There is no doubt Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled software for businesses is shaping the future. By leveraging this cutting-edge technology to optimize operations, companies can now enhance decision-making and drive innovation.
AI has revolutionized companies' operations, offering solutions that streamline processes, improve efficiency, and deliver personalized experiences.
“As businesses integrate AI into their systems, they can harness vast amounts of data, uncover valuable insights, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market,” reveals Kishandth Sivapalasundaram, a distinguished software engineer who specializes in AI and B2B SaaS technologies.
He adds: “AI-enabled software not only automates routine tasks but also empowers employees to focus on strategic, high-value activities.”
As the future of business is increasingly defined by intelligent systems that learn and adapt, this new world order is providing unprecedented opportunities for growth and transformation.
And it is putting necessary pressure on companies to adapt. Fast.
“The speed of progress in this field means embracing AI technology is no longer a luxury but a necessity for businesses aiming to thrive in the digital age,” says Kishandth who started coding over 12 years ago.
The Stanford University and HEC Paris educated engineer adds: “And any business that is not utilizing AI, especially in the B2B sector, is going to flounder. In the long run it will most likely fail as it just won’t be able to keep up with other companies that use AI enabled SaaS tools.”
Kishandth’s journey from an actuarial science background in Australia to becoming an engineering leader, investor and advisor to multiple startups in Silicon Valley illustrates his passion and commitment to leveraging technology to transform business operations.
He completed internships at high-profile companies including KPMG, EY, Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM), TAL and Janchor Partners (hedge fund) before building his foundation in software engineering.
Kishandth reveals of his journey: "I wrote algorithms to manipulate data and get insights . All of that coding led me to computer science.
I'm a qualified actuary in Australia, which is basically math and stats applied to insurance," he explains.
"Automating reporting tasks using the Visual Basic for Application (VBA) programming language saved a ton of time, and that's when I realized the value of code.”
Eager to learn more Kishandth continued his education at the prestigious HEC Paris, where he achieved a Masters in Finance.
This was the perfect complement to his Actuarial Science degree and his certification in software engineering from the Flatiron School, which is owned by WeWork and based in New York.
Kishandth’s rigorous mathematics training, obtained during his actuarial degree, provided him with important technical skills and in-depth knowledge, which were solidified through his role at Quantium, Australia’s first big data company, where he was integral to its data science work.
He was crucial to clients including Wrigley’s, Starburst, Nestle and Procter & Gamble: “My role was to create the metrics that allowed them to negotiate prices with their customers and vendors. I found this role very fulfilling” he recalls. “But I wanted to dive deeper into business and the impact of technology on growth and metrics.”
This experience and a deep fascination with technology that began early in his career led to his love affair with code, data, and software as a service (SaaS).
As a result of his work in finance and investment banking, Kishandth held positions at Macquarie Capital and One Peak, a tech-focused growth equity fund specializing in investing in growth-stage SaaS B2B businesses.
“He recalls: “There is no doubt meeting the founders of companies during my time there, some of which were valued at $100m plus, inspired me.”
Exposure to this world sparked Kishandth’s passion for tech businesses and propelled his career change to software development: "Having a math background helped me understand the algebraic aspect of software easily,” he reveals.
With his extensive knowledge and passion for AI and software engineering, he has already created several impactful solutions that address complex business challenges and simplify them in the B2B space.
He recalls: “I led a project that embedded Looker (a business intelligence tool) into our software, enabling enterprise customers to see the metrics surrounding their chats and calls. This includes how long customers have waited to answer their calls and how long the average call is.”
Fast forward to the present day, and Kishandth’s experience has enabled him to focus on delivering innovative AI solutions to rapidly growing businesses: “My consulting background has given me communication and teamwork skills that aren't always common in software engineering.
“And my business background helps me understand and build features that customers want. Having technical, communication, and business experience helps me stand out," Kishandth adds.
My goal is to revolutionize how businesses operate by automating tasks and enhancing productivity,” he reveals.
Kishandth has also served as an engineering leader at UJET, a Google-backed contact center SaaS startup which is used by Instacart, Carta and Wag.
As an Engineering Manager, he led his team to implement several high-impact projects, including a real-time translation feature using the Google Translate API. This project supported a customer with a large user base. It involved optimizing the architecture to minimize writes to large tables, using Redis for decreased response times, and leveraging Twilio webhooks for delivering translated messages.
It allowed him to exercise his passion: "One thing I really love is that AI is very useful for automating tasks in a role. You can reduce an eight-hour job to two minutes with just three button clicks, saving much time. Building code that helps people automate processes quickly and free up their time is immensely gratifying," Kishandth shares.
However, his work with Agent Assist, a groundbreaking project he personally enabled, showcases his innovative expertise: “It uses Google’s AI to assist a customer service agent with tasks such as quantifying how a customer feels during a conversation and surface useful articles to a customer service agent proactively during a call,” explains Kishandth.
A former Engineering Manager at Ujet who worked with him on the project, says: “Kish's Agent Assist platform significantly enhanced agent performance and customer experience for companies around the world.”
“His groundbreaking technical innovations in building the platform garnered media attention across our field and showcased his innovative approach and expertise.”
His work at UJET also included maintaining the infrastructure for the Web SDK service, which connects end users with agents.
