Bonsai
Bonsai's Overview
Bonsai AI, founded in 2014, developed a pioneering AI platform that empowered enterprises to build, teach, and deploy intelligent autonomous systems for industrial applications. Leveraging deep reinforcement learning, machine teaching, and simulation, Bonsai aimed to democratize AI for complex control and optimization tasks. In June 2018, Microsoft acquired Bonsai AI to integrate its unique 'machine teaching' technology into the Azure AI platform, enhancing Microsoft's capabilities for building autonomous systems, notably through Project Bonsai.
Where is Bonsai's Headquarters?
HQ Function
Served as the primary center for research, development, engineering, and business operations for the Bonsai AI platform during its time as an independent company.
Notable Features:
The office was a typical modern tech startup space designed to foster collaboration and innovation. Specific architectural details are not widely publicized.
Work Culture:
As a venture-backed startup, Bonsai AI cultivated a fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative work culture, focused on cutting-edge AI research and product development. Team members were integrated into Microsoft's broader engineering culture post-acquisition.
HQ Significance:
This location was pivotal as the birthplace of Bonsai's machine teaching technology and the central hub from which the company grew before its strategic acquisition by Microsoft.
Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters embodied values such as innovation in artificial intelligence, collaborative problem-solving, and a drive to advance autonomous systems technology for practical applications.
Location:
Following its acquisition by Microsoft, Bonsai AI's core technology and expertise in machine teaching were integrated into Microsoft's Azure AI platform, primarily powering Project Bonsai. This integration makes the principles and tools for building autonomous AI systems, developed by Bonsai, accessible to customers globally through Microsoft's extensive cloud infrastructure and services. It supports industrial automation, robotics, and AI-driven control systems across various industries worldwide.
Street Address:
2030 Addison St, Suite 400
City:
Berkeley
State/Province:
CA
Country:
USA
Bonsai's Global Presence
N/A - Primarily HQ-based
Address: N/A
Operations were centralized at the main headquarters to foster close collaboration for research and development.
Buying Intent Signals for Bonsai
Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.
Executive Team of Bonsai
As of April 2025, Bonsai' leadership includes:
Investors of Bonsai
Bonsai has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:
Executive New Hires/Exits in the Last 12 Months
Bonsai AI was acquired by Microsoft in June 2018 and ceased to operate as an independent entity. Consequently, there have been no executive hires or exits attributable to 'Bonsai AI' as a standalone company in the last 12 months. Key leadership transitioned to roles within Microsoft at the time of the acquisition or have since moved to other endeavors.
Technology (Tech Stack) used by Bonsai
Discover the tools Bonsai uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.
Bonsai Email Formats and Examples
Prior to its acquisition by Microsoft in 2018, Bonsai AI likely used common startup email domain @bonsai.ai. These formats are no longer active for Bonsai AI as an independent entity, as communications would now be part of Microsoft's infrastructure (e.g., @microsoft.com for former employees integrated into Microsoft). The examples and success rate are illustrative for the pre-acquisition period.
[first].[last]@bonsai.ai or [first]@bonsai.ai
Format
mark.hammond@bonsai.ai (illustrative, pre-acquisition)
Example
65%
Success rate
News and media
Microsoft Official Blog • June 20, 2018
Microsoft acquires Bonsai to build the brains for autonomous systems
Microsoft announced its acquisition of Bonsai, a Berkeley-based startup focused on industrial AI. The acquisition aimed to bolster Microsoft's capabilities in building autonomous systems by integrating Bonsai's 'machine teaching' platform, which utilizes reinforcement learning, into its Azure AI offerings....more
TechCrunch • June 28, 2017
Bonsai AI grabs $7.6M Series A to bring AI to industrial control systems
Bonsai AI secured $7.6 million in Series A funding. The round was led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with participation from Microsoft Ventures, GV, and Samsung NEXT, aimed at advancing its AI platform for automating the management and control of industrial systems....more
VentureBeat • September 29, 2016
Bonsai AI emerges from stealth with a platform to abstract away AI complexities
Bonsai AI officially launched from stealth mode, introducing its artificial intelligence platform designed to enable subject-matter experts, not just AI specialists, to build AI models for controlling and optimizing complex systems, particularly within industrial and enterprise environments....more
Highperformr’s free tools for company research
Explore Employees by Region or Country
See where a company’s workforce is located, by country or region.
View Funding Details
View past and recent funding rounds with amounts and investors.
Understand Revenue Insights
Understand company revenue estimates and financial scale.
Track Active Job Openings
Track active roles and hiring trends to spot growth signals.
Review Product and Offerings
Discover what a company offers—products, platforms, and solutions.
Get SIC or NAICS Codes
Get the company’s official SIC and NAICS classifications.
Analyze Website Traffic Trends
Analyze visitor volume, engagement, and top traffic sources.
Discover Social Profiles and Engagement
Explore LinkedIn, Twitter, and other active social profiles.
Identify Top Competitors
Identify top competitors based on similar business traits.
Research and Discover Companies with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster
Explore companies in depth — from the tech they use to recent funding, hiring trends, and buyer signals — all in one powerful view.
Highperformr AI helps you surface the right accounts and enrich your CRM with verified company and contact insights, so your teams can prioritize and engage faster.
- Track intent signals to find buyers who are actively in-market
- Enrich contacts and companies instantly, no need to switch tools
- Automate workflows to stay ahead of every change
- Connect your CRM & tools for seamless data sync and activation
Thousands of companies, including Bonsai, are just a search away.