Swiggy acquires Bengaluru-based AI startup Kint.io

Online food ordering and delivery app Swiggy has announced that it has acqui-hired Kint.io, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) start-up that applies deep learning and computer vision for object recognition in video.

"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 said.

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.

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."

Veeraraghavan said, "This is a great opportunity for us to show scale and address a-billion-people problems through AI. We look forward to interesting innings with Swiggy."