after being forced Downsizing in 2018, Milwaukee-based tech startup CodeBaby Inc. is back with a sophisticated digital avatar, fueling market demand for its products.
Colorado-based CodeBaby was then acquired by Mequon-based Intelligent Digital Avatars Inc. in 2016. However, iDAvatars ceased operations after just two years. The most significant factor in the closure was the loss of Blue Cross Blue Shield as a customer, which generated more than $1 million in annual revenue.
However, iDAvatars’ then-CEO, Norrie Daroga, had purchased some of the company’s assets, including the CodeBaby platform and technology. Over the past four years, Daroga and several investors have been working to perfect the startup platform. To support this process, the company has received over $1 million in funding from outside sources.
CodeBaby’s technology enables the development of intelligent digital avatars, primarily for use in medical and educational settings. Avatars are customizable and can show compassion, empathy, and a sense of humor. Virtual characters interact with users using conversational artificial intelligence.
“You never know when the timing is right or when it’s going to work,” said Daroga, now CodeBaby’s president. “I still felt there was value in the company. It was a lot more complicated and a lot more expensive than I had imagined.”
Due to the pandemic, CodeBaby’s customer base has increased. In addition to learning and entertainment online, people are increasingly using telemedicine services.
“This allows us to create experiences without high-end developers,” says Daroga. “What we built is the ability to create personas within avatars. We want to address issues such as areas that have been proven.”
CodeBaby is also used in education. One of her customers at the company uses the platform to create avatars that teach American history to students. Darroga said several other companies are using his CodeBaby for their internal education programs.
CodeBaby has established an advisory board to guide us in expanding our offerings in the remote patient monitoring and digital health space.
CodeBaby CEO Norrie Daroga said:position: milwaukee Founder: Norrie Darroga Founded: 2022 product: Intelligent digital avatars primarily used in medical and educational settings Website: codebaby.com employees: Five goal: Expanding offerings in remote patient monitoring and digital health experience: Daroga was the CEO of the now-closed Mequon-based iDAvatars.