Swiggy acquires Bangalore-based AI startup Kint.io

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Swiggy, India’s largest food ordering and delivery platform today announced that it has acqui-hired Kint.io, a Bangalore-based AI start-up. Founded in 2014, Kint.io applies deep learning and computer vision to object recognition in video.

Swiggy has been at the forefront of working with industry-changing technologies in the areas of AI, machine learning, big data systems, highly scalable low-latency systems and mobile. Last year, the food delivery platform brought industry veteran Dale Vaz as Head of Engineering to lead its efforts in building the next generation AI driven platform for hyperlocal discovery and on-demand delivery.

As clever imaging technology and computer vision emerge as the future of consumer apps, the team at Kint.io will join Swiggy to boost its computer vision technology and superior consumer experience. It will also give Swiggy more expertise and talent in this area. As part of this acqui-hire, the founding members of Kint.io Pavithra Solai Jawahar and Jagannathan Veeraraghavan will join the Swiggy team.

“The team at Kint.io comes with an exceptional understanding and expertise in AI, machine learning and data sciences. This acqui-hire is part of Swiggy’s strategy to scale our tech prowess by bringing in entrepreneurial teams that can solve unique customer problems, while leveraging the network and resources at Swiggy. We provide a unique mix of strong entrepreneurial DNA and professional leadership that gives startup teams the ownership and leverage to move fast and make a big impact,” said Dale Vaz, Head of Engineering and Data Sciences, Swiggy. “The team joins us at a very exciting time.The focus has never been more intense on building industry-changing technology in AI and other areas. We look forward to working together on great new features and capabilities,” he added.

Co-founders, Pavithra Solai Jawahar and Jagannathan Veeraraghavan of Kint.io said, “We are extremely excited to be a part of the Swiggy family. AI research has leapfrogged this past year but lack of data, cultural biases, inability to adapt to our diversity, has somehow always pulled us back when it comes to applying AI to India-based problems, effectively. This is where Swiggy left us stumped. We were impressed by the team’s razor-focussed mindset to bring ingenious solutions for problems unique to India. We are confident that this partnership can unlock immense possibilities. This is a great opportunity for us to show scale and address a-billion-people problems through AI. We look forward to an interesting innings with Swiggy”.

Kint.io is the first technology-led acqui-hire for Swiggy, as it makes large investments in its long-term strategy of building AI-first platforms that enable unparalleled convenience to consumers. Belong.co was the consulting partner for this tech acqui-hire.

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