud” has proven it’s here to stay. It is still used in creative and descriptive product and company names (just read any tech product press release!). Incorporating “AI” into your technology or company name can be done in a few different ways.

Creative Integration of “AI” into Your Name

For example, you may integrate it more creatively into your name (e.g., Clarifai, AEye). While this creates more distinctiveness and is a clever approach, it can also be tricky to create a word that is pronounceable and relevant to your value proposition.

Consider the Pronounceability and Relevance

Consider the Pronounceability and Relevance. While having “AI” as a standalone word in your company or product name provides clarity and future-proofs it, it can also make your startup seem late to the game. Sticking “AI” onto the end of your startup’s name isn’t entirely creative, but it does the job. And it seems to be working for a lot of companies. Remember, the importance of your startup’s name is weighed against the importance of getting to market. For now, for innovation-heavy startups that will be looking to raise large rounds but haven’t yet built their ground technology, something like “AI” might help them tell the market they are current and more forward-thinking.

Distinctive and Relevant Naming Strategy

While the decision of your AI startup’s name is consequential, a great name won’t compensate for a lack of a compelling product or value proposition. The name is an opportunity, but your product still needs to stand on its own.

Conclusion

Choosing a name for your AI startup is an important decision that should not be taken lightly. By considering the key factors such as incorporating “AI” effectively, ensuring pronounceability and relevance, and maintaining a distinctive and relevant naming strategy, you can set your startup on the path to success in the competitive AI industry. Pairing a great name with a great product will give your technology the edge it needs to rise above the rest.

Source: techcrunch