According to media reports, Indian-origin software engineer and startup founder Aman Gottumukkala has joined xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, where he will work on AI systems designed to automate software development.
Gottumukkala announced the move on X (formerly known as Twitter), stating that his work will focus on developing “coding AI” tools capable of assisting with or automatically generating software code.
He said the effort will involve collaboration with teams associated with both xAI and SpaceX.
Before joining xAI, Gottumukkala founded Firebender, a startup that developed an AI-powered coding assistant for Android developers. The tool integrates with development environments such as Android Studio and JetBrains IDEs to help automate routine coding tasks and suggest improvements to software code.
The company reportedly generated millions of dollars in revenue while operating with a team of three.
Firebender was also backed by Y Combinator, the Silicon Valley startup accelerator that has supported a number of technology companies.
Gottumukkala studied computer science at Texas A&M University between 2017 and 2021. Prior to university, he attended the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a selective programme for students specialising in science and technology.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a software engineer at Paradigm, where he was involved in projects connected to the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Gottumukkala was also selected as a fellow in the Kleiner Perkins Fellowship, a programme that connects engineering students and startup founders with venture capital firms in Silicon Valley.
