NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 6, 2026--
Emergence, a frontier agentic AI lab advancing safe autonomous AI, today announced the appointment of Ian Eslick as Chief Executive Officer.
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Ian Eslick, Chief Executive Officer of Emergence
Eslick will lead the company's next phase of commercial growth, scaling enterprise adoption of Emergence's technology, expanding its go-to-market strategy, and driving operational execution as organizations increasingly deploy autonomous AI systems across mission-critical environments.
As part of this evolution, Co-Founder Dr. Satya Nitta will assume the role of Executive Chairman, where he will dedicate more time to advancing Emergence's long-term scientific vision, leading frontier AI research, and driving the continued development of the company's pioneering neuroformal AI architecture – pushing the boundaries of what's possible in safe autonomous AI. In addition, he will help shape the company's strategic direction, drive major partnerships, support board governance, and represent Emergence through thought leadership, public speaking, and engagement with industry leaders.
Working in close partnership, Eslick will lead the commercialization of Emergence's technology while Nitta continues to drive the innovations that underpin the company's long-term competitive advantage.
Eslick joins Emergence with more than 25 years of experience as a technology executive, entrepreneur and engineer, with a proven track record of building and scaling category-defining companies.
Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Infrastructure and Technology Strategy at SoFi, where he led the company's infrastructure platform and broader technology strategy.
Earlier in his career, Eslick founded Silicon Spice, an MIT spinout semiconductor company that pioneered carrier-grade Voice over IP technology before being acquired by Broadcom for $1.2 billion. He also brings deep expertise in AI through research at MIT spanning cognitive architectures, commonsense reasoning, natural language processing, and personalized medicine. His experience across semiconductors, AI, cloud infrastructure and enterprise product development positions him to lead Emergence through its next phase of enterprise growth.
"I'm delighted to welcome Ian as Chief Executive Officer of Emergence," said Dr. Satya Nitta, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Emergence. "Ian brings a rare combination of technical depth, entrepreneurial experience, and operational leadership that makes him the ideal person to lead Emergence through our next phase of growth.
"As Executive Chairman, I'll be able to dedicate more time to advancing our long-term research agenda and the development of our neuroformal AI architecture – pushing the boundaries of what's possible in safe autonomous AI – while partnering closely with Ian to bring those breakthroughs to enterprises around the world. Together, we'll accelerate both scientific innovation and commercial impact. I'm particularly excited to help advance autonomous AI in the semiconductor industry. For me, it's a true full-circle moment, bringing together the two fields that have defined my career."
"I'm honored to join Emergence at such an exciting moment in the company's journey," said Ian Eslick, Chief Executive Officer of Emergence. "Satya has built an extraordinary scientific foundation and assembled a world-class research team. My focus is to help translate that innovation into enterprise-scale products that organizations can deploy with confidence. I look forward to working alongside Satya and the entire Emergence team as we bring the next generation of safe autonomous AI to customers around the world."
As autonomous AI agents become increasingly embedded in financial services, telecommunications, robotics, autonomous vehicles and other mission-critical industries, enterprises need AI systems they can trust. Underlying Emergence's vision is its pioneering neuroformal approach to autonomous AI, which combines the adaptability of neural AI with the mathematical rigor of formal methods. This neuroformal architecture provides an independently verifiable framework that governs agent behavior, enabling autonomous AI systems that are highly capable, predictable, reliable, and safe enough for real-world enterprise deployment.
Notes for Editors:
Emergence is a frontier agentic AI lab advancing safe autonomous AI through its pioneering neuroformal architecture. Its technology enables enterprises to deploy autonomous AI systems that are intelligent, verifiable and reliable enough for mission-critical environments. The Emergence team comes from the world’s leading AI labs and technology teams, including IBM Research, The Allen Institute for AI, Amazon, and Broadcom. Emergence is headquartered in New York, with offices in California, Spain, and India. Learn more at https://www.emergence.ai/
Dr. Satya Nitta, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Emergence
NEW YORK (AP) — Kayla Harrison draped her left arm around a member of her team and gingerly walked out of the octagon a winner, a champion — but with a major career decision ahead.
Harrison, a former MMA champion at 155 pounds, endured the arduous, often unhealthy process of cutting to 135 pounds for her dream fight against Amanda Nunes.
