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A local education technology startup with a strong À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Engineering connection is part of a three-month Amazon Alexa accelerator program taking place in Seattle.

, short for Your Intelligent Knowledge Assistant, combines artificial intelligence and instant messaging to provide students with tutoring help.

The company was one of nine out of 1,200 applicants to be chosen for the program that began July 15.

YourIKA’s three co-founders are Fakhri Karray, a À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ electrical and computer engineering professor and co-director of the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ's Artificial Intelligence Institute, Shady Shehata, a À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Engineering alumnus and adjunct professor, and Rob Henderson, a business consultant and entrepreneur.

Located in the Accelerator Centre in the David Johnston Research and Technology Park, YourIKA uses machine learning, deep learning, neural networks and natural language processing. 

Fakhri Karray, a À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ electrical and computer engineering professor and co-director of the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ's Artificial Intelligence Institute, is YourIKA's chief scientist.

YourIKA was tested at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Guelph and the two campuses of the University of Toronto. It recently partnered with other online learning platforms, including À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, Ontario-based Maplesoft and U.S.-headquartered Chegg.