To fast track AI implementations for our customers by leveraging our deep expertise and reusable accelerators.
TALK TO US
We are a group of experts that have led several real-world AI implementations. We understand the pain of automatic decision making and still maintaining high level of accuracies. Through our learnings on trickiest of implementations, we at Blackstraw have built a Platform Approach to AI Implementation.
With 700+ years of combined work-experience, the Blackstraw Team comprises of various experts in AI technologies. A fast-moving team that prides itself in quickly identifying different use-cases and fine-tuning our products to suit specific business needs.
We do what we say, and say what we’ll do. Our word is our bond and that accountability is what builds lasting trust with our clients and partners.
AI should solve problems, not create new ones. We cut through complexity to build solutions that are easy to understand, easy to use, and built for impact.
We move fast, because in AI, momentum matters. From ideation to implementation, we focus on rapid, high-quality delivery that drives real business outcomes.
A future where production-grade AI is embedded into enterprise technology and operations to deliver scalable, measurable business outcomes.
Simplifying enterprise AI adoption by operationalizing AI through engineering-led delivery and enterprise-scale governance to deliver measurable business outcomes.
Blackstraw was founded in Tampa, USA, with a bold vision to drive intelligent transformation through AI-powered solutions. In the same year, we established our global delivery hub in Chennai, setting the stage for scalable execution. With a dedicated team of 50 professionals, we delivered 15 successful operations and product implementations—laying the foundation for a culture of excellence, agility, and innovation that continues to define us today.
2019 marked a year of meaningful expansion and deepened client engagement. We launched a new delivery hub in Chennai, India, featuring state-of-the-art infrastructure to support our growing global operations. A major milestone was the establishment of an AI Center of Excellence at the facility of one of India’s most trusted manufacturing houses—designed and operated entirely by our team to drive enterprise-wide innovation. With 40 live implementations and our team crossing the 100-employee mark, we strengthened our foundation as a leading force in applied AI solutions.
In a year marked by unprecedented global disruption, we stepped up with purpose-driven innovation. In collaboration with Stanford University, we developed a low-cost ventilator solution for the Government of India—addressing the urgent shortage of medical equipment during the COVID-19 crisis. Our commitment to real-world impact resonated across industries, as we scaled to 60 live implementations and grew our team to 150 strong. 2020 reaffirmed our commitment to building solutions that serve both business and society.
2021 marked a year of global expansion and innovation. We launched operations in Canada, bringing us closer to our North American clients and strengthening our international delivery model. we officially launched our Document Intelligence Platform—enabling organizations to unlock insights from complex, unstructured data at scale. With 100 live implementations and a team that grew to 250 talented professionals, we continued to accelerate impact for our clients across geographies and industries.
2022 was for focused growth and capability building. We invested in talent and technology, expanding our team to 300 professionals and deepening our domain expertise. We launched specialized solutions for Legal Services and established dedicated practices in Manufacturing and Supply Chain Intelligence. Simultaneously, we also worked on improving our cloud and data engineering capabilities, laying the groundwork for our future GenAI initiatives.
2023 was a transformative year as we harnessed the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) to drive high-impact projects across industries. Our strategic partnerships with Microsoft and Databricks further strengthened our AI ecosystem, enabling us to deliver at scale with cutting-edge capabilities. With a team of 400 and a growing portfolio of enterprise solutions, we cemented our role as a trusted innovation partner in the era of generative AI.
In 2024, we deepened our commitment to innovation with the launch of our Generative AI Center of Excellence, designed to accelerate enterprise adoption of cutting-edge AI capabilities. We also initiated a strategic joint development program in the Aerospace domain, bringing advanced AI solutions to one of the most complex and high-stakes industries. These milestones reflect our continued pursuit of domain-driven, transformational impact.
In 2025, we expanded our reach through go-to-market partnerships with leading system integrators, enabling broader, faster deployment of AI solutions across global enterprises. We also launched a suite of Databricks Accelerators, helping clients unlock faster time-to-value from their data and AI investments. These initiatives strengthened our position as a catalyst for enterprise-scale transformation.
A technologist at heart, Atul founded Blackstraw with a singular purpose – to simplify AI and new technology implementations to enable true digital transformation for enterprises of all sizes. He is an astute business and technology leader, having led product development initiatives for large enterprises and holds an impressive track record of beating Go-to-Market timeline targets. Adept at new product launches, he also holds a passion for creating successful teams to achieve delivery excellence.
With over 25+ years of experience in Software Development, Engineering Services, Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, Kiran brings a strong consulting perspective to client problems and puts the success of his clients first. He is passionate about building lasting relationships with clients based on mutual trust, innovative solutions and value based business models that enable our clients to achieve their business goals.
