Sama

Sama, originally founded as Samasource in 2008 by Leila Janah, is a leading provider of data annotation and validation services for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. Headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in Montreal and San Jose, Costa Rica, Sama operates delivery centers in Nairobi, Kenya, Kampala and Gulu, Uganda, and partners with centers in India. The company was established with a mission to drive social impact by providing dignified digital work to people in developing countries, particularly women and youth, thereby helping to alleviate poverty. Sama’s business model leverages a secured cloud annotation platform that manages the entire data annotation lifecycle, including image, video, and sensor data for industries such as automotive, navigation, AR/VR, biotechnology, agriculture, manufacturing, and e-commerce. The company is recognized for its ethical approach, being one of the first AI companies certified as a B Corp, and for its five-step quality assurance mechanism that ensures high data accuracy. Sama transitioned from a non-profit to a for-profit hybrid model in 2019, with the original non-profit becoming a shareholder. The late founder, Leila Janah, was widely recognized for her vision and impact, earning numerous awards and accolades. Sama has received recognition from Fast Company, Forbes, Wired, and others for its innovative approach and social mission. Recent developments include continued expansion of its delivery centers and a focus on ethical AI, though the company has also faced scrutiny regarding working conditions for content moderators. Sama’s commitment to both purpose and profit, along with its robust platform and global workforce, positions it as a leader in the AI data solutions market.[1][3]