Data Analytics Firm with CCI Origins Announces Expansion

Stratifyd, a tech startup founded at UNC Charlotte’s College of Computing and Informatics (CCI), will expand its operations, add at least 200 jobs and move to a new 30,000-square-foot office located within an opportunity zone in Charlotte’s FreeMoreWest neighborhood.

The announcement was made on Thursday, Oct. 31, by officials from the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County at a news conference at UNC Charlotte Center City.

Stratifyd is one of the fastest-growing tech firms in Charlotte, having doubled its number of employees during the past 12 months; it has a customer base primarily made of Fortune 1500 companies.

The firm was launched in 2015 by former UNC Charlotte professor Derek Wang ’11 Ph.D., and two students, Li Yu ’12 Ph.D., and Thomas Kraft, as government-funded research on the ways augmented intelligence could ingest, analyze and visualize structured and unstructured data.

During the past year, the city and Mecklenburg County have partnered to bring more than 7,900 new jobs to Charlotte. Stratifyd is the latest company to announce a significant expansion or relocation in Charlotte.

“The Charlotte region has become a hotbed of business technology and advancement, and we’ve seen how developing companies value what we have to offer,” said Mayor Vi Lyles. “Homegrown companies, like Stratifyd, have helped us to earn that reputation, and I hope it continues to grow and prosper, while promoting our city in the process.”

Wang said: “It’s amazing to see the rapid growth of Charlotte, from my years of research at UNC Charlotte to now, and it’s an honor to be a part of it. Our success is a true testament to our talented team, who are dedicated to challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of technology.”

Fatma Mili, dean of the College of Computing and Informatics at UNC Charlotte, said a large part of UNC Charlotte’s mission is to serve the region, “by educating its youth; graduating caring citizens who go on and accomplish great things for themselves, their families and the region; and serving as an educational resource for its workforce.

“UNC Charlotte’s mission is also to produce transformational research relevant to the urban setting of the Charlotte region,” she said. “The mission of UNC Charlotte is to also engage, connect and integrate with the city, physically, emotionally and economically.

“We are extremely proud of [Wang], Mili said. “His success is an excellent illustration of the quality of our students and the impact of the research done at CCI. His focus on the democratization of AI is a shining example of the values CCI would like to instill in all our students and graduates.”

Since being founded in 2015, Stratifyd has been a leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning technology, having participated in career fairs and hosted hackathons. It is also a member of CCI’s Business Parterns Program.

“Their growth represents economic growth for our entire county,” said George Dunlap, chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.

“Stratifyd is another example that shows how Mecklenburg County has the talent, the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the business-friendly climate and most importantly the higher education infrastructure that allows cutting-edge technology companies to reach their full potential.”

Photo: Stratifyd CEO Derek Wang, right, with commissioner Dunlap, Dean Mili and Mayor Lyles.