STARKVILLE — Defense and automation firm Camgian is expanding operations in its Starkville facilities to the tune of millions of dollars in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The company announced the move publicly Tuesday, outlining $2.5 million in new high-performing computing capacity for its Starkville office to help with training and testing large AI models.
“It’s really to support our growing business in the AI machine learning world, specifically for the U.S. military,” Camgian founder and CEO Gary Butler told The Dispatch on Friday. “We have a lot of efforts there now driving the growth of the company, and this will enable us to more effectively support our military sponsors, supporters and warfighters with advanced machine learning technologies.”
Camgian is a software firm specializing in artificial intelligence and process automation. Started by Butler in 2006, today the company is headquartered in Starkville’s Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park.
Much of their recent business has been in the defense industry, including a $55 million contract to help speed decision chains and a $6.9 million contract to deal with aerial drone threats.
The expansion comes with 15 new jobs. Butler told The Dispatch on Friday the majority of the new hires would be tech workers.
“Camgian’s expansion is a big win for Starkville and the Golden Triangle, bringing more high-tech jobs and reinforcing our region’s role in AI innovation,” Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said in a Tuesday press release from the state government. “Their investment in advanced computing shows the strength of our local tech sector, and we’re excited to support their continued growth.”
Camgian expects to complete its expansion, and its accompanying hires, within three years. There will be construction involved but none of it will spill beyond Camgian’s offices.
“It’s all within our existing facilities,” said Butler. “We’re really repurposing some of our existing space. There will be construction but it will all be internal in the building we’re in today.”
Mississippi Development Authority is helping the expansion with the Mississippi Flex Tax Incentive program, a streamlined tax credit process, the release said. The business services department declined to say Friday how much money Camgian had been credited for the expansion.
Butler didn’t immediately have the total but did confirm that the credit is relatively long term, running over the course of roughly a decade.
The release also thanked the city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County for their help with the project, though Mayor Lynn Spruill, Oktibbeha County Administrator Wayne Carpenter, and Butler confirmed the company isn’t getting direct financial assistance from the county or city.
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