ABOUT US
We build AI solutions for you, not us.
Zai Node is an AI company based in Australia and Germany. We design and build custom, AI-native agents, models and compute so our clients can use AI privately, securely and cost effectively. We also provide AI consulting services to help organisations use AI usefully.
Our mission
Make AI safe, secure, useful and affordable. We want AI to benefit all, not just a few enormous tech companies.
Our vision
To build a multi-generational, leading technology business that our team loves working at and clients love working with.
Our values
Values mean a lot to us. There’s nothing worse than a team with “values” that no one knows, let alone cares about. Everything we do and who we work with (our team, clients, suppliers and partners) are guided by our values and expected behaviours.
01
Life’s first, work’s next
It’s imperative for wellbeing and happiness that we all realise things outside work are more important.
02
Be the best you can be
Not everybody will be the best, but everybody can do their best.
03
Show people you care
Show people common courtesy — people want help from nice people — nice people get help.
04
Do what’s right
Do the right thing by yourself, your colleagues, your team, clients, partners and the community.
05
Be interested & interesting
Individually be curious and engaged to learn, and collectively be intriguing and engaging.
06
No jerks
Should be self-explanatory, but just in case — see above.
Our team leaders
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Chris Berry
CTO
Engineer, researcher, security, programmer, AI/ML and HPC infrastructure expert.
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Christine Ullmann
CXO
UX, psychology, HCI, change, project and product management.
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Anthony Wright
CEO
Data, governance and risk expert, product manager, marketer, accountant, lawyer.
Our story
Ch. 1
Our founders started working together about 15 years ago, designing graphics and navigation systems, which gave us our first insight to GPUs and hardware. We also made games in our spare time, and some of us pursued careers in finance, law, psychology, maths and UX.
Ch. 2
This knowledge convinced us to start our first business in risk, compliance and legal systems. We made software that global companies and governments used, to manage their compliance, risk and legal information. We became experts, understanding the legal data requirements of highly regulated industries. Our systems protected clients’ data and made information easily accessible and useful. We sold that business and, since then, we’ve been contemplating what’s next.
Ch. 3
Like many, we’re amazed by ML and AI. We watch and use it in awe. We also see everyone’s data go anywhere and everywhere, for the benefit of big tech. We spoke to senior executives who used AI but have little clue where their data goes, not knowing their data is shared with many others. We also started to see how much it actually cost, at an enterprise level, to train and use public models and cloud. So … we started designing and building computers that could use AI, privately.
Ch. 4
We’re excited and we love what we do. We enjoy helping humans use technology.
What makes us great at what we do
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Diverse skills & expertise
Few local teams have the diverse business and technical skills that we do. Our engineering team are experts in each layer … hardware, firmware, hypervisor, OS, Kubernetes, containers/apps, software dev, networking, HPC and DCs. They work alongside our data privacy, commercial, legal, product and UX/UI experts.
A core strength is our ability to support neurodivergent people. We’ve created a flexible, successful work environment for the neurodivergent people in our team.
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We don't just sell products
We listen to clients, then we provide a consulting led solution, which may or may not include us. We’re a solution provider, where we guide and help clients use private AI, software and hardware — not just give clients access to models and call it a day.
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Great comms
Whilst AI is very good at communicating … everything is about people. Our team take immense pride being good communicators.
We keep our clients informed … concisely, timely, authentically and jargon-free. We listen. We care. Our clients know we have integrity, protect their interests, and can be counted on in critical moments.
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Our purpose & values
See above. We want everyone who wants to benefit from AI to do so safely, securely and privately. We want data to be private. Big tech has done lots of good for society, but we’re also wary of their motives. We’re often anti big tech and all the BS that goes with big tech.
Our purpose and values mean everything to us. You’ll see this in our team. It’s not just words on a page. It’s not all talk.
OUR APPROACH
Provide solutions, not products
We help clients customise and use AI, usefully. We don’t just sell products or provide access to models, and let clients “figure it out”. Too many chatbots are unhelpful, costly and underutilised because they are generic and not well designed or trained.
We believe the most successful solutions are built in collaboration with clients and start with strategic alignment. Our engagement model is agile, transparent and founded in human-centred design and chance management principles, ensuring the final solution is both powerful and practical.
Our goal is a long-term partnership to support clients’ ongoing technology journey while at the same time ensuring client agency and independence in the systems we deliver.
“Zai" has multiple meanings. In Arabic, it means prosperous or fortunate. In parts of Asia, it translates to good, skillful, reliable. In Mandarin Chinese, it means again or repeatedly. These meanings resonate with us. It also includes “AI” and sounds cool!
Join us
Our team operates in Australia and Germany. We’re committed to supporting people who wish to relocate or work remotely or hybrid.