Workera is an AI-native skills intelligence platform that helps enterprises verify, benchmark, and develop AI skills across their workforce. Founded in 2020 by Kian Katanforoosh and Andrew Ng, the company uses science-backed adaptive assessments and an AI mentor (Sage) to close skills gaps at scale. With over 100 million skills verified across Fortune 500 clients including Accenture, Siemens Energy, and Samsung, Workera has grown 1,021% over three years and is backed by $47.3M in funding from investors including NEA, Jump Capital, Owl Ventures, and Accenture itself.
Kian Katanforoosh is the CEO and co-founder of Workera, an AI-powered skills intelligence platform that has raised $55.5M and serves enterprise clients including Samsung, Siemens Energy, and the U.S. Air Force. Born in France to Iranian immigrant parents, he came to Silicon Valley via Stanford, where he co-created the Deep Learning Specialization on Coursera with Andrew Ng, reaching over 4 million learners. He holds Stanford's Walter J. Gores Award (the university's highest teaching honor) and was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2025. His mission: make elite mentorship - the kind he received from Andrew Ng - accessible to anyone through AI-powered skill assessment and personalized learning.