AI may not yet rival Google Search, but it excels in specific applications, particularly in simplifying everyday tasks like scheduling meetings. This is the vision behind Skej, a startup that integrates an AI assistant into your email to help find optimal meeting times for everyone involved.
Unlike traditional scheduling tools such as Calendly, Skej eliminates the need for users to sift through available time slots. If someone sends a Calendly link, Skej automatically scans it to identify mutual availability and schedules the meeting directly on both calendars.
“I’ve never met anyone who enjoys scheduling meetings,” remarks Skej co-founder and CEO Paul Canetti. Paul, a seasoned entrepreneur based in New York, previously founded the no-code app development platform MAZ Systems and worked on Bounce House, a meeting service that allowed users to book time slots with professionals. Bounce House later became Clickeasy.com but has since been discontinued.
The founding team behind Skej comprises Canetti, his brother Justin, CTO Anindya Mondal, and a fourth co-founder, Simon Baumer, who sadly passed away from cancer three months after the startup's inception in August. The team honors Simon with a tribute page on Skej’s website, acknowledging his contribution to the “core of the product today.”
Although Paul recognizes the effectiveness of Calendly in establishing a thriving business, he wasn’t comfortable sharing his entire schedule. His best experiences with scheduling came when he had a human assistant, who understood the nuances of prioritizing specific meetings—even when his calendar showed he was busy. This inspired him to develop an AI assistant that could replicate this human touch.
Using Skej is straightforward: simply add its email address to your conversation thread. In the near future, Skej will also provide a phone number for text messaging. This service is compatible with any email platform, including Gmail and Outlook, and integrates seamlessly with applications like Zoom and Google Calendar, with Outlook Calendar support expected soon.
To schedule a meeting, just mention Skej in your email. Paul asked, “Skej, can you suggest some times that might work this week?” The AI quickly responded with options and a link to connect my calendar for easy scheduling. After confirming my preferred time, Skej finalized the meeting and added it to my calendar— all thanks to its access to Paul’s schedule.
Skej's efficiency lies in the way it interprets requests and manages calendar invites on behalf of its users. If I had clicked the provided link, Skej could have scheduled the meeting autonomously, making it especially beneficial for teams needing to coordinate across multiple schedules.
Internally, Skej employs various large language models (LLMs) to analyze email language, converting it into data utilized by its proprietary scheduling system. “We refer to it as ‘the brain’—a scheduling engine akin to a marketplace that matches available times,” explains Paul. The system considers various time zones, preferences, conflicts, and other factors to negotiate suitable options. Subsequently, it crafts messages that appear natural in response to users’ inquiries.
Users can categorize contacts for different calendars, such as work or personal, and in the future, Skej aims to employ natural language processing for these categorizations. Currently, a traditional dashboard allows users to adjust settings and integrations.
Interestingly, Skej does not plan to develop a dedicated app. “We often receive this question from VCs: ‘Are you going to create an app?’” Paul shares. However, Skej is designed to be adaptable, fitting into existing workflows without forcing users to adopt a specific platform.
Skej's pre-seed funding round attracted investors like Betaworks, Mozilla Ventures, Stem AI, Spice Capital, Deftly.vc, and Differential Ventures, totaling nearly $1 million. The remote team consists of the three co-founders and two full-time engineers.
Now in public beta, Skej has surpassed 1,000 users. While the service is currently free as the team gathers feedback, plans for a paid tier are on the horizon.
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