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Writer's pictureSantosh Rout

Beyond Big Tech: New AI Companies Every ML Engineer Should Have on Their Radar

Updated: Nov 11



1. Introduction

The demand for machine learning (ML) engineers in the United States has been on a steady rise as companies across industries recognize the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving innovation and efficiency. Traditionally, large tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta have dominated the AI talent market, but recently, several new and fast-growing companies have entered the space, offering ML professionals exciting opportunities to shape cutting-edge products and technologies.


For those looking to make an impact and accelerate their careers, targeting new and emerging AI companies can provide several benefits, such as direct involvement in product development, opportunities for leadership roles, and competitive compensation. This blog will explore some of the most promising new and upcoming companies hiring ML engineers in 2024, backed by data on open roles and insights into what makes these companies attractive.


Next, we’ll look at the current hiring trends in AI/ML and the sectors seeing the highest demand for machine learning talent.


2. Overview of Current Market Trends in AI/ML Hiring

The AI and machine learning job market has been undergoing rapid transformation, with increasing demand for ML engineers across sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, and retail. As of 2024, there is a growing emphasis on hiring for roles related to generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and AI safety. This trend is driven by both established tech giants and newer startups venturing into specialized AI solutions.


Key Market Insights

  • Job Growth and Salary Trends: According to industry reports, the overall AI/ML job market is expected to grow by 21% annually through 2028, with ML engineers earning an average salary of $140,000 to $250,000, depending on experience and specialization.

  • Increased Focus on Generative AI: Startups and enterprises are placing a high priority on talent skilled in generative AI, particularly for roles related to the development of LLMs and AI-powered content creation tools.

  • High Demand Across Sectors: AI adoption is spreading beyond traditional tech companies. Finance, healthcare, automotive, and even retail sectors are actively hiring ML engineers to leverage AI for data-driven decision-making, automation, and customer service optimization.


Skills and Roles in Demand

  • Technical Skills: Proficiency in Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure. Knowledge of LLMs, NLP, and data engineering is increasingly sought after.

  • Roles in Demand: Common roles include Machine Learning Engineer, AI Research Scientist, Data Engineer, Applied Scientist, and Product Engineer. Companies are also exploring new roles such as AI Safety Engineer and Prompt Engineer.


With these trends in mind, let’s dive into specific companies that are leading the way in AI/ML innovation and hiring top talent.



3. Top New and Upcoming Companies to Target in 2024

In this section, we list some of the most promising new and upcoming companies hiring ML engineers. Each company profile includes details about their focus areas, notable projects, and the number of ML roles currently open.


3.1. OpenAI

  • Focus Areas: AI research, large language models, developer APIs.

  • Open ML Roles: Over 50 positions in machine learning research, software engineering, and AI safety.

  • Notable Projects: ChatGPT, DALL-E, and upcoming initiatives in reinforcement learning and AI safety.

  • Example Job Descriptions:

    • Machine Learning Engineer (Research): "You will work on the latest AI research projects, developing new architectures and optimizing current models for efficiency and scalability."

    • AI Safety Researcher: "Focus on building safe and robust AI models. Experience with reinforcement learning and adversarial ML techniques preferred."


3.2. Anthropic

  • Focus Areas: Ethical AI, AI safety, human-centric AI systems.

  • Open ML Roles: Approximately 30 positions, ranging from research engineers to product managers.

  • Notable Projects: Development of the Claude AI assistant, focusing on AI interpretability and alignment.

  • Example Job Descriptions:

    • Research Engineer: "Collaborate with a team of world-class researchers to develop methods for ensuring AI model safety and interpretability."

    • AI Alignment Scientist: "Design experiments and algorithms to evaluate and improve model alignment with human values."


3.3. Deepgram

  • Focus Areas: Voice AI, speech-to-text solutions.

  • Open ML Roles: Around 15 open roles, including ML research, software development, and data science.

  • Notable Projects: Deepgram’s speech recognition platform, used for transcription and real-time voice analysis.

