Romanian startup behind Bible Chat app aims for US expansion and IPO
Bible Chat, an app launched by Romanian entrepreneur Laurențiu Bălașa, aims to assist Christians of all denominations, regardless of the Bible they follow, with answers or counseling based on their problems. The app is currently expanding in the US.
Bălașa, 34, told Economedia.ro that he developed the AI-powered application with the help of theology researchers after a period of depression.
The Romanian entrepreneur's stated goal is to list the company on the stock exchange and reach 1 billion Christians.
"We compete with companies that have raised hundreds of millions, that have hundreds of employees, and we beat them every day," the entrepreneur said, cited by Economedia.ro.
The British publication Sifted, a start-up-focused site owned by the Financial Times, created a list of Romanian start-ups to watch, and the Bible Chat app, which creates personalized prayers, was among them.
“Headquartered in Galati, Romania, BibleChat is an AI-powered app that offers guided spirituality and Bible assistance through chat and games. The users can, for example, ask religion-related questions, get personalized prayers and play thematic games, as well as engage with the community. The company raised an undisclosed amount of early-stage funding in 2024 from Slovenian VC Silicon Gardens and Romanian Underline Ventures,” the publication mentions.
Laurențiu Bălașa said Bible Chat comes to address human suffering, a reality for every person irrespective of their religion.
“I identified suffering as being a real thing, and in the next moment, the purpose of my life for the next stage became clear: to minimize human suffering," he stated.
Bible Chat represents, according to him, a new way of interacting with the Bible. The AI algorithms provide answers to users’ daily questions within the app, depending on the Bible version and denomination selected.
Before Bible Chat, Laurențiu Bălașa started Basmo, an app designed to help users develop a reading habit, which would contribute to resilience against psychological suffering. However, Basmo didn’t gain traction.
Noticing that readers of religious books were "by far the most engaged," the Romanian entrepreneur focused on the "spiritual-religious space" while the AI boom was happening. The pivot happened at the beginning of 2023. The start-up has since become one of the fastest-growing, says the founder.
(Photo source: screenshot from Thebiblechat.com)
