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Our trailblazing alumni leading the AI revolution

Our NCL in Action theme of exploring AI's impact on our world continues into 2025. To showcase the incredible impact of our alumni in the space of AI and modern technology, we are highlighting two exceptional graduates transforming the AI landscape: Dr Jerzy (Jurek) Kozyra (PhD Computer Science, 2017), Founder and CEO of Nanovery, and Dev Koshti (BA Business Management, 2024), Founder of Altus.

4 February 2025

Our NCL in Action theme of exploring AI's impact on our world continues into 2025. To showcase the incredible impact of our alumni in the space of AI and modern technology, we are highlighting two exceptional graduates transforming the AI landscape: Dr Jerzy (Jurek) Kozyra (PhD Computer Science, 2017), Founder and CEO of Nanovery, and Dev Koshti (BA Business Management, 2024), Founder of Altus.

Jurek is revolutionising the healthcare industry with a groundbreaking, non-invasive method for detecting deadly illnesses, while Dev is redefining and ‘reinventing’ business operations and solving unique business problems and inefficiencies with innovative AI solutions. 

We speak to them to learn about their journeys, achievements, and insights into the future of technology and entrepreneurship. 

Nanovery 

Jurek is the Founder and CEO of Nanovery, a biotechnology company using DNA nanotechnology to create nanorobots for detecting RNA-based drugs and diagnosing diseases. Under his leadership, Nanovery has developed platforms to detect conditions like prostate cancer and organ toxicity. Founded in 2018, Nanovery’s innovations span life sciences, drug development, agriculture, and food safety, aiming to revolutionise treatment development and disease monitoring. 

Jurek commented, “from analysing massive datasets to uncover hidden molecular pathways to interpreting lab results faster, it’s driving faster diagnoses and personalised treatments.” 

“One major hurdle to public trust in AI is transparency. Many advanced models operate as black boxes, making it hard to explain their decisions and build trust. Issues like data security, bias, and a lack of openness further add to public mistrust. However, there are tremendous opportunities in healthcare, where AI can deliver clear benefits like faster diagnoses and better treatments. By addressing transparency, privacy, and fairness, AI can revolutionise how diseases are researched, diagnosed, and treated, improving patient outcomes. Our goal is to refine Nanovery's technology to better understand RNA therapies and tackle some of the world's deadliest diseases."

Lab team
Presentation

Altus  

Dev Koshti founded Altus, a tech company specialising in AI solutions for businesses. Altus optimises, 'reinvents' and transforms operations across the board, from customer support to after-sales services, with custom AI solutions and services 

Dev’s inspiration for Altus began with his curiosity about AI during university. Initially intrigued by ChatGPT, he recognised its potential to save time and boost productivity. A frustrating experience with traditional customer service inspired the idea for 'Agentic AI for customer support', an AI tool providing 24/7 multilingual support. Later, a university project on improving Netflix’s recommendation system sparked the idea of creating customisable AI solutions to streamline back-end operations, leading to the development of Altus’s 'AI Workforce.'

Dev commented, “AI is currently more disruptive than revolutionary. ChatGPT exemplifies AI's potential to revolutionise life and work, much like the internet. The pandemic and evolving customer expectations have accelerated this transformation, forcing businesses to 'reinvent' themselves with AI at their core."  

“AI is both the source and the solution to the disruption it causes. There are barriers to the AI revolution, including high costs and difficulty integrating AI solutions with existing systems, which create uncertainty and limit adoption. This is where Altus steps in. We bridge the gap by offering customisable, affordable solutions that integrate seamlessly with any tech infrastructure. In my view, concerns about usability or employee resistance are unfounded, as AI, like ChatGPT, is intuitive, boosts productivity, and reduces manual effort.”

"Our mission is to make AI accessible to businesses of all sizes and help bring forth the AI revolution. Through seeking and building partnerships and collaboration with consultancies from different industries, government and communities, my team are working to drive the AI revolution and help businesses embrace 'reinvention'."

When asked what advice he would give to future innovators, Dev said, "have faith, trust in God, and work towards your dream.”  

Follow Altus on LinkedIn to stay up to date on their latest projects. 

Jurek and Dev’s journeys highlight how Newcastle alumni are at the forefront of innovation in AI and technology. From advancing healthcare to transforming business operations, their inspiring stories encourage us to embrace challenges and pioneer new possibilities. 

Get involved with NCL in Action ‘Exploring AI’s impact on our world’.