o9 Solutions provides an AI-powered, cloud-native platform called the Digital Brain that helps large enterprises unify and optimize their supply chain, commercial, and financial planning. Pulse 2.0 interviewed o9 Solutions Chief Technology Officer Dr. Ashwin Rao to learn more.
Dr. Ashwin Rao’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Dr. Rao said:
I joined o9 Solutions in 2025, but my broader background includes a Ph.D. in Theoretical Computer Science from the University of Southern California and 14 years at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, focusing on Quantitative Finance and Trading Strategies. Following that, I founded an HR tech company that was acquired in 2015.
In 2016, I joined Target to kickstart its AI efforts, focusing mainly on supply chain and merchandising, which introduced me to the world of enterprise supply chain planning. From there, I joined QXO, a distributor of roofing products, and became familiar with o9. In becoming more familiar with o9’s leadership team, I came to the conclusion that o9 is exceptional in its approach to enterprise planning and technology, and I felt this is a very good fit for me, for where I am and what I’d like to do.
In addition to my corporate career, I am an adjunct professor in the Applied Math Department at Stanford University. My research and teaching are focused on a branch of AI known as reinforcement learning.
Role
What are your primary responsibilities at o9? Dr. Rao shared:
My role at o9 encompasses three aspects. One aspect is leading the full spectrum of research and development of AI capabilities and overseeing our R&D teams, a second aspect is overseeing o9’s branding and positioning as we continue to evolve our Digital Brain platform, and the third aspect is meeting our customers to learn about their needs and how they use our platform and solutions, and to show them what o9’s AI can do for them.
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Dr. Rao explained:
When o9 was initially co-founded by Chakri Gottemukkala and Sanjiv Sidhu in 2009, their vision was to build a framework that connects all silos within the enterprise and creates a more holistic, integrated business planning process to address and prevent value leakage within an organization. I think we’ve done well in creating a platform solution that connects disparate functions within a business, such as Supply Planning, Demand Planning, Commercial Planning and aspects of Procurement and Financial Planning, allowing teams to connect data and insights into one platform and align planning and decision-making capabilities cross-functionally. Over the past few years, we’ve layered Agentic AI capabilities on top of our core product capabilities, making planning insights more horizontally connected across the business. This means that, through the power of AI, anyone at any level of an organization—from frontline employees to senior executives—can access these insights to inform and align their decisions across the business.
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Dr. Rao noted:
When o9 launched the Digital Brain platform, there was an initial focus on the supply chain planning space and on deeper exploration of capabilities in demand planning, supply planning, etc. Since then, we’ve expanded into commercial planning as newer technologies were introduced, and our platform became more sophisticated. Over the years, the platform has continued to grow and evolve its solutions to meet customers’ needs. I think o9 has become increasingly distinctive in listening carefully to customers and adding very high-value features to these products.
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Dr. Rao cited:
One of the biggest milestones was when o9 began expanding its platform to encompass integrated business planning, which connects supply chain, commercial, and financial planning, making o9’s offering very unique. Another significant milestone was incorporating Agentic AI capabilities, which make business planning and decision-making processes and insights more accessible through a natural language interface.
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Dr. Rao affirmed:
I think the number one thing that strikes me about o9 is our focus on the customer. We listen very carefully, and I feel that every employee is very customer-driven and is always asking, ‘What is the value to the customer?’ and ‘How can we make this better for the customer?’
The second thing that is very distinctive about o9 is that I find everyone to be very entrepreneurial and independent. Employees have a drive to be inquisitive, independent, and entrepreneurial on their own, so this enables us to be very agile. You can keep moving very fast because each person takes that initiative.
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Dr. Rao concluded:
Broadly speaking, we really want to double down on AI by not only identifying opportunities for our employees to become more efficient with AI, but also by further embedding AI into our platform and solutions to make o9 a very AI-forward company.
I like to use this Wayne Gretzky quote, ‘Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.’ The AI puck is moving very fast. And so one of my responsibilities is to predict where AI is moving in the next year, two years, three years, and how we position o9 for that.
