By Honorary Reporter Anushka Sharma from India

Photos = Priyal Agrawal

The startup accelerator program K-Startup Grand Challenge is organized by the Korean government to turn Pangyo Creative Economy Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, into a new hub for global startups.

Indian entrepreneur Priyal Agrawal founded StandWeSpeak, which was included in the program's top 60 list. In an audio interview on Jan. 25, she discussed her participation in the event.

This is a profile picture of Priyal Agrawal and the logo of her startup StandWeSpeak.

What is StandWeSpeak?
This is an artificial intelligence-driven, one-stop platform for sexual wellness. The chatbot Mae answers anonymous questions on sexual and reproductive health from people of all ages, genders and nationalities. We also connect users to gynecologists, counselors or intimacy coaches.

How did you feel when you made it to the K-Startup Grand Challenge's top 60 list?
It was quite unbelievable because my startup is about sex education, which isn't always accepted with an open mind. People often don't understand why young people need platforms like ours and believe that sexuality is not to be discussed. We also get a lot of pushback due to the gender inclusivity of this platform. But our selection to the top 60 validated my belief that people need access to information to safely navigate through their life choices.

How did this finish help your startup?
It was a great source of motivation for me and my team. During our time in Korea, we realized that East Asian cultures are quite similar in perspectives on sexuality, prompting us to hold a sexuality workshop in Dubai. We also received a seed fund grant from the Indian government. Being named to the top 60 gave us credibility that connected us to future prospects.

Priyal Agrawal on Nov. 9, 2022, gives a presentation at the K-Startup Grand Challenge held at Pangyo Creative Economy Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province.

How was the startup acceleration program in Seoul's Pangyo-dong neighborhood?
I initially assumed that because Korea is ahead of many countries in technology, it would have better solutions for sexual awareness. I also talked to people from different cultures with varying opinions and beliefs. Yet the need for sexual awareness remained the same, which I felt was a valuable insight.

I also met investors, stakeholders and product companies striving to make a difference in this field. All of these experiences helped me and my team broaden our perspective and gain a better understanding of our goal.

What are your plans?
I hope to spread StandWeSpeak to a larger community by using a voice assistant and being more inclusive in language and gender. To allow disabled people to browse options more easily, our disability tangent will compile questions on sexuality and gender that such people have and based on their answers, we will help them navigate choices in sexual wellness.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.