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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Torch.AI Expands Leawood, Kansas, Operations Center

05/17/2021
Torch.AI, a global leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning, will invest $45 million and create 490 high-paying, full-time cybersecurity-related jobs in Leawood, Kansas.

The company will hire more than 100 new professionals this year alone with an average salary of more than $100,000. As part of its commitment to Kansas, Torch.AI is also making a significant capital investment in collaborative workspaces for its employees including plans to relocate key talent to Kansas City.

“It’s an honor to align the growth trajectory of Torch.AI with Kansas initiatives to expand its economy and regional impact as a tech hub,” Brian Weaver, founder, chairman and CEO of Torch.AI, said. “Demand for our advanced AI and data services continues to grow as the intelligence and security communities attempt to organize and analyze unprecedented levels of data. We’ve long known there is untapped talent here in the region that can help the government and commercial sectors solve significant challenges. This agreement represents our commitment to harness the wealth of experience and skill sets in the Kansas City region and develop new talent to expand our capabilities and customer impact.”

As part of a $27 million tax incentive package awarded by the Kansas Department of Commerce, Torch.AI is taking additional steps to train and upskill professionals in Kansas City and across the state. The company already is working with a growing network of local universities to influence the curriculum, while creating new IT and data science professionals and preparing them to enter this high-income field.

“Torch.AI is investing in Kansas at the perfect time,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Our state’s renewed commitment to innovation through the Framework for Growth will be a massive advantage for this future-focused business, and the new tech jobs created will be perfectly aligned with the professionals created every day at our outstanding higher education institutions. Torch.AI and Kansas’ new way of doing business are a perfect fit.”

Torch.AI is a leading global artificial intelligence (AI) firm that uses machine learning to enable massively scaled, ultra-high performance data processing.

“With our strong public schools and top-tier workforce, Kansas is one of the best places in the nation to do business,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “Torch.AI will bring sophisticated, high-wage tech jobs to Kansas and will improve our ability to recruit forward-thinking tech experts to our state. I look forward to seeing the incredible developments that will undoubtedly come from this new facility.”

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