Freshman entrepreneur brings human touch to AI

In fourth grade, while most other kids were learning fractions, John Brereton, ‘28, had already started coding. 

After years of learning and practice, his early passion for programming led him to create HyperRep AI, an artificial intelligence startup he launched in September 2024. 

Brereton cofounded the company with Derek Shipman, ’28, and the two have since taken on fellow Lehigh students, like Evan Mazor, ’28, the company’s principal engineer.

Brereton said marketing firms generally focus on generating leads, but many lack the time or technology to respond efficiently — an issue HyperRep AI aims to address. He said it’s a platform designed to allow users, regardless of technical skill level, to use AI seamlessly. 

He also said the company is an all-in-one lead response, sales and customer success tool. Through AI developed in-house, he said customers of HyperRep can receive faster replies.

“It makes it a lot simpler for the customer, because they get instant responses,” Brereton said. “So, rather than waiting for a human to respond maybe a day later with a quote, you get a quote instantly.” 

Over the past three summers, Brereton has received opportunities to intern for three different software development firms. 

In 2022, he started his first internship at VerQu, a data mitigation company. The following summer, he worked as an app developer at Pepper Rewards, a universal rewards app. Most recently, he interned at ReVia, a data management solutions company. 

Brereton said his experience now spans the full spectrum of development, from database work to front- and back-end programming.

The company’s cofounder, Shipman, became friends with Brereton within days of arriving at Lehigh. 

Like Brereton, he said he’s been interested in inventing, engineering and entrepreneurship from a young age, and he’s always wanted to start some kind of engineering-focused business.

“I think we’ve both been kind of instrumental to the company’s growth,” Brereton said. “I lead more on the product and development side, and (Shipman) leads more of the deployment and delivery side and getting it sold to customers.”

Shipman said early in the startup’s development, he and Brereton had to “wear every hat,” as they were the only ones directly involved in the company. However, he said they both adapted and learned quickly. 

Brereton said through this business endeavor, he’s focused on supporting the Lehigh community, growing quickly and scaling the company to reach as many people as possible. To do this, he said he and Shipman began to recruit additional Lehigh students.  

While searching for additional software developers, the two met Mazor through Lehigh’s AI Club.

Mazor is now one of HyperRep AI’s lead software developers. He said his experience with programming began in high school, when he created an app that gained approximately 30,000 users. 

“I’ve definitely learned a lot during the process of developing the company, both in terms of skills and just being a part of a small company like ours,” Mazor said.

Shipman said there are key aspects that set their company apart from other AI platforms.

First, he said most other AI companies focus on markets where they set appointments. Their company, however, targets simpler sales processes involving quotes, which allows the team to automate the entire process instead of scheduling appointments.

He said their dedicated support team ensures each client has an account manager who oversees their needs and ensures everything runs smoothly, making the whole process as simple as possible for the user.

Shipman also said the company isn’t aiming to replace humans but instead give the program a human-like personality, ensuring customers don’t know they’re interacting with AI. 

He said clients can quickly approve responses before they’re sent, maintaining a connection with customers while allowing fast lead responses. Unlike most AI lead response companies, which are fully automated, Shipman said they offer clients the choice between fully automated or approval mode.

“I don’t think any other AI companies really maintain that personal connection that we do,” Shipman said.

Brereton said he’s focused on scaling the development team to release new features and get HyperRep AI into the hands of as many companies as possible. He said he and the team are currently reaching out to prospective service industry clients to expand their user base. 

Although he’s only a first-year, Brereton said he wants to use his experience to advise young entrepreneurs like himself. 

In terms of his advice, he said understanding the customer and not forcing a solution is key. He also said the right approach is to identify what people want and then develop the solution accordingly.

“Take initiative, put yourself out there and put in the work,” Brereton said. “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”