Abidur Chowdhury, a veteran Apple designer who played an instrumental role in the creation of the iPhone Air, has officially joined the AI startup Hark. This move marks a major shift for Chowdhury, who was widely regarded as a rising star within Apple’s ranks. According to Bloomberg, Chowdhury left the Cupertino giant in November. He had recently garnered public attention by appearing in the introduction video for the iPhone Air, the company’s new, ultra-thin flagship device. Now, he is set to take on the role of Head of Design at Hark.
Hark is the latest venture from serial entrepreneur Brett Adcock, who is also the CEO of the robotics startup Figure AI. Adcock has self-funded Hark with a massive $100 million investment, aiming to build a business that grows alongside his robotics endeavors. The startup is currently focused on developing advanced AI models, with its first major release slated for this summer.
Chowdhury’s hiring is part of an aggressive push by Hark to attract top-tier talent from the biggest names in tech. In a recent memo to staff, Adcock revealed that the company has already lured engineers from industry heavyweights like Google, Meta Platforms Inc., and Amazon. The company currently boasts a team of 30 engineers and aims to reach a headcount of 100 within the first half of the year.
This departure highlights the increasing allure of the booming AI sector for traditional hardware and software designers. While Apple continues to refine its hardware lineup with products like the iPhone Air, startups like Hark are offering aggressive opportunities to shape the future of artificial intelligence from the ground up.
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