Ahead of an investor pitch day in December, Autsera pitched their solutions at a mid-way showcase hosted by Plexal that took place last week. Attendees had the chance to learn about innovations and share their feedback. ​OpenDoor is Plexal’s accelerator programme that supports social entrepreneurs to develop products, services or projects that can make work more inclusive. Autsera is proud to be part of the first cohort of inclusion innovators.

Working as a freelancer on a weekly tech-focused TV show, Inas Ismail saw all the new technology releases but felt more of them should be designed to benefit society. Combining her background in engineering and her experience as a mother to a child with autism, Ismail came up with Autsera, an app helping children with autism develop social skills. 

And when she discovered We In Social Tech – an incubation programme supporting tech businesses doing social good — she didn’t hesitate. “I applied even before setting up the company,” she says. “And when I was officially accepted, I said, ‘You know what? You owe it to yourself, you want to make a difference.’”

A few months on, Ismail applied for the Google for Startups female founders programme, which she has been a part of since the summer.

This has helped her learn the different skills she needs to grow the company, from how to hire at the right time or learn about wireframing. One of the major ways Ismail has benefited from the programme is it encouraged her never to shy away from asking for help, whether from other founders on the programme or her mentor: “It helps you to sleep at night.” 

And when it comes to starting out, preparation is key. “You can never plan enough,” she says.“ However, don’t use planning as an excuse for not starting. Give yourself a deadline and then go for it.”