Pioneering London-based company Dragonfly Technology Solutions is today announcing its launch. Utilising technology originally engineered at Queen Mary University of London, and spun out of one of Europe’s fastest growing technology companies, Black Swan Data, Dragonfly has developed a unique mathematical formula that replicates how a human brain processes images. For content developers, this provides an incredible insight into the saliency score for their content, allowing them to directly improve the impact of their designs.
The concept for Dragonfly was inspired by innovative research from Queen Mary University of London that studied the notion that robots were able to see and process images the same way that humans can. Researchers found that they were able to capture the first reaction of a human’s brain functions when processing an image through artificial intelligence and heat mapping.
Dragonfly’s product strips away subjectivity and bias and shows brands which elements of an image people see first, enabling a better understanding of how customers process content. Since Dragonfly’s creation, it has already secured relationships with GSK and McDonalds. Black Swan Data became involved in the research in 2014 and has now invested in the firm as it spins out as an independent company. Dragonfly will continue to expand its network and products under the leadership of Black Swan’s Mark Bainbridge and David Mitchell, who adopt the role of company co-founders.
Speaking of the launch, Mark Bainbridge, Co-founder and CEO at Dragonfly said: “We have been delighted with the reception that Dragonfly has received from our stealth projects and to have received Black Swan’s financial backing. Using deep tech to analyse data and enhance campaigns in real-time has really resonated with the forward-thinking brands we’re working with. Dragonfly is at the forefront of a really exciting transition for the artificial intelligence sector and we are looking forward to expanding our current network to demonstrate the impact for brands across the globe. Working with researchers at Queen Mary University of London to be able to capture that first spontaneous reaction to an image has been an astonishing experience and shows just how innovative British technology has the ability to be.”
Steve King, CEO and co-founder of Black Swan Data, said: “Dragonfly is a fantastic piece of technology and something that Black Swan is incredibly proud of helping to develop alongside Queen Mary University of London. In assisting the Dragonfly team to grow, we’ve realised that there’s a lot more that the technology could be doing outside of how Black Swan has been using it with clients. This is why we’ve invested in the technology and spun it out as an independent business, helping it to fly the nest. Innovative technology like Dragonfly’s bolsters the UK’s status as a global leader in artificial intelligence, and we’re excited to support and watch the business as it flourishes.”
Jen Clinehans, Head of Experience at the Marketing Store, said: “Dragonfly has been a critical tool in TMS’s Customer Experience practice. We’re able to get deeper insight into customer behaviour, understand how hard key creative is working for clients, and what customers are noticing in an increasingly noisy marketing environment.”
