Ola 'acqui-hires' AI startup Pikup.ai

Cab aggregator Ola on Tuesday announced acqui-hiring' Pikup.ai, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup based out of Bengaluru.

Acqui-hiring is a term for acquisition plus hiring. As part of the deal, the team at pikup.ai will join Ola, the company said in a statement.

Ola announced earlier this year its intent to set up an advanced technology centre in the San Francisco Bay area in the US, to focus on developing next-generation technologies in mobility like Electric, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.

"By bringing deep domain expertise to Ola, this acquihire will also deliver innovations that continue to improve safety and transform customer experience," Ola said.

Pikup.ai was co-founded by Inder Singh and Ritwik Saikia, which uses autonomous technologies like AI, computer vision and sensor fusion to provide seamless AI-powered solutions for businesses, the company said.

Ola was optimistic that pikup.ai's expertise in the segment and the availability of rich data, the application of machine learning and AI will enable the company to identify deep insights that can lead to improved mobility outcomes.

"Ola is increasing its focus on using advanced analytics and deep technology to build futuristic mobility solutions for India and the world," the company said.