VOYSSES Inc. Won TechRise Pitch Competition
The startup secured a $25,000 prize for its artificial intelligence training platform designed for law enforcement.
Updated on Oct. 4, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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VOYSSES Inc. emerged as the winner of the third annual TechRise competition held at EnterpriseWorks. The Champaign-based startup leverages generative artificial intelligence to facilitate law enforcement roleplay training.
Why it matters
The platform aims to reduce costs associated with traditional live actor training while providing safer, more effective scenario-based simulations. This technology addresses the critical need to de-escalate law enforcement interactions, which saw 1,200 fatalities in 2025.
The VOYSSES platform utilizes generative artificial intelligence to construct interactive, immersive roleplay scenarios for officer training. The competition required each of the five startups to deliver a five-minute pitch followed by four minutes of questioning.
The players
VOYSSES Inc.
This is an early-stage startup that develops generative artificial intelligence platforms for law enforcement training.
Jen Whiting
She is a doctoral student and the co-founder of VOYSSES Inc.
Kyrian Liang
He is a developer who built the technical infrastructure for the VOYSSES AI platform.
Duo Wang
He is a developer responsible for the technical implementation of the startup's artificial intelligence tools.
The details
The VOYSSES team, led by doctoral student Jen Whiting and technical developers Kyrian Liang and Duo Wang, secured the funding to expand their training platform. By replacing live actor training with AI, the developers aim to lower institutional costs while providing officers with more diverse practice scenarios.
Timeline
In 2025, 1,200 individuals died from escalated law enforcement interactions.
The TechRise competition awarded the prize money on October 1, 2026.
The Tech Race
The success of VOYSSES Inc. follows the growing industry trend of using generative artificial intelligence for scenario-based training. This development replaces traditional, resource-heavy live actor simulations with scalable, digital alternatives.
The integration of AI training tools could lead to more efficient and de-escalation-focused policing within the local community. By lowering training costs, departments may be able to increase the frequency and quality of officer preparation scenarios.
The takeaway
The use of generative AI in training offers a cost-effective path to improving law enforcement response protocols. These technological advancements provide a scalable framework that can be implemented across diverse jurisdictions to address critical public safety challenges.
Further reading
Learn more about local innovators in the Artificial Intelligence sector.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Illini.
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Do you support the use of artificial intelligence to train police in de-escalation tactics?
