In today’s AI-driven world, building a multilingual future is both a need and an opportunity for entrepreneurs like me. As a serial founder from the Netherlands who has bootstrapped my way through high-tech and educational ventures, I’ve learned firsthand the importance of creating technologies that address all markets, not just English-speaking ones. TildeOpen, an AI innovation from Latvia, gets to the heart of this issue. Designed for 34 European languages, it’s reshaping how we think about linguistic equality in tech, and here’s why it matters for female founders and entrepreneurs.
Why Language Bias in AI Models Matters
Most mainstream AI models are deeply rooted in English. While this makes them perform exceptionally well in English-speaking contexts, there’s an undeniable gap when it comes to smaller languages like Latvian, Croatian, or Finnish. For entrepreneurs operating across Europe, this is more than just an inconvenience, it’s a business limitation. Who can scale an inclusive global company when the AI tools we rely on misinterpret the culture, context, and nuances of non-English markets?
Latvia’s Tilde took this problem head-on with TildeOpen. Unlike traditional models, this multilingual large language model (LLM) treats European languages equally, offering a far more accurate and balanced solution for businesses operating across the continent.
The Model That Redefines Boundaries
TildeOpen spans 34 official languages, including regional languages such as Icelandic and Balkan dialects. It runs on the ultra-powerful LUMI supercomputer in Finland, a symbol of collaboration and computational strength. During its creation, researchers trained the model using diverse, high-quality data sets that avoided overrepresenting English while filtering out biased information from unreliable sources. If you’re curious, they even tackled disinformation challenges head-on by discarding harmful digital narratives, a move most mainstream tools can’t guarantee.
The final version has over 30 billion parameters, yet it is designed to be “lighter” than some of the commercial giants like GPT-4. And as someone who follows Europe’s push for smart resource allocation, I loved learning that this approach doesn’t just help startups and small businesses, it also promotes sustainability by requiring fewer computational resources.
Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From TildeOpen
As women building businesses across diverse markets, we often need tools that can break the barriers between regions, languages, and cultural narratives. Here are four key lessons every European entrepreneur can adapt from the TildeOpen story:
1. Harness Linguistic Equality for Smarter Expansion
A model like TildeOpen shows us why multilingual platforms are key to scaling startups internationally. If you run a company in Europe and hope to establish yourself in neighboring countries, you’ll need tech solutions that don’t just scrape the surface of language accuracy but capture regional depth.
2. Prioritize Quality Over Size
While large models are tempting, they’re not always tailored to niche markets. TildeOpen’s smaller size, compared to billion-parameter systems, actually serves as an advantage, letting businesses solve problems locally without compromising on quality or speed.
3. Local Data Matters More Than You Think
One of TildeOpen’s strengths lies in its commitment to regional data. Entrepreneurs can learn from this by partnering with local experts or actively curating country-specific content for their own ventures. Understanding language quirks and cultural uniqueness can be a game changer.
4. Sustainability Isn’t Optional
If your tech relies on excessive resources, you’ll face scalability limitations. One takeaway from the model is that leaner systems make more sense for entrepreneurs who want longevity, without heavy, unnecessary costs.
A How-To Guide for Founders
Thinking of launching your own tools or programs but struggling with data diversity or accessibility? I suggest you try this step-by-step approach inspired by TildeOpen:
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Define Clear Needs for Languages: Evaluate your business model. Are your primary markets multilingual? Which underserved languages can help you unlock growth?
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Start Small But Go Deep: Create solutions that deeply understand fewer languages instead of spreading resources thin over many.
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Collaborate and Reach Local Experts: Just like Tilde did with linguistic researchers, work with communities or agencies in target regions. It’s the easiest way to localize effectively.
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Test and Iterate Frequently: Train your tools on curated data and improve them based on feedback from native speakers or users in your chosen market.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Let’s keep it honest: multilingual projects often look ambitious but fail because businesses underplay complexity or over-rely on existing tech. Avoid these pitfalls:
- Misjudging User Needs: Don’t assume a tool trained equally on 30 languages fits everyone’s expectations. Adaptability matters.
- Ignoring Context: A literal translation is never enough. Ensure your solutions understand cultural idioms and local preferences.
- Facing Scalability Problems: Don’t overlook the power consumption or infrastructure limits of running a massive model across lesser-known data sets.
Deep Insights for Female Entrepreneurs
There’s a growing demand for women entrepreneurs to lead the charge on inclusive technology. If I’ve learned anything from collaborating across Europe’s tech hubs, it’s this: niche innovation backed by trust builds stronger networks. Models like TildeOpen prove that small countries aren’t limited by geography, they’re empowered by diversity. As women working in tech, we can think regionally while executing specifically. And it’s okay to be a niche player that builds for impact rather than scale.
Conclusion: Supporting Linguistic Diversity
TildeOpen highlights that technology for underrepresented languages isn’t just possible, it’s actionable. Female founders across Europe can take inspiration from this project to rethink strategies around inclusivity, openness, and resourceful design. If we want our ideas to thrive in a continent of complexity, supporting diversity in languages might just be our next best business edge.
For more insights into TildeOpen’s research, check out their resource-rich platform at LUMI supercomputer. It’s reassuring to know there’s a growing toolkit aimed at leveling the playing field for businesses like yours, and mine. Because when we collaborate regionally, businesses work smarter globally.
FAQ
1. What makes TildeOpen unique in addressing language bias in AI?
TildeOpen ensures linguistic equality across 34 European languages, overcoming the dominance of English found in other AI models. Discover more about TildeOpen’s approach
2. How does TildeOpen support smaller European languages like Latvian and Croatian?
The model uses tailored tokenizers and training data with balanced representation of smaller languages to maximize accuracy. Learn about its linguistically equitable design
3. What role does the LUMI supercomputer play in TildeOpen’s development?
LUMI, one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers, provided 2 million GPU hours to train TildeOpen efficiently. Explore LUMI’s impact
4. How does TildeOpen handle disinformation within its training data?
The model filters out biased and harmful narratives using advanced algorithms and manual validation processes. Check out its filtering approach
5. How can entrepreneurs benefit from TildeOpen’s smaller model design?
With its “lighter” framework compared to giants like GPT-4, TildeOpen provides cost-effective solutions for scaling startups. Learn more about its benefits
6. What industries could benefit most from TildeOpen’s multilingual capabilities?
Public sectors, multinational startups, and localized industries can enhance accessibility and efficiency using TildeOpen. Discover industry insights
7. What benchmarks show TildeOpen’s effectiveness in non-English contexts?
The model outperformed GPT-4 in handling culture-specific tasks and deep-text processing in smaller languages. Explore its performance benchmarks
8. How does TildeOpen promote sustainability in AI deployment?
Its leaner size reduces computational resources, making the model more environmentally friendly compared to larger systems. Read about sustainable AI designs
9. Is TildeOpen accessible to female entrepreneurs aiming for diverse markets?
Yes, its multilingual design helps women leaders expand operations inclusively across Europe. Learn advantages for female founders
10. Where can I access TildeOpen for research or business solutions?
The model is freely available for developers and researchers on Huggingface. Access TildeOpen model
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
