Z21 project uses artificial intelligence to protect online customers

BOON is using its artificial intelligence technology and psychology research to help online shoppers find the perfect products for themselves or a gift recipient without sacrificing privacy.

Founders, Dylan Grey and Mike Oakley have developed a new recommendation engine which uses psychology-backed AI, taking the online shopper through a series of fun, engaging and image-based questions to establish their desires, dislikes and individuality. The system then builds an annonymous profile, requiring no account registration or collection of personal data.

Showcasing their new technology at CES 2021, BOON says its recommendation engine helped thousands of shoppers choose the best gifts in the run-up to Christmas. 'We've created a new way to shop, which uses groundbreaking AI and powerful filtering to shortlist the best products for each shopper, helping them discover their next purchase', says their creators.

Boon was given initial funding by the Z21 Innovation Fund, a collaboration between the Web Science Institute and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The mission of the Fund is to accelerate University of Southampton Web startups towards investment and rapid growth and create high-tech jobs in the Solent region.