We’re excited to welcome Nico Perony to Alfred as an Artificial Intelligence Specialist focused on business consulting. Nico brings a rare mix of scientific depth, product vision, and founder empathy to our work with technology companies. With experience that spans academic research, startup leadership, and large-scale AI implementation, Nico strengthens our ability to support clients building category-defining AI solutions.

Background & Expertise

Nico’s path blends complex systems, electrical engineering, and real-world tech leadership. He earned his PhD at ETH Zurich, followed by postdoctoral research on complex systems and collective behavior. Since then, he’s co-founded three companies, written two books, and delivered talks on global stages including TED and TEDx.

As co-founder and CTO of OTO, Nico helped pioneer AI tools for safer, more emotionally intelligent communication. After OTO’s acquisition by Unity, he led applied Generative AI research across multiple teams, translating innovation into scalable product strategies. Today, as CTO at Nfinite, he’s focused on building the generative infrastructure that’s powering the emerging Physical AI revolution.

Nico brings deep expertise across artificial intelligence, product development, and founder strategy, and he’s especially passionate about aligning breakthrough technology with ethical, real-world impact.

Role at Alfred

In his role at Alfred, Nico will:

• Support AI-Driven Strategy: Helping founders sharpen product vision and execution in fast-moving ML and GenAI environments.

• Bridge Research and Product: Communicating with deeptech teams to move ideas from lab to market, without losing integrity or momentum.

• Enable Founder Growth: Acting as a thought partner to mission-driven leaders navigating hard technical decisions and company-building moments.

We’re thrilled to have Nico join the team. His clarity, depth, and founder-first mindset make him a powerful asset for any startup working at the intersection of science and impact.

Working on something creative in AI? Let’s talk.