At GRBossible, we shared the story of how research in artificial intelligence and serious games evolved into SeriousMind.

Speaking to aspiring founders and students, we explained how a digital escape-room prototype for personality and ADHD-related assessment became a university spin-off and then developed into a startup combining laboratory research with product thinking.

The talk was not only about what we built. It was about how an idea changes when it meets real users, real questions, and real market needs.

From research to a product

The journey began with research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, psychometrics, game design, and behavioural analysis.

The initial prototypes explored whether digital escape rooms could be used to observe personality-related behaviours and cognitive patterns. Players could explore environments, solve puzzles, manage pressure, and make decisions while the system recorded their actions.

The research created the foundation. But turning a prototype into a company required a new way of thinking.

We had to ask:

• Who benefits from this technology?
• What problem does it solve?
• How can users understand the results?
• Which organisations would adopt it?
• What evidence is needed to build trust?
• How can the technology become scalable?

These questions marked the transition from laboratory work to entrepreneurship.

From RealMINT to SeriousMind

RealMINT emerged as a university spin-off focused on AI-powered serious games and behavioural assessment.

Over time, the work developed into a broader platform and product vision under SeriousMind. The company now explores applications in:

• Personality assessment.
• HR and recruitment.
• Teamwork and soft-skills development.
• Education and vocational guidance.
• Cognitive and clinical research.
• Personal growth.

The central idea remains the same: use interactive experiences to understand behaviour in ways that complement traditional questionnaires and interviews.

However, the way the idea is communicated must evolve as the product evolves. A research prototype may be described through models, metrics, and technical architecture. A startup must also explain its users, value proposition, market, and impact.

Test ideas with real users

One of the most important lessons from our journey is the need to test ideas with real people as early as possible.

A technology may appear compelling in a research environment, but users will reveal questions that researchers cannot always anticipate.

They may ask:

• What does my result mean?
• How is my data being used?
• Is the game measuring personality or gaming experience?
• Can this help me choose a career?
• How should an organisation use the assessment?
• What happens if the system gets something wrong?

These questions are not obstacles. They are part of product development.

Every interaction helps improve the game design, the communication, the user experience, and the way the technology is positioned.

Bridging university research and market needs

There is a significant distance between developing a promising academic prototype and building a product that solves a real market problem.

Research asks whether something is possible and whether it can be measured. The market asks whether it is useful, understandable, reliable, affordable, and worth adopting.

A successful deep-tech startup must address both.

At SeriousMind, we are working to bridge these worlds by connecting:

• Academic research and product development.
• AI models and human behaviour.
• Psychometrics and game design.
• University innovation and HR technology.
• Scientific insight and practical decision-making.

This requires respecting the scientific foundations while remaining focused on the needs of people and organisations.

Events as live laboratories

GRBossible was not just a stage for presenting our story. It became a live laboratory for testing how we communicate deep-tech innovation in human terms.

Speaking to students and aspiring founders helped us understand which parts of the journey resonate most strongly. It also showed us that people are interested not only in the technology, but in the decisions and challenges behind it.

A pitch or presentation is an experiment.

The audience’s questions reveal what is unclear. Their reactions show what is memorable. Their feedback helps identify which problems matter most.

For a deep-tech company, communication is not simply marketing. It is a way to test whether the value of the research can be understood beyond the laboratory.

Lessons for aspiring founders

The GRBossible talk reinforced several lessons that may be useful to anyone building a research-driven startup:

• Start with a real problem, not only an impressive technology.
• Test early with users who are willing to give honest feedback.
• Learn to explain complex ideas in simple language.
• Treat every presentation as an opportunity to learn.
• Build bridges between universities, industry, and the market.
• Expect the product to change as you gather evidence.
• Combine scientific ambition with practical execution.
• Surround yourself with mentors and collaborators who challenge your assumptions.

The path from a prototype to a company is not a straight line. It is a continuous process of learning, adapting, and communicating.

Building human-centred deep tech

The future of AI and serious games will not be defined only by algorithms.

It will also depend on whether those technologies are useful, understandable, responsible, and connected to real human needs.

At SeriousMind, our goal is to create AI-powered serious games that support better decisions in HR, education, clinical research, and personal development.

We want to transform complex research into experiences that people can engage with and organisations can use responsibly.

GRBossible reminded us that the story of a startup is not finished when the product is built.

It continues every time we test an idea, speak to a user, answer a difficult question, and find a clearer way to explain why the work matters.

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