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Discover Geneafinder, the French genealogy platform to facilitate your ancestor research.
©️Geneafinder - Sten Duparc
In an online genealogy market dominated by American and Israeli giants, a Breton company stands out as an exception.
Geneafinder, developed by Doptim, offers a French alternative that respects privacy and is innovative thanks to artificial intelligence.
We interviewed Sophie Tardivel, the founder of this company, to understand her vision for digital genealogy and her ambitions to democratize access to global archives. An engaging interview that reveals the behind-the-scenes of an ambitious project driven by strong values and cutting-edge technological expertise.
Q: What was the genesis of Doptim?
Sophie Tardivel: I wanted to leave my former company that was laying off massively to regain my enthusiasm as an engineer. I've been programming since I was 14, with the arrival of the MO5 from Thomson and a basic programming guide as a Christmas gift. I founded Doptim in 2017 in Brittany to create software solutions as a team, master the state of the art in computing, including AI, and respond to complex needs.
Q: Why Geneafinder?
Sophie Tardivel: It's always good to capitalize on your know-how with a product. Geneafinder presented itself as an obvious choice because global archives are true "big data". They trace our history, on the scale of each of our lives. I was disillusioned with the online offerings and saw what AI techniques could bring to easily access the rich content of archives. We could also do better in data governance because we know very well how the Internet and data centers work. Hence the idea of a product that could make a difference in a market where users take subscriptions on platforms today controlled mainly by two American and Israeli companies.
Q: How do you make money?
Sophie Tardivel: Geneafinder offers features on par with its competitors, but we don't yet have enough subscribers to finance our software development and the growth of our reputation. From the start, I've invested my savings in Geneafinder, and through Doptim, we provide AI training, AI strategy consulting, and develop AI for SMEs.
Q: What is the governance of Doptim and Geneafinder?
Sophie Tardivel: As a 100% shareholder, I decide how to run the company. I am committed to our motto of equality, freedom, fraternity, and respect for privacy. Life stories interest me, but it's the other person who chooses to share them. Our socio-ecological impact is also an important issue. This has led us to adopt 100% remote work and not to use generative AI in Geneafinder.
Q: AI is a hot topic. How is it implemented in Geneafinder?
Sophie Tardivel: The first AI we developed predicts missing dates for ancestors. It will be updated soon. Another small AI highlights faces in photos to facilitate ancestor identification. We also have complex algorithms to match family trees. Calculations are limited to what is strictly necessary. We also have an AI for handwriting recognition that still needs time to be integrated online. All these AIs run on our servers at OVH, a French hosting provider.
Q: What are the next steps for Doptim and Geneafinder?
Sophie Tardivel: If our users accept a subscription of €5 per month, even for just three months a year, we will quickly advance on archive transcription. We want to remain independent and innovate against well-funded competitors who have built a fortune with DNA. One day, an amateur genealogist asked me, "But how do we know if their DNA test results are true?" These players don't explain how they built their algorithms, but there are great risks that they are biased. I remain convinced that the best true stories are still in the archives and in popular gatherings, as still exist in Brittany. I would like Geneafinder to bring them to light and facilitate their sharing. We count on our subscribers to succeed in this bet with us.
Sophie Tardivel's interview reveals a clear and committed vision of digital genealogy: that of a French platform, independent, respectful of privacy, and innovative thanks to a controlled artificial intelligence. Facing the giants of the sector, Geneafinder offers an ethical alternative that places historical archives and authentic stories at the heart of its approach.
The success of our ambitious project now depends on the support of the genealogy community. Do you share our values? Join the Geneafinder adventure and help build a French and responsible genealogy platform. Discover our subscription offers and start exploring your ancestors' history today with cutting-edge AI tools hosted in France.
↪️ Try Geneafinder for free and support ethical and innovative digital genealogy!