Former Infosys chief has a new startup that wants to challenge the IT services world

The Return of a Veteran: Vishal Sikka’s New Play in Enterprise AI Services

Vishal Sikka, the former CEO of Infosys and a former SAP board member, is re-entering the IT services arena with a new startup backed by Mayfield and Aramco Ventures. The venture assembles a leadership team drawn from SAP, Infosys, and VianAI, signaling a deliberate move to combine deep enterprise software experience with AI-native capabilities.

This is not a typical founder story. Sikka’s track record includes pioneering AI at Infosys (with the Nia platform) and a tenure at SAP where he drove the company’s cloud and in-memory computing strategy. His new company appears positioned to challenge the traditional IT services model by embedding AI at the core of service delivery, rather than treating it as an add-on.

Why This Matters

The IT services industry—dominated by players like TCS, Infosys, Accenture, and Wipro—is facing a structural shift. Generative AI has commoditized many lower-level coding and testing tasks, threatening the billable-hour model that has sustained these firms for decades. Sikka’s startup enters at a moment when clients are demanding outcomes rather than headcount, and when AI can automate significant portions of legacy application management.

The backing from Aramco Ventures is particularly noteworthy. It suggests the startup may target large-scale, capital-intensive digital transformation projects in energy, logistics, and industrial sectors—areas where Sikka’s experience at SAP and Infosys is directly relevant. Mayfield’s involvement indicates a venture-backed, product-led approach rather than a traditional services ramp-up.

Implications for AI Practitioners

For AI engineers and data scientists, this development signals a growing market for applied AI within enterprise services. The startup will likely need practitioners who understand not just model training, but also system integration, data governance, and the nuances of legacy enterprise architectures. Pure research roles may give way to hybrid positions combining AI engineering with domain expertise in ERP, CRM, and supply chain systems.

Practitioners should also watch for a shift in how AI solutions are priced and delivered. If Sikka’s venture succeeds in offering outcome-based contracts (e.g., “reduce IT operational costs by 30% using AI”), it could accelerate the industry’s move away from time-and-materials billing. This would reward teams that can demonstrate measurable business impact, not just technical novelty.

Finally, the involvement of VianAI—a company focused on enterprise AI orchestration—suggests that the startup will emphasize multi-agent systems and workflow automation. Practitioners with experience in LangChain, AutoGen, or similar orchestration frameworks may find themselves in higher demand.

Key Takeaways

• Vishal Sikka’s new startup combines enterprise IT services veterans with AI-native talent, targeting a disruption of the traditional services model.
• Backing from Mayfield and Aramco Ventures suggests a focus on large-scale, outcome-based digital transformation in capital-intensive industries.
• AI practitioners should prepare for a shift toward applied, domain-specific AI roles that prioritize integration and measurable business outcomes over pure model development.
• The startup’s likely emphasis on AI orchestration and multi-agent systems could signal a new wave of demand for workflow automation expertise in enterprise settings.