  • Example Job Descriptions:

    • Machine Learning Researcher (Speech Recognition): "Conduct research on state-of-the-art speech recognition models, optimizing them for low latency and high accuracy."

    • AI Data Engineer: "Work with large audio datasets to develop tools that improve data processing and labeling efficiency."


3.4. ElevenLabs

  • Focus Areas: AI-driven voice technology, text-to-speech.

  • Open ML Roles: Approximately 10 open roles, including backend and iOS development.

  • Notable Projects: Realistic text-to-speech models used by publishers and gaming companies.

  • Example Job Descriptions:

    • Backend Engineer: "Develop scalable backend systems for deploying real-time voice models."

    • iOS Developer (ML Integration): "Integrate voice AI models into mobile applications, ensuring low latency and seamless UX."


3.5. Cohere

  • Focus Areas: Enterprise generative AI models, natural language processing (NLP).

  • Open ML Roles: 12-15 roles, focusing on NLP research and ML product engineering.

  • Notable Projects: Large language models for enterprise applications such as search, chat, and recommendation systems.

  • Example Job Descriptions:

    • NLP Research Scientist: "Lead the development of NLP models that can generate coherent, context-aware responses for enterprise applications."

    • Machine Learning Engineer (Product): "Work on productizing cutting-edge NLP research, optimizing model performance for large-scale deployments."


3.6. Pinecone

  • Focus Areas: AI infrastructure, vector databases for ML applications.

  • Open ML Roles: 8-10 roles in research, infrastructure, and product engineering.

  • Notable Projects: Development of vector search technology for large-scale AI applications.

  • Example Job Descriptions:

    • Infrastructure Engineer: "Design and implement the next-generation vector database technology for machine learning applications."

    • ML Product Engineer: "Work on building ML-powered products, focusing on high availability and scalability."


3.7. Writer

  • Focus Areas: Generative AI for content creation, language models.

  • Open ML Roles: 10-12 roles, focusing on AI engineering and product development.

  • Notable Projects: Language models for automating content creation and improving the writing process.

  • Example Job Descriptions:

    • AI Engineer: "Work on generative models that assist with content creation for marketing and customer service."

    • Product Manager (AI): "Define the product roadmap for new generative AI features, working closely with research and engineering teams."


Each of these companies offers unique opportunities for ML engineers to work on transformative technologies. Whether you are interested in voice AI, NLP, or AI infrastructure, these companies provide diverse roles and projects to advance your career.


4. Key Considerations When Choosing a Company

When evaluating companies, it’s essential to look beyond the number of open roles and consider aspects such as company culture, funding stability, work-life balance, and growth potential.


  • Company Size and Stage of Growth: Early-stage startups like Pinecone and Cohere provide high-impact opportunities but may have more risk compared to more established companies like OpenAI or Anthropic.

  • Work-Life Balance: Some companies offer flexible work arrangements, unlimited PTO, and remote work options, which are attractive for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

  • Equity and Compensation: Newer startups often offer equity compensation that can be lucrative if the company grows. Consider how the compensation package aligns with your financial goals.


By taking these factors into account, you can make a more informed decision about which companies are the best fit for your career aspirations.


5. Conclusion and Recommendations

The machine learning job market is thriving, and several new and exciting companies are actively hiring for roles that allow engineers to work on cutting-edge technologies and products. By targeting companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Deepgram, and others, you can find opportunities to work on meaningful projects that shape the future of AI.

To increase your chances of landing a role at one of these companies:


  • Stay Updated: Follow these companies on LinkedIn and keep an eye on their career pages for new job postings.

  • Build Your Portfolio: Showcase your skills by contributing to open-source projects or creating personal projects that demonstrate your expertise.

  • Network Strategically: Attend AI/ML conferences, webinars, and networking events to connect with industry professionals.


By preparing effectively and staying proactive, you can position yourself to succeed in the rapidly evolving AI/ML job market.


Ready to take the next step? Join the free webinar and get started on your path to an ML engineer.




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