Team extension fuels on-device AI platform for global industries

About the client

Since 2016, the company has built an on-device Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that runs straight on mobile and embedded chips. Global brands use their technology to add real-time vision, voice, and predictive analytics into consumer apps, connected cars, and smart retail kiosks. Rapid growth created dozens of feature requests, yet local hiring could not keep pace. The firm needed a partner able to supply niche AI talent quickly, preserve product knowledge, and integrate smoothly with a culture based on experimentation and speed.

Problem statement

Product success depended on a highly communicative, stable team covering deep learning, mobile, and cloud. Scarcity of candidates with both rare hard skills and strong collaboration abilities slowed releases and threatened roadmap goals.

• Faster hiring. Shrink lead time, securing senior AI engineers before competitors poach them.
• Long-term retention. Retain specialised staff to preserve product knowledge and minimise churn.
• Cost-smart growth. Maintain cost efficiency while expanding headcount across data science, DevOps, and mobile.

Challenge

The search targeted engineers who blend mathematical rigour, production-grade coding, and excellent soft skills. Only one in fifteen applicants cleared the client’s demanding test task. Candidates also needed experience with forty-plus technologies, clean code style, and a mindset focused on solving customer problems, not isolated tickets. Simultaneously, the partner had to embed multiple sub-teams, Data Science, Mobile, Product Design, CTO rapid-prototyping, and Cloud, without disrupting sprint velocity or compromising IP security.

• Rigorous screening. Lengthy multi-stage vetting included coding exams, workshops, and trial periods.
• Persuasive collaborators. Soft-skill emphasis requires communicators able to influence product direction.
• “Ninja” profile. Full-stack mastery across infrastructure, AI frameworks, and UX was mandatory.
• Code hygiene. Strict quality rules banned unnecessary lines, comments, or style deviations.
• Secure remote work. GDPR-ready access controls and transparent reporting were essential.
• Retention strategy. The plan had to keep key engineers engaged for seven-plus years.

Solution

HW.Tech rolled out a team augmentation program using its nearshore talent pool in LATAM, the Philippines, and Eastern Europe. First CVs arrived in five days; engineers passed a 14-day discounted trial, then joined as permanent members. Continuous knowledge sharing, paired reviews, and quarterly workshops ensured skills stayed sharp and aligned with product vision.

• Rapid onboarding. Senior experts are productive by day ten. No roadmap delays.
• 60% cost savings. Nearshore hiring cuts payroll overhead and equipment spend.
• Risk-free trial. 14-day pilot with 20% discount validated culture fit.
• Model innovation. Data-science squad added vision and anomaly-detection models.
• Feature parity. Mobile unit shipped seven cross-platform features for Android and iOS.
• Design synergy. Product-design duo delivered assets for marketing and dev hand-off.
• Fast prototyping. CTO skunkworks built PoCs in weeks, speeding hypothesis validation.
• End-to-end cloud. Cloud crew owned a mobile-engagement platform from architecture to QA.

Result

Eighteen HW.Tech engineers, fifteen of whom sit in the core team, now drive the product roadmap. The client regards them as “our own people,” involving them in vision sessions and commercial decisions. Transparent communication, shared KPIs, and mutual trust produced a resilient, motivated unit that keeps innovation flowing while mitigating risks.

• Swift onboarding. Ten-day integration trimmed the release cycle by 35%.
• Rock-solid retention. Zero unplanned attrition; engineers remain for up to seven years.
• Specialist squads. Five focused sub-teams cover data science, mobile, cloud, product design, and prototyping.
• Cost-efficient scaling. Nearshore model lowered expansion expenses by 60%.
• Magnetic employer brand. HW.Tech-driven HR marketing boosted the client’s reputation, drawing talent organically.