Timeback, a Portuguese educational company, has launched to drive what it describes as the “mass adoption” of agentic AI through a peer-based approach, with a current focus on digital workers and entrepreneurs, including those without technical backgrounds.
Co-founded by Gui Perdrix and his wife, Gabriella Mifsud, in March, Lisbon-based Timeback launched its first cohort this month and, as shared with Portugal Startup News, plans to particularly impact small business owners from different industries.
The premise is that, despite the rise of ChatGPT and other AI tools, many people are still not using AI in a meaningful way. Timeback argues that even among those who are using it, many remain focused on chatbots rather than agentic AI – autonomous systems that can learn, act, and improve processes on their own.
“It’s astonishing,” Perdrix said. “Not everybody uses AI properly. And for those who want to use it, they don’t know how to make the most out of it. There is a real gap between what AI can do for small businesses and professionals, and what AI is currently being used for. We want to bridge that gap.”
A senior tea merchant and a Mac Mini
The idea for Timeback was inspired by the case of Dan Peguine, a Lisbon-based technologist whose father runs a tea franchise. Using a single AI agent running on a Mac Mini, Peguine’s father automated supplier orders, payroll, shipment tracking, website management, and other tasks.
For Perdrix, the example helped shape his view of who agentic AI could be useful for.
“We are living in a time where interacting with AI and AI agents can be done completely intuitively, just by talking. You don’t need to sit in front of the computer. You don’t need any technical knowledge. The only thing you need is to learn how to engage with the technology and how to apply it to your own processes and your own creativity,” he said.
From coliving to AI education
Perdrix is a serial entrepreneur with a background in tech, real estate, and business education. In 2024, he launched what he describes as the world’s “first” incubator for coliving founders.
Over the past year, he said he spent significant time exploring how AI could automate work across his businesses, and that agentic AI freed up more than 20 hours per week.
That experience led to the creation of Timeback. His wife joined not only because she saw the direct impact AI automation had on Perdrix’s life, but also because she saw its accessibility for people without technical backgrounds.
Mifsud brings experience in venture building, partnerships, and business development in the deep tech space. She previously worked as a commercialization and EIC fundraising consultant.
“Coming from deep tech commercialization, I’ve worked alongside innovators turning breakthrough research into businesses. I saw firsthand how much brilliant work gets buried under operations, admin, and processes that don’t need a human touch. When AI agents became real, I didn’t see a tool. I saw a way to give people back the time they were losing to work that wasn’t worthy of them. That’s what Timeback is,” Mifsud explained.
Real case studies
Mifsud says there is a gap in the current AI education landscape, with many people needing practical case studies showing what non-technical users can do with AI rather than explanations of how the tools work.
Timeback’s target audience includes small businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and employees involved in digital work such as tracking, paperwork, documentation, and project management.
The technology: OpenClaw and Claude
Timeback’s program is built around OpenClaw and Claude.
OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI assistant that runs on a user’s computer, allowing it to see the screen, use apps, and perform tasks directly on the device. Claude, built by Anthropic, provides the reasoning model behind those agents.
Timeback says these tools can make it easier for small businesses and solo operators to automate tasks such as managing a CRM, producing marketing content, tracking shipments, and handling payroll through natural-language interaction.
Once set up, the system can be used through messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, without the need to learn dashboards, configure workflows, or write code.
“These tools enable anyone to automate digital work and allow us to spend our precious time on what we’re best at,” Perdrix said. “But only if you know how to set them up and how to work with them. That’s the gap we fill.”
A practical approach to AI education
According to Perdrix, Timeback’s goal is not just to teach a few people and move on, but to build a lasting model for practical AI education for non-technical users.
The company says it was created in response to what it sees as a lack of practical learning environments for people who want to use AI rather than only understand the technology in theory.
Its program combines an online curriculum with in-person masterminds, bringing a human element to the educational experience so that participants can get inspired, help one another, and build their own teams of AI agents together.
Early traction and a diverse first cohort
Following the launch of its first cohort with a small group of students, Timeback is hosting free webinars introducing people to AI agents, and Perdrix said early reception has been positive.
According to the company, participants in the first cohort come from backgrounds including architecture, coaching, psychology, and real estate. The group includes Portuguese participants, as well as people from France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, and Costa Rica.
Timeback plans to scale by developing industry-specific cohorts so professionals can learn from peers working on similar use cases.
Developing its own technology
Timeback uses AI agents in its own operations, including for content production, website creation, and sales follow-up.
The company is also developing its own technology, a master agent called Dumbledore, which it says is intended to support the program as a coach and educator. The system is designed to track participants, understand their goals, and follow their progress.
“The more students we are going to have, the smarter our own agent will become in helping our students adopt AI and be very good at guiding them in relation to their specific use cases and industry,” Perdrix said. “That’s where the real value of our technology will be.”
Featured image: Timeback co-founders Gui Perdrix (left) and Gabriella Mifsud (Photo courtesy of Timeback)
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