Indian-Origin Engineer Leaves $300K Meta Role to Build AI Startup

Jain, who worked at Meta for over four years, most recently as a senior software engineer, announced his departure on LinkedIn. He cited a desire to build something transformative rather than incrementally improve existing products.

Mitosis Labs, co-founded with Alex Morris, is developing AI systems designed to understand and respond to human intent more naturally. The startup is targeting applications in virtual assistants and augmented reality interfaces.

Jain's move reflects a broader trend of engineers leaving big tech to pursue AI startups, drawn by the potential for outsized impact. The company is currently in stealth mode and has not disclosed funding details.

In his LinkedIn post, Jain said the decision was difficult but necessary, adding that he is excited to tackle fundamental challenges in human-computer interaction. Mitosis Labs is hiring engineers and researchers.