Irfan Ali · DataCortex IQ
Senior AI engineer building LLMs, RAG, and agents in production.
I help AI and product teams build the systems behind their products — RAG that returns the right answers, voice features that feel natural, agent pipelines that hold up under real use.
Currently open to long-term embedded engagements with growth-stage AI/LLM teams. Engaged through DataCortex IQ, my engineering studio.
Seven-plus years building AI and data systems. Previously founding AI engineer at Kuration AI in Hong Kong, and the first AI hire at Schneider Electric in India, reporting to the CTO.
Selected work — Reflecta
A wellness app you can call on the phone. Instead of typing into a journal app you'll never open, you call a number, talk to it for a few minutes, and it listens and helps you reflect. I designed and built the whole thing on my own — the AI, the phone system, the backend, the database.
Voice AI · Telephony · LLM analysis · Production
Also: Stacksift — a B2B domain analyzer built on these patterns. stacksift.in →
How I work
Currently focused on long-term embedded engagements with AI and LLM teams. Shorter build sprints considered when the fit is right. All work is engaged through DataCortex IQ.
Embedded engineering
Long-term · 6–12+ monthsFully embedded with your team as a senior AI engineer — owning your LLM, RAG, agent, or voice infrastructure end-to-end. Same level of ownership as a full-time hire, engaged through DataCortex IQ on a long-term contract.
Best for: Growth-stage AI/LLM teams who need a senior engineer in the room every day, not on retainer.
Build & advisory sprints
Short-term · 4–12 weeksA focused engagement to ship a specific system — a RAG pipeline, a voice MVP, an agent architecture — or to audit and stabilise something you already have in production. Outcome-driven, with clear deliverables.
Best for: Teams who need senior AI judgment shipped into a specific deliverable, not an ongoing relationship.
Hiring for a senior AI role? Let's talk.
Get in touchDataCortex IQ
Senior AI Engineer & Founder
My engineering studio. Currently open to long-term embedded engagements with growth-stage AI/LLM teams. Built and shipped Reflecta (voice-first AI wellness app) and Stacksift (B2B domain analyzer). Maintain 10+ open-source Python libraries used by other engineers.
Kuration AI
Founding AI Engineer
First AI hire at an early-stage B2B startup. Owned the full AI architecture — agent pipelines, RAG, multi-provider LLM orchestration.
Luminous Power Technologies (Schneider Electric)
Senior Manager, Data & Analytics, R&D
Sole AI hire reporting to the CTO. Built the R&D data and AI function, hired and led a team of three.
Lynk
Data Analytics & Automation
Analytics and NLP-powered search for an expert-matching platform.
brainsfeed
Head of Data & Analytics
First data hire. Built the data team to 10+ and shipped an internal NLP-powered research platform.
- AI search and chatbots that need to be reliable
- Voice AI on the phone or in apps
- Multi-step AI agents that hold up in production
- Data systems for startups and enterprise R&D
Irfan Ali
M.Sc. Data Science & AI, IISER Tirupati · B.Tech CSE, Alliance University · Exchange semester at ISEP, Paris
Founding AI engineer at Kuration AI in Hong Kong. First AI hire at Schneider Electric in India, reporting to the CTO. Now running my own studio, DataCortex IQ.
- -10+ open-source Python libraries that other engineers use to build AI
- -Built systems that switch between AI providers automatically when one fails
- -Two peer-reviewed papers published in 2025
- Led data and AI teams across India and Hong Kong
- Built AI systems that real businesses use to make real decisions
Tell me what you're working on or what you'd like to discuss.
Your information is protected and will only be used to respond to your inquiry.
Privacy Protected • I'll respond within 24 hours
Other ways to reach me
Email or social — whichever is easier.
What I work on
What to expect