Moving is often considered one of the most stressful life events.The average American moves 11 times in their lifetime,making it a recurring and taxing experience.The process involves not only packing and unpacking but also starting anew in workplaces,schools,and neighborhoods,finding new doctors and veterinarians,and making new friends.The challenge of finding a reliable moving company adds to this stress.AI startup WeMove aims to alleviate some of this burden by leveraging technology to simplify the moving process.

　　Current Challenges in the Moving Industry

　　Traditionally,entering your details on a moving website often means your information is sold to multiple companies,leading to an influx of phone calls,texts,and emails.Additionally,the inventory capture process,which involves estimating the number of boxes and the volume of furniture,is typically done via phone or video call.This method is not always accurate,leading to discrepancies between the quoted and actual moving costs.The industry standard of calculating space in cubic feet can also be confusing for customers.

　　WeMove’s Solution

　　WeMove founder Travis Benoit identified these pain points and sought to streamline the entire process,similar to booking a trip on Kayak.com.Launched in October 2023,WeMove’s consumer marketplace allows users to capture inventory,get quotes,book moves,and be assigned carriers without interacting with a human salesperson.

　　WeMove’s technology includes image recognition software that lets users take photos or videos of their home to catalog inventory.The AI identifies items and provides an itemized breakdown by room,which can be edited as needed.The AI model has been trained on 20,000 household items,including bulky items like pinball machines and grand pianos.Benoit emphasized the challenge of achieving 98%accuracy in sizing with their AI model.

　　WeMove also utilizes a custom-built AI chatbot based on OpenAI’s ChatGPT to assist with the process.The company has released a software platform and an API for moving carriers to use the same technology for inventory capture.Future plans include developing an AI-driven load board to optimize truck loads and a moving-specific customer relationship management(CRM)platform.

　　Innovations and Future Plans

　　WeMove’s AI-driven load board will help carriers optimize their routes and loads.For instance,if a carrier drops off a load in Texas en route from Los Angeles to Miami,the system can identify and allocate another load in Texas,ensuring the truck does not travel partially empty.The CRM platform aims to replace outdated legacy software,which Benoit notes is often from 1997 to 2001,with more modern solutions.

　　WeMove has raised a pre-seed round from Mucker Capital and is planning a seed round in the near future.

　　This profile is part of a series highlighting AI startups.For more insights on AI,visit our AI Atlas hub,which includes product reviews,news,tips,and explainers.