Filament Syfter: founded to demystify AI
At the vanguard of the AI movement
Filament started life as an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Consultancy, building custom AI-powered software applications for a variety of enterprise clients.
Co-founder (and our CEO today) Phil Westcott led team that launched IBM Watson in Europe. He saw then the impact that AI would have, but equally that it would be hard for businesses to navigate the sea of unproven consultants and agencies saying they could help.
With his background on one of the world leading AI programmes Phil took learnings from IBM and assembled a world-class team of data engineers and applied NLP and ML engineers (many of whom he brought with him from IBM!).
A unique data integration and AI platform
Working for leading Financial Services clients taught the team where the common needs lay, and additionally helped them identify a core audience they could focus on. Filament took this knowledge and built Syfter, a product that encompasses the features and functionality required to fully productionize the use of AI in Private Equity and Corporate Finance workflows.
This laser focus means we can provide targeted product development at the pace that such a fast moving area of technology necessitates. It’s now six years since the first version of Syfter was launched, and today’s product is vastly different. Continuous investment and development into the product has delivered benefits that all our clients are able to access.
Innovation
The challenge of who to trust when everyone says they can ‘do AI’ still exists. If anything in recent years the noise has intensified. Filament now has an established reputation and enviable client base, but the competition keeps us on our toes.
Product development is split between continuous platform improvements and less predictable experimentation with newly available technology. Our clients are able to participate in beta tests, access prototypes and submit ideas for the product backlog. Where technology is new and uncertain we take the risk and cost out of testing it, whether that’s LLMs or GenAI. Only the most successful trials make it into Syfter.
Leadership
The Filament leadership team consists of individuals who each provide rich expertise and credentials in their specialist fields.
Phil is a former Director at IBM, and a specialist in applied Artificial Intelligence. Phil previously ran the IBM Watson platform in Europe, led their Smarter Cities business in Southeast Asia and launched IBM’s global IoT practice. He is a specialist in AI use cases, business models and enterprise transformation. He is a regular speaker on the convergence of tech and entrepreneurship. Phil is a Chartered Engineer and holds an MBA from IESE and Columbia business schools.
Emma has over 20 years’ experience leading marketing, data, product and tech teams. Most recently Emma was part of the leadership team of a price reporting, market data and forecasting business, delivering a successful exit for its PE backers in 2023. Emma’s specialism is scaling up and professionalising functions in fast growth companies; architecting and transforming teams, tools and processes.
Martin has well over a decade of experience building & launching internal knowledge management platforms for some of the world’s largest enterprise companies. His clients have included the likes of Tesco, Unilever, Bupa, AstraZeneca, Electronic Arts & Mondelez International. He was the key solution architect and delivery lead for a highly successful Office 365 agency before switching his attention to the emerging field of AI in 2014