Integrate.ai Adds Engineering Talent from Amazon and Stitch Fix
While Integrate.ai may not have a product on the market just yet, the Toronto-based company has grown its team to 25 people since they launched in January.
The AI startup announced today that they have added former Amazon engineering leader Colin Toal as VP of engineering. The company also added Eric Colson, the chief algorithms officer at Stitch Fix, to Integrate’s strategic advisory board.
Integrate’s vision behind the software is to enable traditional consumer enterprises to operate like fast-growing consumer internet companies. To date, most of their team is machine learning scientists and engineers, something CEO Steve Irvine said is ahead of where they expected the company to be at this stage of development.
“I think our mission and values, along with our strong product plan, positions us well in the market,” said Irvine. “People believe in our vision and they see the opportunity to join a startup that will be a world-leading company and they can get in on the ground floor, which is exciting.”
Toal led engineering teams at both IBM and Amazon where he focused on what he calls “flywheel initiatives,” building highly scalable, high performing technology. He said what attracted him to Integrate was the product vision and the underlying mission.
“With Integrate, I have the opportunity to build a better future for people in business. And AI is a key ingredient,” he said.
Canada is an international leader in AI research, and recently Facebook, Microsoft and Google have taken note, opening up new AI labs in Montreal. Despite Montreal’s draw, Irvine noted that Toronto’s wealth of world-class engineering and research talent positions the city as becoming the global hub for AI.
“Increased investment from large global technology companies further validates Canada’s position as a leader in the space and helps us keep more talent in the country,” said Irvine.
He hinted Integrate will give the public a first look at what they’re working on—or at least who they are working with—by the end of the year.
“We are currently working with an exclusive alpha group of leading brands with plans to announce our first clients in Q4,” said Irvine. “These companies cover top consumer industries including automotive, retail banking, insurance, media and entertainment, and gaming.”
Integrate raised a $5 million investment earlier this year from Georgian Partners to fuel the development of its AI-enabled software.
