Vishal Sikka’s Hang Ten Systems Challenges Traditional IT Outsourcing

The Bay Area-based venture aims to disrupt a sector that has historically grown by adding headcount to handle software customization and integration. While traditional firms scale linearly with new employees, Hang Ten claims its agentic code generation and reusable AI skills allow for a more efficient, non-linear growth model. Mayfield led the investment round, which also included strategic backing from Aramco Ventures and participation from Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang.

Sikka, whose background includes senior roles at SAP and Oracle, has already begun deploying his team’s technology. The startup is currently working with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Fresenius to facilitate AI-native project delivery. The founding team is comprised of longtime Sikka collaborators, including CTO Navin Budhiraja and Chief Design Officer Sanjay Rajagopalan, many of whom worked together previously at VianAI.

This launch arrives during a period of industry anxiety regarding the future of IT services. Analysts at Jefferies have warned that the sector faces significant disruption from automation, while incumbents like Infosys argue that AI represents a massive expansion of the addressable market, potentially reaching $400 billion by 2030. As investors weigh these competing visions, Hang Ten is aggressively hiring across global locations to capitalize on the shift toward autonomous software development.