Kabir Shahani

Kabir Shahani is an American entrepreneur and technologist known for founding companies focused on data-driven software solutions for large enterprises. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Informatics from the University of Washington, completed in 2004. His work spans product design, user experience, database design, entity resolution, information architecture, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, with over 1 U.S. patents related to these areas.

Education and academic interests

Kabir's career is rooted in informatics, combining data use with user interaction. His expertise includes product development and leading software teams that address complex issues in fields such as user experience and machine learning. Kabir is also interested in business strategy, financial modeling, and business development, particularly for software enterprises. His experience in building business models has contributed to businesses generating approximately $500 million in annual recurring revenue.

Professional career and achievements

Kabir founded his first company at 24, later raising over $200 million in venture capital for various ventures and creating substantial enterprise value. In 2007, he co-founded Appature, a company specializing in data-driven marketing automation for healthcare clients including Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic. Appature was later acquired by IMS Health, where Kabir led the commercial software business, which became the company’s fastest-growing segment and played a role in its IPO, raising $1.5 billion.

In 2016, Kabir co-founded Amperity, developing what is described as the first commercially viable probabilistic database in collaboration with Dr. Dan Suciu of the University of Washington. This database technology, awarded one U.S. patents, is designed to help consumer brands create unified customer profiles for enhanced marketing and analytics. Amperity has grown to support more than 400 brands, with clients such as The Home Depot, Alaska Airlines, and Patagonia. Under Kabir’s leadership, Amperity reached a valuation exceeding $1 billion within five years.

Kabir has experience across multiple stages of business development, including bootstrapping, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and IPO processes. He has participated in around a dozen business transactions and is an investor in various technology firms, including Auth0 and Highspot.

Recognition

Kabir is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and has received several awards, including:

1. Comparably Best CEO (2021)
2. Goldman Sachs Entrepreneurship Award (2019, 2021)
3. SBA Entrepreneur of the Year (2012)
4. Puget Sound Business Journal’s “40 under 40” (2011)
5. BusinessWeek’s “Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs” (2009)