In the vibrant landscape of Bethesda, amidst the hum of innovation, a growing company stands out as a testament to resilience and purpose. When a mass shooting took place at the YouTube headquarters in California, on April 3, 2018, two childhood friends, Egor Olteanu and Dmitry Sokolowski, were inspired to create something revolutionary that could prevent such tragedies.
After joining the U.S. Army post high school, Olteanu worked for Google X where he led moonshot R&D projects. His partner Sokolowski led engineering teams at Facebook, Uber, Apple and Amazon. Together, in 2019, they founded VOLT AI, a mission-driven tech company that uses artificial intelligence as a security force to help protect people and property, and ultimately, save lives. Their team also focuses on predicting which problems their customers will face in the future.
Co-founder and CEO Egor Olteanu (left) and co-founder and CTO Dmitry Sokolowski (right)
Although the co-founders may have in common their high-tech background, what really sets them apart from other entrepreneurs is their unwavering commitment to leveraging technology for the betterment of society: “We’re willing to risk failure by building something different. Complex problems have more than one possible solution — the key is to find the solution that works with minimal to no supervision with perfect or near-perfect reliability and repeatability,” says Olteanu.
Despite spending time working in Silicon Valley, they chose to establish their quickly growing company’s headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. As immigrants, both founders enjoyed growing up in the DMV area, so returning to Montgomery County wasn't a difficult decision.
But Montgomery County was more than just home, it was also a strategic location for their innovative organization. Its proximity to Washington D.C. — a hub for defense technology — allows them to collaborate closely with experts in the security and defense fields while tapping into the region's rich talent pool and resources.
VOLT AI’s unique public safety solution is gaining traction. Recently, they received $12 million in Series A funding. This achievement marks a significant stride in their ongoing mission to enhance global safety through innovative solutions tailored for security teams. In fact, within only one year, the company has grown from three to 30 employees. Olteanu and Sokolowski, who were also MOVE Grant recipients, have leveraged many of the county’s resources to support their expansion.
And it’s not just for their own benefit — many of VOLT AI’s collaborations focus on projects where they can actively contribute to the public safety of their own community. “By investing in our community, we’re making it safer for future generations,” Olteanu says.
Montgomery County is notable as one of the most diverse areas in the country with an exceptional pool of talented people. “Every person brings something different to the table. We’re always looking for people with backgrounds and experiences that are different from what we already have. This is critical for building things that matter.”
Discover more about VOLT AI.