Startup Revival is where we’ll speak with entrepreneurs and investors and innovators in the tech ecosystem who are partnering with Jesus Christ to build breakthrough technologies. A note from our sponsor: “Regent Bank’s core mission is to show God’s love to our employees, clients and communities and to become a cornerstone in the communities we serve. We fully support Startup Revival’s mission to advance the Kingdom through a faith-tech-investing lens.”
On this episode is Craig Bradley, founder of AO Lab, a nonprofit building digital infrastructure, tools and platforms designed to make Scripture more accessible to believers everywhere.
Religion and technology aren’t historic bedfellows in Silicon Valley. This is obvious for anyone living there. This is largely due to a very naturalistic worldview that permeates the culture. But in 2016, faith-based apps began to get some attraction with $6 million invested in such startups, according to Pitchbook. When Covid came around, investments in faith-tech startups exploded. By 2021, it had hit $175 million, as startups such as Pray.com, Hallow and Glorify attracted millions. (Watch my podcast w/ Pray.com co-founder Ryan Beck.) Some more recent reports show funding continues apace as $140 million was invested in 2024.
But Bradley isn’t just building another faith app. AO Lab is building the infrastructure underneath the apps. AO Lab runs the popular Free Use Bible API, which allows developers to build Scripture directly into websites, apps and other digital products without having to pay copyright fees. The platform gives developers access to more than 1,200 Bible translations, including the relatively new Berean Standard Bible (BSB), a modern translation published by Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team. The Free Use Bible API has been requested nearly 80 million times. Its flagship product is Seed Bible, a platform that turns Bible study groups into shared digital experiences. Hope you enjoy our discussion!
Learn more about AO Lab and Craig:
Free Use Bible API: https://bible.helloao.org/docs/
Seed Bible: https://seedbible.org
AO Lab Website: helloao.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aolab
