And just when it seemed the paper was close to completion, a section of their results disappeared. Moreover, this constant saving and sharing of versions of the edited LaTeX meant none could keep track of which version of their edit was correct.

For the uninitiated, LaTeX is a document preparation system which is used by researchers all over the world, and if you’re currently enrolled in a STEM degree, chances of you facing the same nightmare may arrive sooner than you think.

Our interviewee Ashraful Kabir Alif quickly identified the issue at hand. “The way we were collaborating was the problem. I began asking why researchers couldn’t simply open a browser, edit together, and trust that their work would not be lost,” shared Alif.

And together with his founder Shihab Shahriar, they founded their own easy-to-operate LaTeX editor, LetX.

Addressing the specific nightmare scenario Alif had faced, LetX first concentrated on the real-time collaboration feature.

“We wanted two people to open the same project, edit simultaneously and see each other’s changes without overwriting them,” Shihab explained.

From these small steps LetX grew into a juggernaut where now the platform offers unlimited collaborators, 40 compilations a day, access to more than 1,000 templates and a limited opportunity to try Lexi, its own AI assistant.

According to the founders, researchers affiliated with more than 480 universities and research labs across over 65 countries now write on LetX.

Shihab further explained that when someone edits a .tex file in LetX, the changes are synchronised with everyone working on that project. LetX uses real-time collaboration technology designed to merge concurrent edits, so co-authors can work in the same document rather than passing separate copies back and forth.

Alif also pointed out that traditional LaTeX didn’t just have a problem when it came to collaboration. “Authors also struggled with compilation errors, journal formatting, references and finding suitable templates,” added Alif.

Making the platform easily accessible was the intended goal in the first place. That is why, even with such a vast array of functionalities, LetX’s core traits can be enjoyed without a paywall. Whereas alternatives such as Overleaf permit one collaborator per project, LetX’s free plan provides unlimited collaboration.

“We have also focused on a smooth cloud-compilation workflow, templates and AI assistance within the editor,” shared Alif.

However, operating such an operation requires resources that may have been quite difficult if not for the fact that LetX is a member of NVIDIA Inception, Google for Startups, AWS Activate and Anthropic’s Claude for Startups, which has given LetX the space not to bear the whole infrastructure cost itself.

“Through AWS Activate we received $10,000 in cloud credits, and through Google for Startups we received $2,000 in Google Cloud credits. NVIDIA Inception also gives us access to AI-focused technical resources, training and its startup network.

Anthropic’s Claude for Startups programme offers a free year of Claude Team for up to five eligible seats, $1,000 in Claude API credits, technical office hours with its Applied AI team, community events and up to $45,000 in partner software offers,” shared Shihab.

The belle of the ball for LetX is its AI assistant, Lexi. Lexi is designed to help with the practical tasks that interrupt research writing: drafting or changing LaTeX code, fixing compilation errors and handling document formatting.

As Shihab put it, Lexi makes life a whole lot easier, rather than copying and pasting code on a different window and pasting the suggested changes again. “Lexi works inside LetX, closer to the document and its compilation workflow, so users can review suggested fixes in context,” added Shihab.

LetX also offers paid subscriptions where students can access the full potential Lexi can offer. According to the founders, paid plans support features such as unlimited compilations, full version history, longer builds and AI integrations.

“To control costs, we use cloud infrastructure and startup credits while continuing to optimise how compilation and storage resources are used. Over time, individual, team and institutional subscriptions are intended to fund the free core product and its support,” added Shihab.

Then there came the questions about security. Given its already large popularity in over 400 institutions, the concerns relating to data security and efficacy must have been a primary concern that LetX has managed to address effectively.

“LetX runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS), with encrypted storage and HTTPS connections. Projects are private by default, and researchers decide whom to invite or share a project link with,” the founders confirmed.

Shihab stated, “We also state clearly in our privacy policy that research documents are not used to train AI models. When someone chooses to use an AI feature, the relevant content is processed for that request; it is not used for model training.”

LetX’s popularity and its acceptance have mainly come through word of mouth and as researchers flock in, it seems that LetX’s simplicity has kept them glued to the platform.

“When one person starts a project on LetX, they invite co-authors, lab colleagues or classmates. Those people experience the platform first-hand and may bring their next project or research team with them. Unlimited free collaboration makes that process particularly natural,” shared Alif.

Both the founders have high expectations, sharing LetX’s ongoing expansion targets. Alif stated, “In three years, we would like LetX to be an established research-writing workspace, with a goal of more than 50,000 monthly active users, users across over 2,000 universities and research institutions, and annual recurring revenue of more than $1 million.”