The acquisition and lab launch reinforce IBM’s commitment to enterprise AI innovation.

IBM has acquired Seek AI, a New York-based startup that enables natural language querying of enterprise data. While financial details remain undisclosed, the acquisition marks a strategic move to bolster IBM’s enterprise AI capabilities.

Concurrently, IBM has launched watsonx AI Labs, an innovation hub for developers located at One Madison in Manhattan. The lab aims to accelerate the development of AI-powered business applications, combining IBM’s global research expertise with the creativity of startups, scale-ups, and large enterprises.

Seek AI’s technology and team will play a foundational role in the lab, which focuses on co-creating agentic AI solutionsacross domains such as customer service, cybersecurity, and responsible AI governance.

“watsonx AI Labs isn’t just another corporate space,” said Ritika Gunnar, GM, Data & AI, IBM. “It’s where elite developers, startups, and IBM engineers come together to build the next generation of enterprise AI.”

Sarah Nagy, CEO of Seek AI, emphasized the alignment: “Pairing our data agent technology with IBM’s engineering strength enables us to tackle major AI challenges right here in NYC.”

IBM’s initiative leverages New York City’s status as a global AI hub, home to over 2,000 AI startups and a rapidly growing talent base. The lab will collaborate with local universities and support AI entrepreneurs through IBM Ventures’ $500M Enterprise AI Fund.

Julie Samuels, President of Tech:NYC, added: “IBM’s investment deepens New York’s role as a leader in responsible, cutting-edge AI.”

Founded in 2021, Seek AI simplifies enterprise data access through natural language interfaces.