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Augusta Labs

AI · Lisbon, Portugal · Founded 2023

Augusta Labs, an applied artificial intelligence (AI) lab, was established to bridge the gap between the rapid advancements in AI and their practical implementation within enterprise environments. The company was co-founded by childhood friends João Cerejeira and Rodrigo Fernandes, who identified a crucial need for an intermediary to help businesses adopt and integrate AI technologies effectively. While one source indicates a founding date of September 2023, others state January 2024. The firm is strategically based in Lisbon, Portugal, a growing hub for tech talent. The founders' journey is integral to the company's ethos. Rodrigo Fernandes, with a background in Law and Management, is a self-taught technologist who gained experience working directly with the CEO of Sword Health, a fast-growing Portuguese unicorn. João Cerejeira's path led him through a stint at McKinsey, which provided him with a strong foundation in strategic business consulting. Together, their combined expertise in business strategy and applied technology shapes Augusta Labs' approach to enterprise AI. The company's name itself is a nod to its origins, born in an apartment on Rua Augusta in Lisbon where the founders first set up their operation. Augusta Labs operates as a service-based business, partnering with a diverse client base that includes Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies. The company's business model centers on embedding its multidisciplinary teams of AI and machine learning engineers directly into a client's organization. This integrated model is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of production-ready AI solutions, moving them from experimental phases to full-scale operation in a matter of weeks. The firm's revenue is generated through these strategic partnerships, offering services that span AI strategy advisory, custom AI product development, and the optimization of AI infrastructure. This approach is designed to provide clients with the agility of a startup while ensuring the reliability and governance required by large enterprises. A significant milestone for the company was the announcement of a global partnership with Sage, a leader in accounting and financial software, to accelerate the build-out of Sage's AI Centre of Excellence. This collaboration involves Augusta Labs' teams working on key global workstreams for Sage, such as Sage Payroll and Sage Active. The company's core service is the design, development, and deployment of custom-built, production-ready AI solutions tailored to solve specific operational challenges. This includes creating voice and text agents for customer service, automating workflows, developing predictive analytics models, and managing document processing. Augusta Labs focuses on delivering measurable value by targeting critical business priorities, aiming to increase productivity and reduce costs by automating routine tasks. For instance, they have developed solutions like an AI Public Procurement Agent and a Clinical Prescription Copilot. The firm emphasizes a high-velocity delivery model that allows for rapid iteration and quicker movement from prototype to production. They position themselves not just as consultants, but as builders who deliver tangible AI products that integrate seamlessly into existing enterprise systems without vendor lock-in. The company also has ambitions to develop and launch its own scalable AI products, leveraging the insights gained from its client engagements. Keywords: Applied AI, Enterprise AI solutions, AI transformation, AI strategy advisory, Custom AI development, AI infrastructure optimization, Machine learning engineering, Production-ready AI, AI for Fortune 500, AI for government agencies, Lisbon tech startup, Rodrigo Fernandes, João Cerejeira, Sage AI partner, AI-first company, AI center of excellence, Intelligent automation, Predictive analytics, Workflow automation, AI agent development, Data engineering, AI-native, High-velocity engineering, AI public procurement, Clinical prescription copilot, Market intelligence systems, Electoral data observatory, AI business integration, AI product deployment, Enterprise software AI