About Me
I'm Cikal Taruna (full name: I Putu Cikal Taruna), a tech executive and AI engineer based in Bali, Indonesia. I currently serve as CEO & Co-Founder at AsesAi, where we're building AI-native assessment tools for education.
My Journey
My path into tech started with mobile development, building apps that would eventually serve over 200,000 users. At BTW Edutech, I progressed from Mobile Engineer to Data Lead to AI Lead Engineer, each role expanding my understanding of how technology can transform education.
The turning point came when I led AI integration for BTW's platform, implementing RAG pipelines that generated thousands of educational questions monthly. This experience showed me the potential of AI to scale impact—and ultimately led me to co-found AsesAi.
What I Do
Today, I split my time between:
- Building AsesAi — Directing product strategy, hands-on engineering, and team leadership
- AI Engineering — Working with LangChain, OpenAI, and Gemini APIs to create practical AI solutions
- Strategic Operations — Previously managed Indonesia's National Winner Talent Competition serving 8,000+ students
My Approach
I believe in building systems that are both smart and useful. That means staying hands-on with code while also thinking about business outcomes. I'm comfortable writing Python scripts one day and presenting to stakeholders the next.
Connect
I'm always open to conversations about AI, EdTech, or building products. Find me on LinkedIn or reach out at contact.cikalt@gmail.com.