Graphcore’s new AI Engineering Campus in Bengaluru marks a significant investment in the future of AI computing and in the engineers who will build it. As a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank, Graphcore is scaling its end-to-end system capabilities to help shape the next generation of Artificial Intelligence.
For engineers joining at this stage, it isn’t an obvious move – it's a considered one.
We spoke to one of our first cohort of engineers in Bengaluru, Jegatheesh, about what drew him to Graphcore, the kind of challenges he was looking for, and why choosing complexity felt like the right step in his career.
What made this a considered choice, not an obvious one?
Historically, engineers solve problems and provide solutions to the needs of society. Sometimes this work is limited to a particular sub-layer or one part of the solution, even though each part is critical to the whole.
I believe Graphcore's choice of problems and its end-to-end approach provides the right space for me to collaborate and work on challenges that are important for future technologies.
When I looked at the Staff Bringup and Characterisation Engineer at Graphcore, the cutting-edge platform was especially appealing. For any engineer who is eager to learn and contribute, this kind of technology is very attractive.
I have worked in both startups and corporates. There are clear differences in how goals are executed in each. I hope Graphcore’s scale-up phase sits somewhere between the two, which would give me a different and valuable level of experience
In terms of the actual work you do, what were you hoping to find at Graphcore?
I was looking for a role that would elevate my career and my preference was to stay inclined towards a technical role.
Compared to previous decades, abstraction in engineering has become very rapid and complex. I was looking for an opportunity that fits into the curve of future engineering or at least near future applications.
Graphcore is definitely a solid choice in this aspect, as it aligns well with my area of interest and expertise and offers room to grow beyond them.
What stood out to you during the interview process that helped you decide this was the right place?
From the initial enquiry call, the discussions focused on the role and its requirements.
I was provided with insight videos about Graphcore’s work and culture, which I was asked to watch before the interview and come prepared with questions. This helped set clear expectations.
The expectations and responsibilities were well defined during the interview itself, which made it easier to make a decision confidently.
In your first few weeks, what's been the strongest signal that you made the right choice?
Everyone in the office has been focused on ensuring comfort and support. The open culture, the voluntary approach to welcoming and onboarding, active engagement in discussions, and transparency in sharing information all give a strong sense of confidence and respect.
The scale of the work being discussed in meetings has also really increased my interest.
What kind of learning curve are you most excited about in this environment?
I bring experience from silicon to system level, and I’m excited about the opportunity to leverage that experience while learning additional areas and contributing back to the system.
A couple of areas that are creating curiosity for me are power utilization and management, as well as end-to-end testing requirements related to system size and complexity.
If I can learn and understand the system’s complexity and contribute to improvements, especially in the testing methodologies or parameters, that would be very fulfilling.
We’re continuing to grow our engineering teams in Bengaluru. If you’re drawn to complex systems, learning at pace, and contributing across the full stack, take a look at our current opportunities.
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