CB Insights released its annual list of 100 most promising artificial intelligence startups in the world and three Seattle-area companies made the cut. They include:
- Algorithmia: Founded in 2013, the Seattle startup accelerates AI adoption from months to days and hours, helping customers including Google, Vistaprint, the United Nations, and others. Algorithmia raised a $25 million Series B investment round last year and is ranked No. 101 on the GeekWire 200. The company is led by former Microsoft employee Diego Oppenheimer, a finalist for Startup CEO of the Year at this year’s GeekWire Awards.
- Lexion: This spinout from the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) has come up with a way for in-house legal teams to get a handle on mountains of paper contracts with the help of AI. The company is led by Gaurav Oberoi, Emad Elwany, and James Baird. It raised a $4.2 million seed round last year led by Madrona Venture Group, with participation from Wilson Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati, a legal advisor to technology and life sciences companies. Madrona is also an investor in Algorithmia.
- WellSaid Labs: Another spinout from AI2, WellSaid Labs is developing a stable of AI-powered voices customized for different context, and sounding so lifelike that you wouldn’t believe they’re robots. Led by co-founders Michael Petrochuk — a GeekWire Awards finalist for Young Entrepreneur of the Year — and CEO Matt Hocking, the company’s technology has a wide range of potential applications.
Methodology: The list was based on several factors including patent activity; business relations; investor profile; news sentiment analysis; proprietary Mosaic scores; market potential; competitive landscape; team strength; and tech novelty.
