What inspired you to embark on Virage?

Rohan: While volunteering to teach the elderly about digital skills and cyber hygiene, I saw firsthand how widespread and damaging scams were. I also noticed that sometimes scam-prevention lessons can be rather dry. Even if I told the elderly to look out for various indicators of scams, most of them could not picture what I was explaining and seemed disengaged.

With the concept of ethical hacking in mind, I wondered: what if we could 'hack' humans through realistic simulations to raise awareness? I compared email phishing and scam calls to illusions and using a play on the word “Mirage” – which means an illusion. This led to Virage, which means “Voice Illusion”!

How did Virage transition from a school project to an established startup?

Rohan: I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to gain a first-mover advantage, and got Xavier and Matthew onboard to develop this idea for our final-year project. With strong support from our lecturers, Mr Bala C and Ms Sun Yuanxin, one thing led to another and the rest is history.

Xavier: Mr Bala believed in our vision and endorsed our project, while Ms Sun guided us throughout the journey, helping us develop a startup mindset – to be opportunistic and efficient. Daily stand-ups with Ms Sun were both challenging and invaluable, pushing us to achieve more every day. Without their support, we wouldn't have achieved our goals or become who we are today. 

Matthew: With Ezekkious, who was completing his Diploma in Business and Financial Technology, we managed to showcase Virage at various technology-related events. Our turning point came after our showcase at the Artificial Intelligence Festival Asia 2025, when we were featured in The Straits Times. We received support from the Singapore Police Force, the People’s Association, the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore; as well as from potential clients who also became commercial clients. We even became a Digital for Life partner with the Infocomm Media Development Authority!

Rohan: Because we had a lot of work to complete in a short span of time, and each of us had different commitments, expanding the team was the most efficient way to ensure we could support one another. Everyone I brought on board had unique strengths and areas of expertise that we could collectively leverage. For example, Dennise, from the Diploma in Information Technology, was not only excellent at development but also quick, efficient, and responsible – a perfect fit for what the team needed.

How does Virage use AI to simulate real-world phishing and vishing attacks?

Dennise: Virage uses AI to create realistic voice simulations that sound natural and even mimic Singaporean accents, making scam calls very believable. To cater to a wider group of audiences like the elderly, we even offer scenarios and interactions in Chinese, Malay, and Tamil.

The AI algorithm adjusts its tone and urgency based on how users respond, immersing them in experiences that feel real while guiding them to spot scams. To make the conditions more convincing, our simulations feature professional language, technical terms, and urgent tones that encourage users to click malicious links or share sensitive information on fake websites.

Rohan: We also regularly update our scam scenarios, so the AI plays roles like bank officers or government officials. Most recently, about 1,000 people tried the “Elections Department voter registration” scenario during the recent general election. They were quite amazed at how realistic the voice was, some people even wondered if it was an actual person calling them. 

Projects modules and team assignments sharpened our skills in managing timelines, communicating technical ideas, and handling real-world constraints. We also applied tools and practices learned in school, such as threat modeling, log auditing, and access control, to develop a system that is both functional and resilient.

Where do you see Virage in the next 3-5 years? Will you scale it beyond Singapore?

Rohan: We plan to grow our team, form strategic partnerships, and expand our solutions. As we scale, we’ll also seek funding to better serve clients and develop new products. The journey expanding into foreign markets would be an interesting challenge; we are building our capabilities to eventually explore ASEAN markets at an opportune timing.