A Goan family’s AI invention transforms names into faces. NT BUZZ gets to know the story of creating and patenting Alpha Avatar
ADITHI SHARMA | NT BUZZ
In the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI), where technology continues to push the boundaries of creativity and human expression, a Goan family has carved out their own niche. Susanna and Anthony Mascarenhas, along with their children, Calum and Marika, have developed Alpha Avatar, an AI-powered tool that generates unique face drawings based on a person’s name. The invention, now patented in Canada and the United States of America, is a fascinating blend of human creativity and machine learning.
The origins of Alpha Avatar are rooted in a simple party game that Susanna devised over two decades ago. Recalling its inception, she shares, “In the early 2000s, during house parties in Doha, I was looking for a way to engage both adults and children together. I came up with a game where random face doodles were drawn, and participants had to guess the name behind them.” What started as a fun party activity slowly evolved, eventually leading to an AI-powered system capable of creating personalised avatars.
However, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that the idea took a more structured form. Stranded in Canada for five months with her son, Calum, Susanna saw an opportunity to explore the potential of AI. “Calum had developed a gaming app based on the concept, but it lacked the elements needed to sustain engagement. That’s when we started considering AI as a way to bring this idea to a wider audience,” she explains.
Transforming a manually drawn concept into an AI-driven system posed numerous challenges. Anthony, an integral force behind the project, recalls, “Finding a software company that could execute the program was the biggest hurdle. It took eight months before we finally connected with the right developers.” He credits young entrepreneurs, Abhishek and Aman Gangwal from Mumbai, for taking on the challenge where more experienced professionals hesitated.
The AI’s role in Alpha Avatar isn’t just to randomly generate faces; rather, it integrates pre-defined artistic elements into an algorithmic process that results in unique avatars. “There’s still a significant human element behind it,” explains Anthony. “Graphic designers contribute to the foundational images, and AI then builds upon them to create distinctive faces.” This collaborative approach ensures that each avatar is aesthetically appealing and artistically refined.
One of the most striking aspects of Alpha Avatar is that it is truly a family-driven effort. While Susanna conceptualised the idea and provided the initial artistic inputs, Calum was instrumental in testing early iterations. Later, their daughter, Marika, joined the process, working on refining the visual aspects.
“We worked across different time zones—Calum in Canada, Marika in Qatar, and Anthony and I in Doha,” recounts Susanna. “At one point, Marika and I sat down together with sketchpads and an iPad, translating concepts into digital form. It was both hilarious and frustrating at times, but in the end, it was all in the family.”
Anthony echoes this sentiment, adding that the project was executed in phases. “Once we had a viable product, my role became more focused on commercialising the idea and getting it patented,” he explains.
Patenting an invention is often a complex and time-consuming process, and Alpha Avatar was no exception. Anthony recalls the initial scepticism he faced from patent lawyers. “One Canadian lawyer insisted that the idea couldn’t be patented. It took me two months of persistent explanation before he finally saw its novelty.” He describes the rigorous process of defending the uniqueness of Alpha Avatar. “I was repeatedly asked what problem this invention solves and how it was different from anything else out there.”
Eventually, the Canadian patent was granted, followed by approval in the United States. The entire process took nearly two years.
While Alpha Avatar started as a fun concept, its potential extends far beyond entertainment. The Mascarenhas family envisions it being used in diverse fields such as branding, corporate gifting, and gaming. “Personalised gifting is a huge market, especially in the corporate sector,” says Anthony. The team has also developed a curriculum under the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) program, where the avatars could serve as educational tools for creative learning.
The software currently supports names with three to nine letters, generating 256 possible avatars per name. “We plan to expand its features by incorporating headgear, facial accessories, and cultural elements,” reveals Anthony. “This will allow users to create avatars that reflect a broader range of identities.”
With a strong foundation in place, the Mascarenhas family is now focused on the next phase—commercial expansion and strategic collaborations. Their company, Alphavatar Solutions Inc., operates as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, making the product globally accessible.
Susanna sees a larger purpose in this innovation. “We’ve always believed in giving back to society and promoting sustainability. Alpha Avatar started as an experiment in creative expression, but it can now be a tool for education, identity creation, and even digital art appreciation.”
Anthony is optimistic about its market potential. “AI is transforming industries across the board, and personalised digital identities are becoming more relevant. We’re looking at partnerships that can help scale this to industries beyond what we initially envisioned.”
