ORCA - A Learning Journey

The Original Idea

ORCA started as an ambitious project during the GROW program — Germany’s largest student founding contest. The concept was to create an AI system that builds AI: an LLM that would generate neural networks tailored to specific industrial applications, particularly for predictive maintenance.

I participated in the KIT Gründerschmiede idea contest and achieved seventh place. On the KIT Gründerschmiede Website, you can see my original pitch video.

A Pivot Born from Market Research

After conducting comprehensive market research and developing a detailed business model, our team reached an important realization: the AI landscape is moving too fast. With models like Claude from Anthropic, ChatGPT, and others evolving rapidly, competing in this space as a startup would be extremely challenging. The market is dominated by well-funded companies with massive resources, and staying competitive would require resources beyond our reach.

Rather than abandoning our entrepreneurial vision entirely, we decided to pivot — and we found an even more meaningful direction.

The New Direction: A Learning Platform

We’re now building a comprehensive learning platform designed for teachers and students. This platform will help educators create engaging learning experiences and empower students to learn more effectively.

As part of this vision, we’re integrating UnlockToLearn — our existing flashcard app that turns phone unlocks into learning moments. This becomes a core component of the larger platform.

More details about our new startup will be published soon. We’re excited about this direction and believe it can make a real impact on education.

For inquiries, reach out to: hello@vincentschill.ing