Latest news with #Chima
The Citizen
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Meet the South African who started a Silicon Valley AI firm at 22, made it on Forbes and won a Google award
At 16, she won the Google Science Fair; at 22, she launched her AI company; and at 25, she made it onto the Forbes list. South African Kiara Nirghin has been making headlines for years for her achievements in the tech world, with her latest accomplishment making it onto Forbes' 30 Under 30 North America list. At 16 years old, she won the Google Science Fair worth R680 000 for her project 'Combatting drought with a Low-Cost, biodegradable Superabsorbent Polymer made out of orange peels'. At the time, she was a student at St. Martin's in Johannesburg. Her project utilised waste materials such as orange peels and avocado skins, which are rich in polysaccharides and pectin. This was to help retain moisture in dry soil, boosting crop growth in water-scarce regions. Kiara on Forbes 30 under 30 Kiara and her sister, Nikhara Nirghin, made it on North America's 30 under 30 AI list. They are co-founders of Chima, a company building 'human reasoning' AI systems for enterprise functions. Forbes 30 Under 30 is an annual list published by Forbes magazine, recognising 30 individuals under the age of 30 in various industries. The sisters were recognised in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) list. Chima, based in Silicon Valley, Northern California, has systems designed to handle everyday business scenarios, such as automating repetitive tasks. Kiara Nirghin at 16 after winning the Google Science Fair. Picture: Facebook/FACTS Chima, led by two sisters The two sisters launched Chima at a young age. It is understood that Kiara was 22 when the company was launched. Kiara serves as the chief technology officer, while Nikhara is the chief executive officer. Nikhara is a qualified actuary who has worked at Liberty, Deloitte, and Goldman Sachs. According to Chima's website, the company is built on expertise in marketing, business, AI technology and data. Kiara's experience According to Mybroadband, Kiara has held several high positions in the tech world, all stemming from her Google award. She used the money she won from the science fair to pursue a degree in Computer Science at Stanford University in the US in 2018. In 2023, she obtained her Master's degree in Computer Science with a focus on AI and Human Computer Interaction. Kiara was appointed to the Facebook Tech Sustainability Board and has served on the Google Impact Fund Board since 2019. She also became a Fellow of Thiel Capital, backed by Palantir co-founder and principal OpenAI investor Peter Thiel, as well as the 776 Foundation, backed by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Lawyer, 2 friends attacked in brawl over tea order near Sector-17 ISBT
In a bizarre brawl, an advocate and his two friends were assaulted by five assailants near the Sector-17 ISBT on early Friday morning over a misunderstanding about a tea order, leaving one with broken teeth. Complainant Thakur Abhay Singh Chima, 24, a practising advocate at the District Courts Complex, Sector 43, told police that he had gone to visit his friends Kartik Chauhan and Ashutosh Sharma in Sector 37-D on Thursday night. Around 2.30 am, they drove to the Sector-17 ISBT to have tea. They parked their car and approached a tea stall on foot. Chima said as he placed an order for three cups of tea, five young men already standing near the stall absurdly took offence, believing that he was addressing them for the tea order. An altercation erupted and despite him clarifying that the order was made to the stall owner and not them, they got aggressive, Chima alleged. 'Enraged, they started hitting us,' the complainant stated. During the scuffle, one of the attackers allegedly retrieved a metallic 'plate-like' object from a grey Hyundai Santro car parked nearby and used it to assault the victims. The others rained punches and kicks on the three friends. Chima suffered injuries to the left eye and the back of the head. His friend Kartik sustained serious injuries, including broken front teeth, and wounds on his head and eye. Ashutosh also sustained injuries above the left eye. Before police could arrive, the assailants fled the scene in the Santro. The victims were transported to GMSH, Sector 16, for medical treatment by a patrolling police team. On Chima's complaint, an FIR was lodged under Sections 191 (2), 190, 115 (2) and 117 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the assailants at the Sector-17 police station. Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify the culprits.
