A Visionary Leader Transforming Business Through Innovation
Mikael Karamaniants, Chief Business Officer of DigiNeat LLC and DigiNeat Smart Technologies LLC, is a force of nature in the AI and IT landscape. Growing up in a family of engineers, he was coding before most of his peers could spell “algorithm.” Now, leading DigiNeat from its dual headquarters in Yerevan, Armenia, and Los Angeles, California, Mikael is redefining how businesses leverage AI to achieve unprecedented efficiency. Featuring in The Tycoon Magazine’s 2025 issue as one of the “Visionaries Powering Innovation in AI & IT,” his journey from a self-taught tech prodigy to a global innovator is as inspiring as it is impactful.
Q: Could you walk us through your professional journey and what brought you to your current role as Chief Business Officer at DigiNeat?
A: I come from a family of engineers. My father, Bernard Karamaniants, instilled in me and my brother a love for technology and computers, so already in school I knew much more than my computer science teachers. At the institute, they immediately noticed that I knew several programming languages, so many lecturers who knew me asked me to substitute for them. Also at that time, I was very interested in automated trading systems that allowed, according to a given algorithm based on technical analysis, to make buying and selling transactions using the MQL programming language. After creating one system that successfully proved itself in the stock market, I sold it and received the initial capital with which I opened my first IT company.
There were many mistakes made by a young manager (myself), so along the way there were many companies where I held leadership positions. Along the way, I became the author of a patent, became the chairman of the Guild of Digital Technologies, was the head of the Standardization and Certification Committee, and the author of cited scientific articles in the field of management. All this led me to the current state when DigiNeat LLC was opened, which is winning more and more hearts of our customers.
Q: What is the core mission and vision of DigiNeat? How is the organization redefining business efficiency through AI and digital transformation?
A: Our company is engaged in custom software development from scratch to product release and further support, fintech projects, banks, insurance companies, media, telecommunications companies and more. Embedded in the DNA of our corporate culture is to achieve more with fewer resources, so we ensure maximum optimization of our customers’ expenses, especially by applying AI in development technologies. Moreover, we already have projects with which we have been working for over 12 years and have created their entire digital infrastructure from scratch. In fact, these companies have become giants and have received many prestigious international awards, including thanks to our reactive technologies.
We use AI in many aspects of development:
- Interface design
- Rendering
- Documentation development
- Optimization of business processes and routine work
- Optimization of client business processes
- Reducing the staff of client projects through AI automation of routine work
- Increasing sales and finding customers
- Security system with intelligent detection of dangerous user actions
- Document recognition systems for KYC procedures
- Automated AI bots and much more
Our task is to save our customers a lot of money, as much as possible both at the start of the project and constantly during its development. We have a clear understanding that our “tomorrow” is the successful future of our customers.
Q: In a competitive AI and IT landscape, what makes DigiNeat LLC distinct in terms of its technology, philosophy, or approach? What specific solutions does DigiNeat offer?
A: First of all, we always use the most advanced and effective technologies. We have a dedicated implementation department that monitors the latest trends, and if it is decided that these new technologies will positively affect the development of our clients’ projects, they are necessarily implemented and our specialists receive training.
The approach is very simple – we must implement the most optimal solution for the client necessary to solve business problems with minimal costs.
The company has a large number of developments, but we do not offer them as boxed solutions, since there is an individual approach to each client, and solutions are individually selected for each client, which allows you to make them as efficient as possible.
Q: How do you ensure that project implementation at DigiNeat goes beyond tech hype and truly aligns with measurable business outcomes for your clients across various industries?
A: This is a very good question. Currently, in the wave of hype, all companies are trying to present themselves in the most favorable light and show that they are using AI, but as a rule, this is not true.
For us, AI-first is not just words, but a way to optimize not only the costs of our customers, but also our own. Here is a simple example:
One of our fintech projects needs to implement a continuous KYC procedure and make it fast. And speed for such projects is one of the competitive advantages. Initially, this function was performed by 6 employees for our client. Then the flow of incoming clients increased and 6 employees stopped coping, and the waiting time for the verification procedure increased to 3 hours, which is very bad in this area. Our company proposed to transfer this process to AI. As a result, out of 6 employees, now only 2 act as verifiers in complex situations, and all the rest of the routine work is performed by AI. The incoming flow of clients has increased almost 10 times, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been saved per year, and the speed of document verification has increased to 1 minute.
