CEO Mahdi Ansari and his team are tackling one of the biggest pain points in software development—choosing the right components
Mahdi Ansari is on a mission to revolutionize modern software development.
“I sought to solve a problem I experienced in my past projects,” says Ansari, a Ph.D. candidate in Software Engineering at the University of Calgary and CEO and co-founder of Dev Search.
Dev Search uses AI-powered insights to simplify software component selection. By analyzing real-world developer discussions and extracting key insights, Dev Search collects, classifies, and analyzes existing information about various software components, helping developers make data-driven decisions.
Dev Search was born after Ansari and his team identified a clear gap in the industry. “Dedicated search engines are not a new idea. For example, we have Google Scholar for researchers – similarly, there are comparison tools for general products. However, there were no tools specifically for software components,” he explains.
With the software industry growing rapidly, the need for smarter tools is critical. “There is an overwhelming amount of information on software components and libraries,” Ansari says. “That’s why we chose to use AI technology – to streamline this information and make it readily available. With the rise of generative AI, we can help developers make smarter decisions.”
According to Ansari, poor component selection can waste countless dollars. “Every year, billions of dollars are misspent. The main motivation behind Dev Search is to help software companies choose the right components from the beginning of a development project.”
Ansari credits much of Dev Search’s progress to the University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. Last summer, he joined the Innovation Sandbox program before participating in the Hunter Hub’s flagship program, Launchpad.
“Launchpad was invaluable. During the program, I learned the key steps to conducting marketing analysis,” he says. After conducting a survey with nearly 100 industry participants, Ansari was able to validate the need for a solution like Dev Search. “The support from the Hunter Hub really shed some light on the issue, and got us on the right track,” he says. “With the Hunter Hub, you can turn your ideas into a reality.”
For Ansari, entrepreneurship has been deeply rewarding. “I want to leverage my knowledge and give back. To me, entrepreneurial thinking is bringing prosperity to society through innovation, and hopefully, creating new job opportunities along the way.”
Next, Ansari and co-founder Seyed Tauhid Ullah Shah will showcase Dev Search at Web Summit, North America’s fastest growing tech conference.
“We’re most looking forward to meeting developers,” he says. “Developers are our end users, so their feedback is crucial. We also want to connect with software companies —our potential customers— as well as investors.”
The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking is proud to support ten of the University of Calgary’s most promising startups at Web Summit. These ventures, founded by students, researchers and alumni, have been supported by the Hunter Hub through various programming, mentorship, hands-on learning opportunities, and a rich community driven by entrepreneurial thinking and creative innovation.
Planning to attend Web Summit? Visit the Hunter Hub’s booth to connect with Dev Search and the nine other ventures making waves in UCalgary’s innovation ecosystem.
Ready to take your first (or tenth) step into entrepreneurship at the University of Calgary? The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking is here to support you as you embark on your entrepreneurial journey, whatever form that may take. Through a variety of programs, services, and year-round community events, the Hunter Hub is here to meet you where you are — whether you’re looking to pitch a startup, develop your business, or simply dive deep into an issue that ignites you. Visit the Hunter Hub website to learn more.
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