Saahil Udyavar is a seasoned product and digital transformation leader, having led multiple enterprise wide technology driven business programs and global product portfolios over the last decade. With deep understanding of new technologies, ability to deconstruct client needs and by building strong cross functional business-technology delivery teams, Saahil is able to create true value for his client’s businesses and build lasting relationships with them.
Sanjay leads global business operations and brings over 15+ years of experience of running ops in multiple domains, both in public and private sectors. He has a passion for solving problems and has the innate ability to solve them at pace. An advocate for attention to detail, he has a penchant for ensuring that all best practices are followed across functions at Blackstraw – delivery, ops, finance, legal and HR and takes a strategic approach to problems.
Atul is the Principal data scientist and leads the Data Science vertical at Blackstraw. He brings over 15+ years of experience in enterprise grade implementations involving but not limited to- computer vision, NLP, predictive analytics and intelligent automation. Atul is an innovator at heart and gravitates to solving problems through new disruptive technologies. He has an outstanding record of leading multiple large-scale transformational programs, across industries and sizes.
Raja leads Blackstraw’s Data Engineering and Cloud practice, designing and delivering scalable data platforms for AI and BI. He drives complex data initiatives that enable advanced analytics and informed decision-making. Passionate about client collaboration, he delivers solutions that generate measurable business impact. Raja holds a Master’s degree in Business Analytics & Business Intelligence from Great Lakes Institute of Management and industry certifications.
Gopala is a key leader in the core engineering practice at Blackstraw, with 10+ years of experience developing applications for large enterprises. His technical prowess and his solutioning abilities has been lauded by his client stakeholders, enabling him to deliver the fastest business impact in complex client ecosystems. He has a passion for creating strong delivery teams to achieve client objectives.
Karthik Ravi is a key engineering leader at Blackstraw and leads high-performing teams to deliver critical client applications/ solutions, on several digital transformation engagements. Karthik is also our in-house Python champion, while he also possesses a breadth of expertise in multiple technologies ranging from data engineering to cloud technology.
Jerry Burum is VP, Sales at Blackstraw, driving regional growth, strategic partnerships, and high-performing sales execution across the Eastern U.S. With 30+ years of technology industry leadership, JB brings deep expertise in cloud and data center transformation, sales leadership, and client-centric solutions delivery. Prior to Blackstraw, he held senior roles including Area Vice President at Core BTS and VP & General Manager at Insight. JB holds a Bachelor’s in Business and Education from the University of Northern Iowa.
Andreas Knispel is Vice President, Client Services at Blackstraw, with 20+ years of experience helping enterprises leverage data, AI, and digital engineering to drive measurable outcomes. He has led large transformation programs across industries, opened strategic enterprise accounts, and built long-term partnerships. Known for his consultative approach, he works closely with C-suite leaders to translate business challenges into scalable AI, analytics, and automation solutions that create competitive advantage and sustained value.
With over 25+ years of leadership in consulting services, software solutions, and delivery, Tim brings experience in digital transformation and artificial intelligence to drive business value and client success. Tim’s ability includes building, organizing, and motivating high-performing sales, technical, and delivery teams while developing trusted relationships from C-suite to end users across Fortune 500, enterprise, and privately held organizations. Author of Global Digital Business: A Perspective for Creating Value (McGraw-Hill).
Matthew is a seasoned technology and transformation executive with over 25 years of experience across product, service, and advisory organizations. He has led major programs that drive business value, including cloud transformations delivering more than $90M in savings. At FCM, he partnered with clients on profitability initiatives, and earlier served as SVP of Transformation & Strategic Programs at Experian Consumer Services. A U.S. patent holder and Six Sigma Executive Black Belt, he leverages Lean and Scrum methodologies to deliver lasting impact.
Hem Muralidharan leads global marketing at Blackstraw, driving brand strategy, go-to-market, content and demand generation. With 20+ years across AI/ML consulting, ethical AI training data, big data SaaS, and enterprise software, including leadership roles at dotSolved and Defined AI, he brings a rare blend of technical depth and marketing instinct. Hem holds an MBA from Durham Business School and an MEngSc in Photonics and Optical Communications from UNSW. Outside work, he's an avid cricketer and herpetology enthusiast.
Dr. Annesly Carvalho is Head of Human Resources at Blackstraw, driving talent strategy, organizational development, and HR operations to support global growth. With 23+ years of extensive experience across technology and services firms, he has held senior HR roles at Inspirisys Solutions, WABCO, Logitech, and Ford, building high-impact people programs and culture. Annesly holds advanced academic credentials and industry certifications, and is committed to fostering inclusive, high-performing teams.
Team members working all over the world
Projects successfully delivered across the industries
Operating Geographies
At Blackstraw, we foster a culture where your ideas matter, your growth is prioritized, and your work has a lasting impact.
