Ex-Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka Launches AI Startup Hang Ten with $32M Backing

Former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka has launched a new AI startup, Hang Ten Systems, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with $32 million in seed funding led by Mayfield and backed by Aramco Ventures, announced Vishal in a post on X.

The company is already working with global enterprises like Fresenius and Siemens Energy to accelerate AI adoption. "Our dream is to help enterprises not just transform with AI, but use it as a force to do what no one could do before", said Vishal in the social media post. 

Hang Ten Systems: Key Highlights

• Founder: Vishal Sikka, ex-CEO of Infosys and former CTO at SAP.
• Funding: $32 million seed round led by Mayfield, with participation from Aramco Ventures and angel investors.
• Location: Palo Alto, California.
• Board Member: Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang has joined the board.
• Early Clients: Fresenius, Siemens Energy, and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.

Business Model & Technology

• AI-native delivery model: Uses agentic code generation, reusable skills libraries, and specialised engineering teams.
• Focus Areas: Enterprise functions like finance, HR, and product development.
• Goal: Reduce the time, cost, and complexity of enterprise software development compared to traditional IT services.
• Vision: “Every company will be transformed by AI… most are stuck at the starting line, and the gap is widening every day,” said Sikka.

Comparison: Hang Ten vs Traditional IT Services

Hang Ten Systems	Traditional IT Services
AI-native delivery model	Manual configuration & integration
Agentic code generation	Long development cycles
Reusable skills libraries	Custom coding per client
Faster enterprise adoption	Slower, costlier implementation
Early clients: Fresenius, Siemens Energy	Established IT outsourcing clients

Industry Context

• Indian IT firms like Infosys and TCS have thrived on SaaS, but AI threatens to disrupt this model.
• Hang Ten Systems positions itself as an AI-native alternative, potentially reshaping enterprise IT services.
• Market Outlook: Infosys predicts AI-first IT services could reach $400 billion by 2030.

Challenges Ahead 

• Enterprise adoption gap: Many firms still struggle to extract value from AI investments.
• Competition: Established players (Infosys, TCS, Accenture) are also investing heavily in AI.
• Scalability: Hang Ten must prove its model works across industries and geographies.

To recall, Vishal Sikka also launched Vianai Systems in 2019 after he left Infosys. Vianai focuses on AI-powered decision-making tools for enterprises. Similar to Hang Ten Systems, Vianai Systems also emerged from stealth with $50M seed funding, later raised $140M in 2021 led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.

Both Vianai and Hang Ten target large corporations struggling to extract value from AI.

Besides, as Infosys CEO, Vishal Sikka oversaw a $3M donation to OpenAI nearly a decade ago (2015), long before ChatGPT’s rise demonstrating his early recognition of AI’s transformative potential. Infosys considered a $1 billion investment in OpenAI, alongside Amazon Web Services, Elon Musk, and Sam Altman. However, the plan was scrapped due to disagreements between co‑founder N. R. Narayana Murthy and Vishal.

Timeline of Vishal Sikka’s Startup Bets

Year	Startup	Focus	Funding
2016	Infosys donation to OpenAI	AI research	$3M
2019	Vianai Systems	Enterprise AI decision-making	$50M seed, $140M Series A
2026	Hang Ten Systems	AI-native enterprise software delivery	$32M seed