Indian-Origin AI Founder Steps Up After Meta Layoffs, Offers $600K Jobs to Displaced Engineers

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Following Meta’s layoff of 600 AI employees, Indian-origin entrepreneur Sudarshan Kamath, founder of Smallest AI, has offered lucrative roles to affected staff. His San Francisco-based startup is hiring for its speech technology team, with salaries ranging from $200,000 to $600,000 and flexible equity options, signaling a strong rebound opportunity.

From Setback to Opportunity: Smallest AI Opens Doors to Meta’s Laid-Off Talent

In a bold and compassionate move, Sudarshan Kamath, an Indian-origin tech entrepreneur and founder of Smallest AI, has announced job openings for engineers laid off by Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. The layoffs, which affected around 600 employees, were part of Meta’s restructuring efforts to stay competitive in the AI race against rivals like OpenAI and Google.

Kamath’s offer, shared via social media on October 23, 2025, has sparked optimism across the tech community, especially among displaced workers seeking new opportunities in the fast-evolving AI landscape.

Key Highlights of the Hiring Initiative:

Targeted Hiring for Speech Team

Smallest AI is actively recruiting for its speech technology division in San Francisco.

Kamath is specifically looking for talent with experience in speech evaluations, generation, and full-duplex speech-to-speech systems.

Lucrative Compensation Packages

The startup is offering base salaries between $200,000 and $600,000, rivaling compensation at major tech firms.

Selected candidates will also receive flexible equity options, making the roles financially attractive.

Inclusive Outreach

Kamath encouraged laid-off Meta employees to message him directly on X (formerly Twitter), signaling a personalized and open-door approach.

His post read: “Laid off from Meta? We are hiring in speech team for Smallest AI in San Francisco!”

Industry Response and Ripple Effect

Other startups like Spec AI have also joined the hiring wave, seeking to absorb top-tier talent from Meta’s AI infrastructure and FAIR units.

Meta, meanwhile, has urged affected employees to apply for other internal roles, though many are exploring external options.

Founder’s Background

Kamath, an IIT alumnus, has built Smallest AI around minimalist, high-performance AI systems, with a focus on speech and conversational intelligence.

This hiring initiative not only offers a lifeline to displaced engineers but also reflects the resilience and dynamism of the AI startup ecosystem, where innovation thrives even amid corporate restructuring.

Sources: MSN News, Mathrubhumi, Hindustan Times

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