An Astrophysicist is Leading Stradigi’s New AI Lab
Software development firm Stradigi has launched an AI lab in Montreal.
Amidst announcements that both Facebook and Samsung are opening research arms in Montreal dedicated to artificial intelligence, the locally-grown Stradigi quietly got in on the action as well. The lab will focus on developing machine learning solutions for industries including healthcare and sports; research that’ll be led by Carolina Bessega, an astrophysicist.
Co-founder of Stradigi Labs, Bessega has worked on international AI-focused projects for more than nine years and will be the Montreal lab’s chief scientific officer heading both research and development. Bessega has two decades of research experience in machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, data augmentation and, most recently, neural networks.
“AI is one of the fastest-growing segments of tech today, and there is a large demand from well-established businesses who deal with complex problems but don’t have an AI team to craft custom solutions they need,” said Bessega in a release.
That’s where Stradigi can capitalize as Bessega explained its new lab will develop “powerful new ways” to leverage AI. The AI-focused lab will support and launch startups that are incubated in-house.
The lab has already spun out one company called Propulse Analytics who harnessed image recognition technology to build an AI solution for retailers wanting to better understand a customer’s path to purchase.
The lab was launched with an undisclosed multi-million dollar investment from the Dunn Family Panache Ventures, Stradigi Ventures and angel investor Mike Cegelski.
“We’re in a unique position for expansion over the next 12-24 months thanks to our expertise in AI and the strength of our partnerships, which is the precise reason we’re pouring significant resources into Stradigi Labs,” said Basil Bouraropoulos, CEO of Stradigi. “By investing in top talent and our proprietary technologies and algorithms, this new extension of Stradigi will enhance everything we do in a more powerful way.”
Housed in Montreal’s historic Hermes Building, the lab is looking to add 30 new employees to its current team of 50 over the next 18 months.
