Vertical AI Research Tools

A company called Consensus built an AI-powered research tool that helps users analyze and synthesize scientific papers and research. The business found product-market fit by launching on OpenAI's app store.

Key Points:

• Core Product Features:

  • Users can ask questions about scientific topics
  • AI analyzes multiple research papers simultaneously
  • Provides synthesized summaries of findings
  • Shows percentage breakdowns of study conclusions (Yes/No/Possibly)
  • Tags papers with credibility indicators (rigorous journals, citation counts)

• Business Evolution:

  • Started as general research tool
  • Found traction through OpenAI's app store platform
  • One of the most-used GPTs, with 2x usage of next biggest competitor (Canva)

• Revenue Model:

  • Credit-based system (users start with 23 free credits)
  • Users pay to synthesize research papers
  • Leverages OpenAI's infrastructure and distribution

• Market Opportunity:

  • Part of emerging AI app store ecosystem
  • Timing aligned with OpenAI's platform launch
  • Positioned as vertical-specific AI tool for scientific research
  • Benefits from OpenAI covering compute costs initially

The business demonstrates how vertical-specific AI tools can find success by focusing on specific use cases (scientific research) while leveraging existing AI infrastructure and distribution platforms.