About
mnemic labs is an independent AI research and engineering lab based in Zurich. Founded in 2026, we study the behavior of language models and build AI systems for organizations that require evidence, control, and reliable operation.
Our research examines reasoning, faithfulness, verification, calibration, and evaluation. Our applied work translates those findings into systems that address concrete organizational needs.
What we do
We work across the AI system lifecycle, from problem definition and data assessment through evaluation, development, deployment, and handover. Our work may involve:
- Retrieval and question answering over private information
- Document and data processing
- Model evaluation and measurement
- Model selection and adaptation
- Workflow automation
- Systems that take bounded actions
- Integration with existing organizational infrastructure
- Monitoring, governance, and operational support
Novalis is our first deployed system. It provides evidence-based question answering over organizational document collections. It represents one application of our broader approach, rather than the full scope of the lab.
How we work
We publish our findings, including failures and inconclusive results. We take on a limited number of applied engagements so that the researchers and engineers responsible for the work remain directly involved.
We build against representative data and the intended operating environment as early as possible. Before handover, we establish how the system will be evaluated, document its limitations, and ensure that the client's team can operate it independently.
What we decline
We do not take on:
- Projects that require client data to leave the agreed environment
- Work for which performance cannot be measured before handover
- Engagements that amount to supplying engineers without responsibility for the outcome
- Projects whose objective and decision criteria cannot be stated clearly
- Systems whose risks cannot be controlled at an acceptable level
Team
Nine people. Three lead the work.
Lena Okafor
Lena leads the lab's research program. She spent six years evaluating reasoning models at a large industrial research laboratory and writes extensively about null results and evaluation methodology.
Jonas Weiss
Jonas leads engineering and deployment. He spent a decade building search and indexing systems and is responsible for translating research findings into systems that operate in production environments.
Mara Voss
Mara oversees the lab's operations, including hiring, finance, contracts, and the practical requirements of working inside partner organizations. She previously worked in research operations at a university.
Facts
- 2026, Zurich
- Nine people
- Research grants and applied engagements
- Papers, tools, and deployed systems
- From mneme, the Greek word for memory