Vercept CEO Kiana Ehsani Turns AI Into a Tool for Freedom and Creativity

For many startup founders, artificial intelligence is about making businesses more efficient. For Kiana Ehsani, it’s also about creating more time to spend outdoors.

The Seattle entrepreneur, who co-founded AI startup Vercept, believes technology should eliminate repetitive work so people can focus on creativity, problem-solving, and experiences beyond the computer screen. Whether she’s running an ultramarathon, climbing mountains, or skiing through snowy landscapes, Ehsani often imagines a future where AI handles routine tasks while she stays connected to nature.

That vision is driving the development of Vy, Vercept’s flagship AI product designed to understand computer screens much like a human user.

An AI Assistant That Works Across Apps

Unlike traditional automation tools that require complex integrations, Vy watches users perform tasks across software applications and websites, learns the workflow, and can later repeat those same actions from a simple natural language command.

The platform is built to automate repetitive jobs such as entering data, organizing invoices, creating video content, and completing other routine office tasks.

Ehsani believes this approach removes the need for employees to become experts in every software platform they use.

“I don’t want to become skilled in every single dimension that exists out there,” she said. “The more time you’re not spending on repetitive work that is not using your brain power, then the more time you have to be creative.”

Her long-term goal is even more ambitious. She envisions being able to hike in remote locations with limited internet access while Vy checks emails, reviews code, monitors Slack conversations, and reports back after completing assigned work.

“I am most creative when I’m on a hike,” Ehsani said. “If I could just have that more often… then the world would be my playground.”

From Iran to Seattle’s AI Ecosystem

Ehsani’s path to becoming an AI entrepreneur began in Iran, where she graduated from Sharif University after ranking 64th in the country’s University Entrance Exam.

Even as an undergraduate student, she was publishing research papers and presenting her work at international conferences.

In 2015, she moved to the United States to pursue a master’s degree and PhD in computer science at the University of Washington.

During her first year, she recognized AI’s enormous potential and shifted her focus toward the rapidly evolving field.

After completing internships at Google and Meta, Ehsani joined Seattle’s Allen Institute for AI (Ai2), where she spent four years leading robotics and embodied AI research teams as a senior researcher.

Launching Vercept

At the end of 2024, Ehsani founded Vercept alongside renowned AI researcher and University of Washington professor Oren Etzioni, the founding CEO of Ai2.

The founding team also included Matt Deitke, Luca Weihs, and Ross Girshick.

Etzioni praised Ehsani for combining exceptional technical ability with emotional intelligence.

He said she has repeatedly reinvented herself—from a talented researcher in Iran to an award-winning AI scientist and now a startup CEO—adding that her biggest achievements may still lie ahead.

Competing With AI Giants

Rather than trying to match the enormous computing budgets of major technology companies, Vercept focuses on efficiency.

The startup competes with products including OpenAI’s Operator, Google’s Project Mariner, Amazon’s Nova Act, and other AI systems designed to automate tasks across browsers and applications.

Ehsani says growing up in Iran taught her how to innovate with limited resources, a mindset she has carried into startup life.

“That’s the mindset that made me grow more, and that’s why at Vercept we are training models a lot more efficiently and less resource-heavy than anyone out there,” she said. “We love being scrappy and proving that you don’t need billions and trillions of dollars to make AI work.”

Recently, Vercept introduced an upgraded version of Vy for both Windows and macOS, with Ehsani saying the software has become significantly more robust while posting much stronger benchmark results.

Rapid Growth With New Challenges

The startup has expanded to a team of 12 employees and raised $16 million in seed funding in June.

However, the company also faced an early challenge when co-founder Matt Deitke departed in July after joining Meta’s newly created Superintelligence Lab.

Despite leaving, Deitke praised Ehsani’s leadership, describing her as an inspiring visionary with deep expertise in robotics and AI.

He also highlighted her work ethic, creativity, and kindness, calling her a truly exceptional leader.

Persistence Beyond Technology

Outside the office, Ehsani constantly tests herself through endurance sports.

Just weeks ago, she completed a demanding 50-kilometer ultramarathon featuring nearly 8,000 feet of elevation gain.

Reflecting on the experience afterward, she compared the race to building a startup. Both require adapting to setbacks, staying flexible, and continuing forward even when circumstances become difficult.

She shared that despite freezing temperatures, exhaustion, and changing conditions during the race, she never stopped believing she would reach the finish line.

“That’s the story of my life,” Ehsani said. “I live that every day.”

For Ehsani, AI isn’t simply about improving workplace productivity. It’s about giving people back their time, encouraging creativity, and allowing them to spend more of life doing what they love—whether that’s building groundbreaking technology or finding inspiration in the outdoors.

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