Bocify, the Uruguayan startup founded by Alberto Lecueder and Martín Long, came to solve an everyday problem: staying informed without wasting time. The platform takes news from different media, summarizes it using artificial intelligence and converts it into audio clips of between 30 and 45 seconds, allowing each user to configure their interests and access a mix of information adapted to their pace of life. It is now available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
The idea came from Lecueder’s personal experience. According to what he told InfoNegocios Uruguay, during his trips to work he felt that, between advertising and news that were too long, he still ended up going to different portals to understand what was happening. From this friction, the team detected the opportunity to build a new way of consuming news: faster, personalized and designed for moments of travel, exercise or daily activities.
A personalized radio powered by AI
What sets Bocify apart from a simple news reader is its artificial intelligence layer. “What we do is not simply read a news story. The AI summarizes the content and transforms it into a more conversational and easy-to-consume format,” Lecueder explained to InfoNegocios Uruguay.
The platform also allows you to access complete articles and follow national and international media from one place, and analyzes user behavior to refine its recommendations.
Bocify also aims to be a monetization channel for journalists and media outlets, who can charge for each listen within the platform, thus building a new social network for news in audio format.
From Uruguay to the world
In its first stage, Bocify works for free, with a focus on generating adoption and accustoming the user to this new format. By the end of the year, the plan is to evolve towards a freemium model with advertising and subscription options. “We want to become a personalized radio station. Today we are focused on making sure people know the platform and feel comfortable consuming information in this way,” Lecueder told InfoNegocios Uruguay.
The development was incubated at the CIE of the ORT Uruguay University and received support from ANDE through the VIN program, in addition to the founders’ own investment. Although today it is focused on Uruguay, the application can be downloaded from anywhere in the world, and the team already plans to begin its regional expansion starting in 2027.
