Before launching her own venture, Kalyani Ramadurgam worked at Apple, focusing on high-stakes compliance to ensure that individuals on terrorism watchlists could not use Apple Pay. While the work was critical, what struck her was the outdated approach. Even at a top tech firm, compliance processes relied heavily on manual labor, requiring teams to pore over thousands of pages of regulatory documents, often overwhelming staff and slowing operations.
That experience inspired her entrepreneurial journey. Recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30 USA 2026 in Finance, Ramadurgam teamed up with Ashi Agrawal, a former software engineer at Affirm, to co-found Kobalt Labs in 2023. Their mission was to bring financial compliance into the modern, machine-learning era, leveraging artificial intelligence to tackle tasks that traditionally consumed weeks or months of manual effort.
Kobalt Labs develops AI-powered tools that automatically review massive sets of contracts, policies, and regulatory documents. The software identifies compliance gaps, ensures rules are followed—such as blocking transactions from sanctioned regions—and accelerates risk assessments that previously required extensive human review. By automating these processes, Kobalt reduces human workload and allows financial teams to focus on decision-making rather than document vetting.
The startup’s approach is already resonating in the financial sector. Kobalt Labs has secured $13 million in funding and serves more than 20 clients, including Celtic Bank and fast-growing fintech Bilt. The technology is helping banks and fintechs scale compliance operations efficiently while minimizing errors and burnout among personnel.
For Ramadurgam, Kobalt is more than a tech solution; it represents the modernization of a crucial sector that underpins global financial security. By combining AI with compliance workflows, the startup is setting a new standard for how banks and fintechs approach risk management.
Based in New York, Kobalt Labs builds AI-driven software to automate risk, compliance, and third-party diligence for banks and fintechs. Its tools scan regulatory documents and policies, highlighting risks or gaps in minutes rather than weeks, allowing financial teams to scale operations while reducing costly manual labor.
