Sudarshan Kamath

Founder at smallest.ai

Multi-modal AI ModelsSpeech-to-Text/Text-to-SpeechZero-to-One Product ManagementComputer VisionAutonomous Driving PerceptionData Science

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About

I'm Sudarshan Kamath, the Founder of smallest.ai, currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. My journey has taken me from building autonomous vehicle perception stacks at Bosch and legal AI at Vakilsearch to the high-growth environment of Toppr leading up to its $150M acquisition. I even dropped out of my MS at UC San Diego because I couldn't resist the pull of the startup ecosystem. Right now, I'm obsessed with the 'builder moment' in voice-native software and creating AI with real defensible moats. Through smallest.ai, I’m shipping state-of-the-art models like Lightning-v3.1 and supporting the next wave of founders with our $10,000 Startup Grants. I’m always looking to connect with fellow builders and investors in the Enterprise AI and deep tech space—whether you're in SF or Bangalore, I'm always down to exchange notes on the zero-to-one journey.

Networking

What I can offer

›$10,000 in credits via Smallest AI Startup Grants
›Co-marketing support
›Early access to state-of-the-art AI models
›Notes on zero-to-one market trends

Looking for

›Founders working on Enterprise AI infrastructure
›Deep tech innovators
›AI researchers and investors in SF and Bangalore

Best fit for

AI foundersVC investorsTech operatorsDeep tech researchers

Current Interests

Voice-native softwareEnterprise AI agentsAI infrastructure and observabilityDeep tech in manufacturingEarly-stage fundraising

Background

Career

Transitioned from Computer Vision Research at Samsung to Data Science at Bosch and Product Management at Toppr and Vakilsearch, before founding smallest.ai in 2024.

Education

B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Guwahati; MS in Data Science from UC San Diego (Dropped out to join startup ecosystem).

Achievements

›Launched $10,000 Voice AI Startup Grants program
›Developed Lightning-v3.1 state-of-the-art TTS model
›Built legal AI products used by 10% of Indian businesses
›Contributed to Toppr's $150M acquisition
›Ranked in Top 10 for CFA Level 1 (Dec 2019)

Opinions

Going from 0 to 1 is a fundamentally different problem than scaling from 1 to 100.
AI companies must build defensible moats rather than just impressive demos.
Aspiring founders should 'take the leap' rather than waiting for the perfect moment.
Speech is the most low-latency and high-accuracy form of human communication.