Kishandth was responsible for API maintenance, database optimization, and managing CRM connections through async batch processing. His superior problem-solving skills were evident here, as he fixed multiple production bugs that had caused release rollbacks.
Kishandth provided technical guidance to product and solutions consultants on feasible customer implementation strategies. "This allowed me to look at scalability and how it can reshape outcomes for profitability and speed— you can write code that impacts many people. You write it once, and it can keep working forever. That's exciting," he adds.
At Ujet, Kish also architected and implemented an AI-powered conversation functionality called Task Virtual Agent using Google Dialogflow: “This project required meeting multiple tight deadlines over five months and supported Ujet's OEM deal with Google Cloud,” reveals Kishandth.
Additionally, he initiated a project to separate the call and chat adapters from the rest of the Web app, increasing the development speed and reducing the release timeline for that service by approximately 40%. This project was one of the largest migrations in Ujet’s history, as it affected what tens of thousands of agents and their customers saw every day.
A former Senior Engineering Manager at Ujet who witnessed Kishandth’s superior expertise firsthand while working alongside him: “Kish was a
driving force behind the company's technological advancements. As his direct supervisor, I saw Kish consistently demonstrate strong leadership and project management skills.
“His exceptional performance and contributions have been recognized through multiple promotions. Kish’s work on Agent Assist was groundbreaking and led to a major partnership deal between Ujet and Google. Similarly, Kish's contributions to creating an adapter that enabled screen sharing and remote control of an end user’s browser were instrumental in landing a substantial deal with one of the largest customers in Ujet’s history.
“This deal meant that Kish’s contributions impacted millions of Americans. His technical expertise and dedication to delivering cutting-edge solutions have been key factors in Ujet's success in attracting and retaining high-profile clients.”
Kishandth's journey to software engineering also included a role as a senior software engineer at ViveLaCar, a fast-growing online car subscription startup in Germany.
There, he worked with multiple JavaScript and PHP frameworks across the frontend and backend, contributing to the company's rapid growth and development: ‘I improved the billing system's speed by about 70%, which I was very proud of,” says Kishandth.
As a result, he received positive feedback from the finance team and showcased his knack for optimizing systems for better performance.
"At ViveLaCar, I also worked with an implementation team to fix nuanced bugs for customers, providing immediate relief for them when it came to alleviating system problems," Kishandth explains.
His work at ViveLaCar was instrumental in the company's partnerships with major automotive brands like Mercedes, Hyundai, BMW, and Mini, further solidifying his reputation as a skilled and innovative software engineer.
Kishandth’s approach to work is characterized by a willingness to dive into complex problems: "My approach is quite tenacious and hacky. I don't give up on challenging problems and am confident in tackling them. This comes from my math background, where I'm used to dealing with complex formulas. I'm not intimidated by technical jargon and am willing to jump into new areas," he explains.
In addition to his technical expertise, Kish values a responsive attitude, especially when working across time zones. "Availability is key, especially when you have a team that is located all over the world. I also believe transparency builds trust, and actively communicating processes ensures everyone is on the same page. I also value sharing knowledge and helping the team understand our systems," he says.
Kishandth adds these values have been integral to his success and have earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues and clients.
His dedication to automating tasks and enhancing productivity is driven by a desire to free up people's time: "By automating tasks that computers can easily do, people can focus on more intellectually challenging tasks and enjoy their work more," he shares. This philosophy underpins his work and guides his approach to developing software solutions.
Kishandth's ability to blend technical expertise with a deep understanding of business needs sets him apart from many of his peers.
This is coupled with a knack for identifying the right tools and technologies to solve specific problems.
These invaluable qualities have made him a valuable asset in every organization he has worked for:"Anyone can learn technology, but knowing how to implement it effectively and where to apply it is what makes the difference,” he says.
“Some places may not need a particular technology, while others do. It's about finding the right tools for the job," Kishandth explains.
His contributions extend beyond his immediate team and clients. Kishanth is passionate about teaching and sharing his knowledge with others: "While working at Quantium, I developed and taught Excel and VBA courses internally. Those courses were so popular that we sold them to customers," he recalls.
His commitment to education and mentorship highlights his dedication to fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
He has also been a judge at the prestigious Globee Awards for Science and Technology, a Technical Mentor for the Berkeley Cal Hacks Marathon, and numerous Silicon Valley-based startups.
Kishandth is also a member of the exclusive start-up accelerator On Deck, which supports founders and entrepreneurs and has an acceptance rate of just five per cent.
Julian Weisser, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at On Deck reveals the rigorous selection process. Kishandth’s dedication to his software skills are a testament to his highly superior expertise: “In our application process, Kish demonstrated exceptional technical expertise and a track record of high-impact professional leadership and innovation, particularly in his roles at Ujet and ViveLaCar.
‘He has pioneered the development of AI-driven systems that have not only enhanced the productivity of the companies he has worked with but also made a significant contribution to and impact on the lives of those who use them. Undoubtedly, he is an individual of extraordinary ability in the software engineering field.”
For Kishandth, the ultimate reward for his passion is seeing the positive impact of his work on people's lives: "Automating tasks and making previously impossible things possible excites me.
“Seeing the productivity difference that software can make and helping people free up their time is very fulfilling," he shares.
His work enhances business operations and improves the quality of life for those who benefit from his innovative solutions.
As Kishandth continues to innovate and lead, he will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of technological advancements, driving positive change in the industry and beyond.
