Who is Sudarshan Kamath, Indian origin founder offering jobs to laid-off Meta employees?
Sudarshan Kamath, an Indian-origin entrepreneur, has made headlines for offering positions to employees recently laid off from Meta Platforms’ AI division. The San Francisco-based founder leads Smallest AI, a startup focused on speech-based artificial intelligence systems. Kamath announced on social media that eligible candidates could receive base salaries between $200,000 and $600,000, along with equity-based compensation. Before founding Smallest AI, Kamath pursued higher education at premier institutions. He earned his Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, one of India’s leading engineering schools. Later, he enrolled for a Master of Science (MS) in Data Science at UC San Diego but chose to leave the programme early to join the startup ecosystem.Early career and professional experience Kamath began his career as an Associate Product Manager at Toppr, an Indian educational technology company. During his tenure, the team surpassed BYJU’S in free traffic, contributing to the company’s growth and eventual acquisition for $150 million. He then moved to Bosch as Lead Data Scientist, where he worked on the AI Perception stack for Level 3 self-driving vehicles across multiple continents. His role involved developing highly reliable AI systems designed for autonomous driving, demonstrating both technical depth and global experience. Following Bosch, Kamath joined Vakilsearch as Lead Product Manager, overseeing AI-driven legal products that are now used by one in ten businesses in India. Reporting directly to the Founder and Chief Product Officer, he played a key role in shaping the company’s legal technology offerings. During this period, he also cleared CFA Level 1, ranking in the top 10, reflecting his analytical and financial expertise.Founding Smallest AI In July 2024, Kamath founded Smallest AI in the San Francisco Bay Area. The startup focuses on building powerful human-AI agentic systems for enterprises, particularly in speech AI. Smallest AI operates in a hybrid work model and has quickly positioned itself among companies aiming to attract top AI talent from global tech firms. Kamath also briefly served as an advisor to Entelligence.AI, adding strategic guidance experience to his profile. Across his education and professional journey, Kamath has consistently combined technical skills, product management expertise, and entrepreneurial vision, culminating in the creation of a startup addressing cutting-edge challenges in speech-focused AI.Recruitment and role expectations at Smallest AIKamath emphasised the competitive nature of the recruitment, stating that candidates should be “f*ing smart and hungry.” Prospective employees were invited to contact him directly through social media. The available roles highlight the growing demand for specialised AI talent following large-scale layoffs at major tech companies.
