During his tenure at Coursera and subsequently at Google over the last decade, Jiquan Ngiam frequently identified opportunities to automate engineering functions that could benefit non-developers. Unfortunately, limited resources always hindered the realization of these ideas.
Earlier this year, Ngiam collaborated with five friends, including his former Google colleague Vijay Vasudevan. Together, they examined the artificial intelligence models designed for cloud applications, focusing on tasks such as reasoning, planning, and coding. This exploration prompted Ngiam to ponder the potential of these models to generate code and reasoning that could be applied in a manner more accessible to non-engineers.
The result of their efforts is Lutra AI, a startup founded in April. Lutra specializes in creating AI workflows from natural language, eliminating the need for technical expertise. The platform seamlessly integrates with existing applications like Google Workspaces and Slack, facilitating automation for tasks such as email management and internet research.
In a landscape already populated by AI workflow companies like Respell, Unity, Parabola, and even industry giant Nvidia, Ngiam believes Lutra stands out in two key ways. First, Lutra adopts a code-first approach for increased security and reliability during AI workflow execution, ensuring data protection. Second, unlike other companies that leverage large language models (LLMs) for a broad range of tasks, Lutra focuses its LLMs on specific tasks to achieve superior results.
Lutra recently emerged from stealth mode after securing $3.8 million in seed funding from investors including Coatue Ventures, Hustle Fund, Maven Ventures, and WVV Capital, as well as notable individuals such as Andrej Karpathy, Jeff Dean, and Scott Belsky. The company is currently in private beta with a select group of customers, and with the new funding, Ngiam aims to expand Lutra’s user base while prioritizing product development and achieving product-market fit.
Ngiam envisions a future where digital presence and software usage continue to grow, emphasizing the importance of providing tools that seamlessly integrate across all software applications to enhance overall business efficiency.