The 36-year-old Harrison also fought Saturday for the first time in 18 months following spinal fusion surgery in January for a neck injury that delayed this anticipated fight until UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden. She said she even might have suffered a broken foot in the fight.
How much more can Harrison — a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist — push herself to prove what, exactly?
“I am going to go back and talk to my team,” Harrison said. “I'm going to take my time and be with my kids. Get through the holidays. I get to have the holidays with my kids and actually eat and not be sweaty or hungry.”
With a resume that already has her in the UFC Hall of Fame, Nunes may be considered the greatest female fighter of all time.
Harrison staked her claim as the best of right now.
Harrison (20-1) can state that after she choked out Nunes in the fourth round in the co-main event and made the most of her first title defense at 135 pounds.
(Ciryl Gane successfully defended his heavyweight championship, sweeping the scorecards 48-47 over the five-round fight to win a unanimous decision and beat Josh Hokit in the main event of UFC 334 ).
Nunes (23-6) tried to wrestle with Harrison and ended the first two rounds flat on her back. Harrison landed a series of short punches and elbows to the head that seemed to tire her out, the weight cut wearing her out as much as they damaged Nunes.
Harrison — who walked out to “Eye of the Tiger” while the fighter better known as the “Lioness” stretched and bounced on her tiptoes ahead of Bruce Buffer’s introductions — wasted no time in the fourth round. Harrison grabbed Nunes by her right leg and tripped her to the canvas. Harrison pounced on Nunes’ back and applied the rear naked choke hold. Nunes quickly tapped to the astonishment of 19,740 fans at a sold-out MSG.
“I think I’m still in shock,” Harrison said.
Despite the anguish of injuries accumulated throughout her decorated mixed martial arts career, Harrison could still see the light. She had a reason to keep rehabbing: not only to make it to the biggest fight of her career, but to compete in a matchup that stood as one of the most hyped women’s fights in UFC history.
She’s used to proving she’s a champion at the highest level, from the Olympics to the cage, leaving only destruction in her wake.
No U.S. judoka — man or woman — had won an Olympic gold medal before Harrison beat Britain’s Gemma Gibbons in the women’s 78-kilogram-and-under division at the 2012 London Olympics. She won gold again four years later at the Rio de Janeiro Games and made her MMA debut in 2018.
Through it all, Harrison has been open about the years of physical and mental abuse inflicted by a former coach leading into the Olympics. She was victimized as a teen, revealing she even thought of quitting judo and of taking her own life. Harrison turned to her deep faith — “I trust God” — that has steadied her along the way, and she wrote a book about recognizing and overcoming trauma.
She raised the issue in her championship interview with announcer Joe Rogan in large part because she has turned into an advocate for survivors of abuse. Harrison speaks out candidly and without shame about her experience.
“Sometimes I can't believe my life,” Harrison said. “I was sexually abused at a young age and statistically, I'm not supposed to be here. So to go from that, if you told me at 6 years old this would be my life, at 16 years old, this would be my life, I wouldn't believe you. I'm just grateful.”
Harrison and Nunes were once training partners at American Top Team. Harrison was new to professional MMA in 2018 after her Olympic career ended and believed she had found a friend and a mentor in camp with Nunes. Nunes, already an established star, saw Harrison as a future star and rival and kept her distance from the hot new prospect who seemed destined for MMA stardom.
“I feel grateful for Amanda,” Harrison said. “She's a worthy opponent.”
Nunes bolted from the cage and could head back into retirement. She retired in 2023, citing burnout and a desire to spend more time with her wife as they raised their two young daughters.
Her legacy as one of the best to ever do it remains secure.
Harrison might not catch Nunes in terms of career accomplishments.
She doesn’t have to. She has the win.
See AP’s full sports coverage here
Brazil's Amanda Nunes, left, punches Kayla Harrison during a women's bantamweight title bout at the UFC 334 mixed martial arts event Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Ciryl Gane, of France,punches Josh Hokit, left, during a heavyweight title bout at the UFC 334 mixed martial arts event Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kayla Harrison, left, grapples with Brazil's Amanda Nunes during a women's bantamweight title bout at the UFC 334 mixed martial arts event Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kayla Harrison, left, knees Brazil's Amanda Nunes during a women's bantamweight title bout at the UFC 334 mixed martial arts event Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kayla Harrison, left, punches Brazil's Amanda Nunes during a women's bantamweight title bout at the UFC 334 mixed martial arts event Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
