We’re proud to introduce A1 Lab, a new division of JAN3 that is focused on building powerful open-source AI tools for the world. A1 Lab was born from our own internal need for better workflows and smarter tooling, especially around AQUA Wallet development. It began as a set of internal experiments to make our own development process faster, but quickly evolved into several tools that were too useful not to share.
Meet A1 Lab
Led by Tobias Wupperfeld, JAN3’s new Head of AI, A1 Lab uses AI technology to build AI tools for everyday people. Tobias has been researching and implementing practical AI solutions since 2022. After joining JAN3 earlier last year, Tobias has worked on integrating AI systems across our product and development workflows. Tobias has been a guiding force in the transition from experimental machine learning to mainstream LLM adoption, and now leads our mission to make that power accessible to the world.
Our First App: Echos
The first product from A1 Lab is Echos, a free, private AI transcription app that lets you record and transcribe speech directly on your device. Echos uses a lightweight AI model, keeping audio and notes private while delivering accurate, multilingual transcription without ever connecting to a server.
The key features at launch include one-tap recording, offline transcription, and the ability to organize notes into sessions or folders. Echos encrypts all notes and supports over 65+ languages. There are no accounts, subscriptions, or data sharing.
“We built Echos because it was something we wanted to use for ourselves. Our team uses it daily to take notes in meetings, log spontaneous ideas, and document everything from brainstorms to book drafts. Samson even uses it to record off-the-cuff thoughts that have influenced product and marketing strategy. It’s become an indispensable part of our workflow.”
- Tobias Wupperfeld
What Makes Echos Different?
Unlike freemium transcription apps that either charge for "pro" features or harvest your data, Echos is straightforward and sovereign. Once installed, it works entirely offline with no signup required using Whisper, an open-source AI model.
At launch, Echos is optimized for short to mid-length recording sessions, making it ideal for meetings, quick notes, and capturing ideas as they happen. While we recommend sessions under 30 minutes for faster processing, there’s no hard limit on recording length. We’re already working on future updates, including audio file uploads, improved handling of multi-speaker conversations, search, and more powerful organization, without compromising Echos’ offline-first design.
There are many transcription apps out there, but none that check all three boxes: local, open-source, and free. The Echos source code is available on GitHub.
Built on AQUA Foundations
Echos was a proof-of-concept application for our new processes and was built in roughly two weeks, utilizing frameworks from the AQUA Wallet. Much of what makes Echos feel intuitive comes from tooling and systems we originally developed for AQUA.
A Philosophy, Not a Product Line
A1 Lab isn’t just about launching apps, it’s about changing how and what we build with AI. The barrier to creating software is dropping fast, and AI is reshaping how we work, think, and build. Most companies are using this moment to lock users in, charge subscriptions, and gate features behind paywalls. We’re doing the opposite. If we build something useful for ourselves, we release it. Free to use, for everyone.
“The world has changed with the advent of artificial intelligence, and the software people use must change as well. This means more powerful apps that are free and open-source. The power of AI should be freely accessible to everyone.”
- Samson Mow
What’s Next
Echos is just the beginning. As we continue building AI systems that make our own workflows better, we’ll keep releasing them through A1 Lab. Visit our website a1lab.com to learn more. It will be the home for everything we launch going forward!
Follow us on X at @A1Laboratory and @A1Echos.