Former Infosys chief executive Vishal Sikka on Wednesday announced the launch of Hang Ten Systems, a new artificial intelligence-focused venture aimed at helping enterprises adopt and scale AI technologies.

Sikka described AI as a transformational force and said the company was already working with large global enterprises, including Fresenius and Siemens Energy.

"AI is upon us all like a massive new wave. And I learned a long time ago that when there are big waves around, it is time to surf," Sikka wrote in a post on X.

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Aiming to help enterprises navigate AI

Sikka said Hang Ten's goal was to help businesses move beyond conventional digital transformation and unlock new capabilities through artificial intelligence.

"Hang Ten is already helping some of the world's biggest and most important enterprises — like Fresenius, Siemens Energy, and others — hang ten on the biggest wave of our lifetimes," he said. "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."

The company takes its name from the surfing term "hang ten", which refers to a surfer riding at the front of a surfboard with all ten toes extending over the edge.

According to Sikka, the idea symbolises mastering technological change rather than merely adapting to it.

Backed by Mayfield, Aramco Ventures, and Silicon Valley investors

Sikka said the startup has secured backing from venture capital firm Mayfield, led by investor Navin Chaddha, whom he described as a longtime friend from their days at Stanford University.

The investor group also includes Aramco Ventures, the strategic investment arm of Saudi energy giant Saudi Aramco, along with several Silicon Valley angel investors.

Sikka also announced that Jerry Yang would serve on the company's board.

Focus on closing the AI adoption gap

The former Infosys CEO said one of the biggest opportunities in artificial intelligence lies in helping organisations bridge the gap between those who successfully deploy AI and those who fail to benefit from it.

"I have seen, firsthand, the dramatic things AI delivers for the people and teams who somehow just know what to do with it," Sikka said. "I have watched them, and myself, reach in minutes what could take teams years of toil."

At the same time, he noted that many organisations struggle to realise similar gains and can even cause unintended harm through poor implementation. "In that gap lies the biggest opportunity of our time," he said.

Hiring underway

Sikka said Hang Ten was being built alongside a team of longtime collaborators and invited professionals interested in solving complex business problems through AI to join the company. "It is time to ride this wave," he wrote.