Full-Time
Director of Engineering
Posted on 10/31/2025
Shakudo
11-50 employees
Data stack operating system for AI
No salary listed
Toronto, ON, Canada
In Person
 Engineering Management (1) |
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- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics
- Proficiency with programming languages such as JavaScript/TypeScript, or similar languages
- 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with 5+ years in a leadership or management role
- Experience with Kubernetes, distributed computing, infrastructure as code
- Bias for action and ownership mentality
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team
- Proven experience managing software engineering teams in a startup or fast-paced environment
- Comfort with ambiguity and operating in a fast-paced environment
- Experience working cross-functionally with product management
- Experience with Agile methodologies and project management tools
- Passion for technology and a strong desire to create impactful solutions
- Passion for mentoring, coaching, and developing engineering talent
- Hands on leadership: Develop, test, deploy, and maintain the Shakudo data and AI operating system Participate in code reviews to ensure code quality and distribute knowledge Manage performance reviews, professional development, and succession planning within the engineering department
- Ensure optimal team structure and resource allocation to meet project demands
- Collaborate with the executive team to define technical strategies that align with business goals
- Oversee the architecture, design, and implementation of complex software systems
- Oversee multiple concurrent engineering projects, ensuring quality, timelines, and scope are consistently met
- Implement best practices in agile methodologies, continuous integration, and delivery to drive engineering productivity
- Ensure the scalability, security, and maintainability of systems across all platforms
- Drive technological innovation and identify opportunities to apply cutting-edge tools and processes
- Lead and mentor a team of engineers, promoting professional growth and a culture of continuous improvement
- True full-stack experience including frontend is a strong plus
Shakudo provides an operating system for data and artificial intelligence stacks that helps teams build, deploy, and manage AI products. The platform works by automating DevOps tasks and integrating over 170 different open-source and commercial tools into a single environment that can be self-hosted for better data security. It distinguishes itself from competitors by creating compatibility between many different software tools, which prevents companies from being locked into a single vendor's ecosystem. The company's goal is to reduce engineering overhead and complexity so that data science teams can focus on developing AI solutions more quickly.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$17M
Headquarters
Toronto, Canada
Founded
2021
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Loblaw reduced AI development cycles from six months to same-day delivery using platform.
- Customer-led Series A2 funding validates product-market fit with CentralReach executives personally investing.
- Sevenfold growth since 2023 Series A attracts strategic investors like Wittington Ventures for expansion.
What critics are saying
- Databricks integrates 170+ tools natively, capturing enterprises with $50B valuation dominance.
- AWS Bedrock sovereign AI controls undercut Shakudo pricing via credits for regulated clients.
- DoD CMMC 3.0 certification delays block non-US platforms from defense contracts entirely.
What makes Shakudo unique
- Self-hosted VPC deployment keeps customer IP within organizational infrastructure, avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Integrates 170+ commercial and open-source tools including generative AI, reducing engineering overhead.
- Autonomous Kaji agents run natively in customer infrastructure for regulated industries like nuclear and healthcare.
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Benefits
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Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -2%2 year growth
↓ -6%Toronto-based Shakudo has raised $7 million USD in a Series A2 round led by Wittington Ventures, the venture arm of the Weston family's holding company that controls Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart. The round attracted investment from existing customers, including CentralReach executives who personally backed the company. Founded in 2021, Shakudo provides AI infrastructure software that helps enterprises deploy AI tools securely within their existing systems. Loblaw reportedly reduced its AI development cycles from six months to same-day delivery using Shakudo's platform. The round included participation from Golden Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, and RTP Global, bringing total funding to approximately $18 million USD. The company has grown sevenfold since its $7.2-million USD Series A in early 2023 and plans to raise a larger Series B within two years.
Shakudo, a platform providing operating systems for enterprise AI, has raised $7 million in a strategic funding round led by Wittington Ventures, a venture capital firm affiliated with Loblaw Companies Limited. The round included participation from existing investors Golden Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures and RTP Global, as well as personal investments from enterprise customers. The San Francisco and Toronto-based company will use the funding to expand its US operations and launch two new products: Kaji, an autonomous AI agent running within customers' Virtual Private Clouds, and Shakudo AI Gateway, a control plane for managing models and agents across organisations. Shakudo's platform deploys natively within customers' infrastructure, ensuring intellectual property remains within the organisation whilst targeting regulated industries including nuclear energy, healthcare and financial services.
Toronto-based Shakudo has secured $9.5 million CAD in Series A funding to help companies launch artificial intelligence products more quickly and cost-effectively.
Toronto-based software startup Shakudo has rebranded from DevSentient, raising $4.2 million CAD in seed funding to expand the reach of its AI platform for data science and ML teams.