Former robotics head at Amazon joins Onfido as VP of research

Onfido announced today that it has hired Mohan Mahadevan, the former head of computer vision and machine learning for robotic applications at Amazon, as its VP of Research. Mahadevan will add his extensive expertise to Onfido’s 250 person team of technologists across San Francisco, New York, London, Lisbon, Delhi and Singapore and Paris.

Mahadevan is an expert in computer vision, machine learning, AI and data and model interpretability and previously led research efforts at Amazon and KLA-Tencor. He has over 15 patents in areas including optical architectures, algorithms, system design, automation, robotics and packaging technologies.

Mahadevan will lead Onfido’s team of specialist machine learning scientists and engineers based out of London and will be tasked with building out the system around machine learning and continuing to improve its performance in production. A key focus will be increasing the level of fraud detection and the granularity of results to provide Onfido’s clients more confidence in their decision-making processes.

“I am passionate about solving challenging problems while working with creative, competent, adventurous and authentic people, in an open and fun environment,” said Mahadevan. “I was drawn to Onfido because of the unique ways in which it is applying its technologies in a complex and evolving space. I look forward to an exciting period of innovation and research and creating a strong pipeline of products and growth at Onfido.”

Husayn Kassai, CEO at Onfido, added: “As we expand into new global territories, our technology is continuing to evolve, and so we’re thrilled to have Mohan on board to help guide our research programs. His extensive experience from Amazon especially will be vital as we build towards our vision of creating an open world where identity is the key to access.”

Onfido also announced today that it has been named one of CB Insights AI 100, a list of the most innovative artificial intelligence startups globally.

Sales of Onfido biometric and ID check products grew 342 percent in 2018. The company has received over $60M in funding from investors including Microsoft Ventures, Salesforce Ventures and Idinvest Partners.

Article Topics

appointments  |  biometrics  |  identity verification  |  Onfido  |  research and development