AI firm forms new federal group

In a move to bring its federal business more focus, SparkCognition has stood up a government unit with a group of notable names as advisers.

A commercial artificial intelligence company based in Austin, Texas has created a government unit and named an advisory group of former high-ranking officials to help steer the strategy.

SparkCognition has stood up SparkCognition Government Systems to focus on the civilian and defense sectors, it said Tuesday in a release.

The company has sold artificial intelligence solutions to government customers since its founding in 2013. But as that business grew, executives decided there was a need for a separate organization to give it focus.

SparkCognition has created a board of directors for the government business and those members include:

  • John Allen, retired Marine Corps general and former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force
  • Lisa Disbrow, former Air Force undersecretary
  • Michele Flournoy, former defense undersecretary for policy; and co-founder and managing partner of WestExec Advisors
  • John Richardson, retired Navy admiral and former chief of naval operations
  • Robert Work, former deputy defense secretary
  • Amir Husain, founder and CEO of SparkCognition