Led by Carter Friese ’27 and Dave Boku ’26, Sporos– Greek for “seed”- is building a game-changing tool to make government information more accessible. Their project is essentially developing a search engine/ language model that pulls together federal, state, and local government databases into one place. The idea is to make it easier for journalists, researchers, nonprofits, and everyday people to find the information they need without sifting through hundreds of disconnected systems.

The inspiration for Sporos came from a class project. “I realized how difficult it was to find and access government information,” Carter shares. That frustration sparked an idea: what if there was a central hub that could answer questions and connect people to the exact government documents they needed? From legislative records to presidential speeches, Sporos aims to simplify the search process.

The magic behind Sporos lies in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Essentially, the platform pulls data from government sources and synthesizes it into clear, useful answers. “The goal,” Dave explains, “is for users to ask any question and get a summary of the relevant information that is pulled from multiple databases.” Sporos isn’t just about finding documents, it’s about making them understandable and actionable.

The team envisions two main audiences. The free version of Sporos will cater to the general public, offering features like limited searches and newsletters. This could be anything from daily updates on legislative activity to quick answers about laws. Meanwhile, a paid version will target professionals- professors, think tanks, nonprofits, and corporations- who need deeper insights and historical records for their work. “We’re building this for anyone who wants to understand what’s happening in government, whether you’re a curious citizen or a policy expert,” says Carter.

Right now, Sporos is in its early stages, focusing on a smaller dataset of presidential records and legislation dating back to 1994. The team is working to ensure the platform is user-friendly and delivers high-quality results before expanding to more data sources. “We’re learning a lot as we go,” Dave admits. “Balancing school and building this has been a challenge, but we’re making it work.”

When asked what advice they’d give to other student entrepreneurs, the Sporos team emphasizes the importance of embracing failure. “[Failure] is the biggest lesson you can learn,” Carter says. “Don’t avoid risks just because you’re scared of messing up. Running straight into challenges is how you grow.”

The team has a big milestone in sight: launching an early version of Sporos by Q1 2025. While their first release is aimed at gaining traction, their ultimate vision is much bigger. “We’re not just aggregating data,” Carter adds. “We’re creating a tool that connects people to the information they need to really engage with their government.” Sporos has the potential to change the way we access government information, making it easier for everyone to stay informed and take action. Keep an eye out for their launch and follow their journey through Colby College’s Halloran Lab!

Interview by Joshua Varghese ‘25.