Q: How do you see traditional IT disciplines (web, mobile, enterprise software) evolving as AI becomes central to business innovation?
A: As AI becomes a central element of business innovation, it’s radically reshaping traditional IT disciplines. We’re seeing heightened automation and efficiency as AI takes over routine tasks, enabling IT professionals to focus on strategic initiatives. Personalization is reaching new heights as AI algorithms analyze user data to deliver tailored experiences, boosting engagement.
Decision-making is becoming increasingly data-driven, thanks to AI’s ability to analyze vast datasets for valuable insights. This fosters new business models rooted in AI platforms that connect buyers and sellers and streamline operations. As AI handles the routine, IT professionals can channel their energies toward creativity and strategy, driving digital transformation and devising innovative solutions.
Developing data skills in data science, machine learning, and AI is key. However, as AI gains prominence, ethical considerations become paramount. IT professionals need to develop ethical guidelines to ensure AI is used responsibly and fairly. Overall, AI’s integration into IT demands adaptation, new skill acquisition, and a recognition of ethical implications, shaping the industry’s future.
Q: State your major achievements and DigiNeat’s achievements under your leadership as Chief Business Officer.
A: I am the founder of the company and its ideologue.
The company has developed several of its own startups, which are already used by millions of users in total.
We have actually implemented the AI-first approach.
The research department always keeps the company on trend with advanced technologies.
Thanks to our well-honed corporate culture, our staff turnover is from 1 to 3%.
We are partners and sponsors of Strapi, a very promising content management system based on reactive technologies.
We are a certified Nuxt agency and sponsors of this advanced technology. There are less than 20 companies in the world that are ambassadors of this technology.
We have opened our representative office in the USA in California.
We are a very rare company that develops for Smart TV devices – this is a very complex development associated with a very large fleet of low-performance devices, by the way, we also manage to use AI there.
Q: How would you describe your leadership philosophy, As the Chief Business Officer, how do you align long-term business strategy with cutting-edge tech capabilities?
A: I always ask myself the same questions. Do I like how we do it? Do I like the result? What would I like to improve?
In general, these three questions always push me forward to new heights.
Q: What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered on your professional journey and how you overcame them?
A: We face challenges every day, these are the deadlines set for us by clients and the main thing is to prove first of all to myself that we have done everything as well and efficiently as possible. I am a maximalist and do not tolerate shoddy work, which is one of the reasons why we are having this dialogue with you now. As Vince Lombardi said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.
Q: Brief us about the current industry scenario and what trends or technologies in AI and IT are you personally most excited about?
A: The current industry landscape is marked by an explosive interest in AI, particularly in generative AI, capable of creating various types of content, revolutionizing marketing automation and software development. Companies are eager to optimize existing processes with AI, from automating routine tasks to forecasting demand, yielding tangible results.
Furthermore, there’s a growing awareness of the ethical dimensions of AI, driving the development of tools for bias detection and ensuring transparency. The advancement of edge computing enables AI models to run on devices, crucial for low-latency applications like autonomous vehicles. Overall, AI is maturing and becoming more practical, transitioning from experimentation to real-world implementation, with new tools simplifying its development.
Q: What’s next for DigiNeat and yourself? Are there any upcoming launches, initiatives, or strategic pivots you’re excited about?
A: Yes, we are increasing sales of our services in North America and Europe. We are preparing a large ready-made solution for banks to increase their level of service and I hope that in the next 1.5 years we will be able to present them on the market.
In general, we are developing very actively and growing in staff.
Q: Provide a one-line quote that best describes your approach to business and your vision.
A: Business is devotion to your customer. Do more than you can, build transparent and honest relationships, do your work so that you can be proud of it later.
Q: What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs and tech leaders looking to build purpose-driven, AI-powered enterprises in today’s fast-evolving world?
A: Don’t try to apply AI everywhere just because it’s fashionable. Think first about how to optimize the process, whether AI can really be applied to it, whether it will lead to cost reduction and whether it will be effective in terms of speed.
Don’t forget that your decisions can either throw you back from a successful result or bring you closer to it. Learn to listen to your customers and analyze their problems. Analyze how the technology market is changing and where the wind is blowing.
Q: Any other details you want to highlight?
A: The road will be mastered by the one who walks it.