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Miðeind is a leader in language technology and artificial intelligence
Founded in 2015, Miðeind is a leading software company in the field of language technology and artificial intelligence for Icelandic. Our technology enables people to work with Icelandic text and speech in computers, phones, tablets, and other devices. Among other things, it can be used to extract information from text, proofread spelling and grammar, translate text between Icelandic and other languages, answer questions, simplify text and create summaries. Miðeind's software is mostly open-source and benefits the public, businesses, and researchers.
Our logo and other visual materials can be found here.
Á íslensku má ávallt finna svar
One can always find
an answer in Icelandic
(Lyric by Þórarinn Eldjárn)
Language technology and artificial intelligence advance rapidly these days. With the advent of deep neural networks and other developments in the field, new possibilities have opened up for working with text and speech in computers. Among other things, it is now much easier than before to convert speech to text, text to speech, translate text between languages, create summaries from text, answer questions from text, and converse with chatbots, to name just a few.
The development has been most pronounced for the world's major languages, such as English and Chinese. Smaller languages, however, lag behind unless they are consciously and specifically attended to. Major IT companies, including Google, Meta/Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Baidu, are now competing to incorporate language technology and artificial intelligence into their products and services. However, it varies greatly whether languages like Icelandic are supported and how well.
Icelandic faces a triple challenge in this situation. Firstly, the Icelandic market is small, as few people speak the language. Secondly, and consequently, there isn't much text data available in Icelandic, for example, parallel data where the same content appears in Icelandic as well as other languages. Thirdly, Icelandic grammar is rather complex to deal with, the vocabulary is large, and there are many inflectional forms. All of this calls for Icelanders themselves to work on supporting and strengthening the language in this area of technology, in the most open way possible so that everyone can benefit, both domestic and foreign parties.
Miðeind wants to contribute on behalf of the Icelandic language. We do this through research and product development, with the aim of enabling Icelandic language users to enjoy the conveniences and possibilities that the new technology offers.
At Miðeind, a passionate group of experts works on language technology and artificial intelligence. We sometimes say that we work at the intersection of research and application, and that's a fun place to be. We try to keep the work environment fertile and creative, and seek a balance between concentration and productivity on one hand and a relaxed atmosphere on the other. Overhead and complexity of any kind, such as meetings, are kept to a minimum and communication channels are as short as possible. Working hours are flexible and the work facilities are first-class; including some of the best sea views available in the city.
Founder and chairman
Vilhjálmur (Villi) is the founder and chairman of Miðeind. He has been involved in the information technology sector for four decades. In 1983, at the age of 17, he co-founded his first startup company. Since then, he has been involved in various aspects of the IT industry, both domestically and internationally. He has served as chairman of the video game company CCP (maker of Eve Online) and the data center company Verne Global. Additionally, he has been a board member of companies such as Kögun, Íslandssími (telco), Og Vodafone (telco), Skýrr, Opin kerfi, LS Retail, Hands ASA (Norway), Auður Capital (financial services), Virðing (financial services), and Kjarninn (media). His professional experience also includes working as a software architect for ERP software companies CODA Group plc and Baan NV. Beyond his IT endeavors, Vilhjálmur has pursued other interests over the years, including portrait painting. Notably, he was one of 25 nationally elected representatives who served on the Constitutional Council of Iceland in 2011, tasked with re-writing the country's constitution.
CEO
Linda is the CEO of Miðeind. She holds a BA degree in Icelandic with a minor in Latin, as well as MA and PhD degrees in Linguistics from Cornell University. Before joining Miðeind, Linda worked for several years in the United States, managing projects in the language technology sector. An avid podcast enthusiast, she seizes every opportunity to listen to something informative. Linda also enjoys reading and playing tennis in her spare time.
CTO
Þorvaldur (Thor) is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Miðeind, overseeing the company's technology and product development. He holds an MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc in Computer Science. Previously, Þorvaldur worked in the UK, most recently at Apple, where he led an AI team focused on developing Siri's language technology. In his free time, he enjoys exploring Iceland's natural beauty and playing a good board game.
Technical Staff
Elías Bjartur is a member of Miðeind's artificial intelligence team, where he is involved in various projects. He holds a BA degree in Philosophy from the University of Iceland and is well on his way to completing an MSc in Computer Science. Outside of work, Elías Bjartur is an avid climber, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, and outdoor enthusiast. His diverse background includes experience as a park ranger and event manager.
Technical Staff
Garðar works as a researcher in Miðeind's artificial intelligence team. He holds an MSc in Computational Statistics and Machine Learning from UCL and a BA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge. An avid explorer of knowledge, Garðar is also particularly passionate about role-playing games.
Technical Staff
Haukur Barri is our expert (and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one elsewhere) in deep neural networks and artificial intelligence. There's hardly a significant scientific paper in the field that he hasn't read and understood. Haukur holds a BSc degree in Computer Science with a focus on computational mathematics, and is currently working on a master's degree in his spare time.
Technical Staff
Haukur Páll is an specialist in the artificial intelligence team at Miðeind. He holds a master's degree in Logic and Computation from the University of Amsterdam, as well as a BSc in Computer Science and a BA in Philosophy. In addition to his professional pursuits, Haukur is an enthusiast of esports and climbing.
CPO
Hulda serves as our Chief Product Officer while also participating in projects related to spelling and grammar checking, and support tools. As a former proofreader, she combines programming skills with an in-depth knowledge of Icelandic grammar and spelling. Hulda holds a BA degree in General Linguistics and an MA in Language Technology, and is also proficient in project management.
Technical Staff
Kári Steinn is a software developer with a special interest in user experience and web programming. He holds an MSc degree in Interactive Media Technology from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and a BSc degree in Software Engineering. Kári is very passionate about sports, music, board games, and video games.
Technical Staff
Pétur Orri contributes significantly to our machine translation and artificial intelligence team. He came to Miðeind from Marel where he was responsible for, among other things, in-house versions of the GNU/Linux operating system. Pétur holds an MSc degree in Computer Science and a BSc in Mathematics.
Technical Staff
Svanhvít Lilja is a specialist in our artificial intelligence team. She holds an MA degree in Translation Studies and has worked as a translator and proofreader, among other roles. Svanhvít also has a BSc degree in Computer Science and an MSc degree in Language Technology, speaks fluent Spanish, and is a formidable Scrabble player.
Technical Staff
Sveinbjörn is a versatile programming genius who is, among other things, the brains behind Embla, our voice app. He never comes up empty-handed. Sveinbjörn is a self-taught software developer with an MSc degree in Philosophy and an MSc degree in History.
Technical Staff
Þórunn works on spelling and grammar correction, LLM benchmarks and many other aspects of Miðeind's software. She holds a BA degree in General Linguistics and an MA degree in Language Technology. Þórunn was previously, among other roles, a project manager for the government's language technology program. Her interests apart from work include outdoor activities, architecture, and tennis.
