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About Miðeind

Miðeind is a leader in language technology and artificial intelligence

Miðeind

Miðeind is a leading software compay in the field of language technology and artificial intelligence for Icelandic. Our technology enables people to work with Icelandic text and speech in computers, phones, tablets, and other devices. Among other things, it can be used to extract information from text, proofread spelling and grammar, translate text between Icelandic and other languages, answer questions, simplify text and create summaries. Miðeind's software is mostly open-source and benefits the public, businesses, and researchers.

Our logo and other visual materials can be found here.

Á íslensku má ávallt finna svar

One can always find
an answer in Icelandic

(Lyric by Þórarinn Eldjárn)

Language Technology and Artificial Intelligence

Language technology and artificial intelligence advance rapidly these days. With the advent of deep neural networks and other developments in the field, new possibilities have opened up for working with text and speech in computers. Among other things, it is now much easier than before to convert speech to text, text to speech, translate text between languages, create summaries from text, answer questions from text, and converse with chatbots, to name just a few.

The development has been most pronounced for the world's major languages, such as English and Chinese. Smaller languages, however, lag behind unless they are consciously and specifically attended to. Major IT companies, including Google, Meta/Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Baidu, are now competing to incorporate language technology and artificial intelligence into their products and services. However, it varies greatly whether languages like Icelandic are supported and how well.

Icelandic faces a triple challenge in this situation. Firstly, the Icelandic market is small, as few people speak the language. Secondly, and consequently, there isn't much text data available in Icelandic, for example, parallel data where the same content appears in Icelandic as well as other languages. Thirdly, Icelandic grammar is rather complex to deal with, the vocabulary is large, and there are many inflectional forms. All of this calls for Icelanders themselves to work on supporting and strengthening the language in this area of technology, in the most open way possible so that everyone can benefit, both domestic and foreign parties.

Miðeind wants to contribute on behalf of the Icelandic language. We do this through research and product development, with the aim of enabling Icelandic language users to enjoy the conveniences and possibilities that the new technology offers.

Our Team

At Miðeind, a tight-knit, powerful, and diverse group of people work with a burning passion for language technology and artificial intelligence. We sometimes say that we work at the intersection of research and application, and it's fun to be there. We try to keep the work environment fertile and creative, and seek a balance between concentration and productivity on one hand and a relaxed atmosphere on the other. Overhead and complexity of any kind, such as meetings, are kept to a minimum and communication channels are as short as possible. Working hours are flexible and the work facilities are first-class; including some of the best sea views available in the city.

Vilhjálmur Þorsteinsson

Founder and owner

Vilhjálmur is the founder and owner of Miðeind. He has been involved in the Icelandic information technology sector for over three decades. At the age of 17, he co-founded his first startup company in 1983. Since then, he has been extensively involved in various aspects of the IT industry, both domestically and internationally. Throughout his career, Vilhjálmur has held numerous leadership positions. He has served as the chairman of the board for the gaming company CCP and the data center Verne. Additionally, he has been a board member for several companies, including Kögun, Íslandssími, Og Vodafone, Skýrr, Opin kerfi, Hands ASA, Auður Capital, Virðing, and Kjarninn media. His professional experience also includes working as a software designer for CODA Group plc and Baan NV. Beyond his IT endeavors, Vilhjálmur has pursued various other interests over the years, including portrait painting. Notably, he was one of the 25 nationally elected representatives who served on the Constitutional Council of Iceland.

Linda Heimisdóttir

CEO

Linda is the CEO of Miðeind. She holds a BA in Icelandic with a minor in Latin, as well as MA and PhD degrees in Linguistics from Cornell University. Before joining Miðeind, Linda worked for several years in the United States, managing projects in the language technology sector. An avid podcast enthusiast, she seizes every opportunity to listen to something informative. Linda also enjoys reading and playing tennis in her spare time.

Þorvaldur Páll Helgason

CTO

Þorvaldur (Thor) is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Miðeind, overseeing the company's technology and product development. He holds an MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc in Computer Science. Previously, Þorvaldur worked in the UK, most recently at Apple, where he led an AI team focused on developing Siri's language technology. In his free time, he enjoys exploring Iceland's natural beauty and playing a good board game.

Elías Bjartur Einarsson

Technical Staff

Elías Bjartur is a member of Miðeind's artificial intelligence team, where he is involved in various projects. He holds a BA degree in Philosophy from the University of Iceland and is well on his way to completing an MSc in Computer Science. Outside of work, Elías Bjartur is an avid climber, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, and outdoor enthusiast. His diverse background includes experience as a park ranger and event manager.

Garðar Ingvarsson Juto

Technical Staff

Garðar works as a researcher in Miðeind's artificial intelligence team. He holds an MSc in Computational Statistics and Machine Learning from UCL and a BA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge. An avid explorer of knowledge, Garðar is also particularly passionate about role-playing games.

Haukur Barri Símonarson

Technical Staff

Haukur Barri is our expert (and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one elsewhere) in deep neural networks and artificial intelligence. There's hardly a significant scientific paper in the field that he hasn't read and understood. Haukur holds a BSc degree in Computer Science with a focus on computational mathematics, and is currently working on a master's degree in his spare time.

Haukur Páll Jónsson

Technical Staff

Haukur Páll is an specialist in the artificial intelligence team at Miðeind. He holds a master's degree in Logic and Computation from the University of Amsterdam, as well as a BSc in Computer Science and a BA in Philosophy. In addition to his professional pursuits, Haukur is an enthusiast of esports and climbing.

Hulda Óladóttir

CPO

Hulda serves as a Product Manager while also participating in projects related to language analysis and support tools. With a background as a former proofreader, she combines programming skills with an in-depth knowledge of Icelandic grammar and spelling. Hulda holds a BA in General Linguistics and an MA in Language Technology, and is also proficient in project management.

Katla Ásgeirsdóttir

Business Development Officer

Katla is responsible for, among other things, marketing and business development at Miðeind and keeping things generally running smoothly. Her negotiation skills are renowned, as is her taste in music, as she is a popular DJ. Katla holds a BA degree in Religious Studies.

Kári Steinn Aðalsteinsson

Technical Staff

Kári Steinn is a software developer with a special interest in user experience and web programming. He holds an MSc degree in Interactive Media Technology from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and a BSc degree in Software Engineering. Kári is very passionate about sports, music, board games, and video games.

Pétur Orri Ragnarsson

Technical Staff

Pétur Orri contributes significantly to our machine translation and artificial intelligence team. He came to Miðeind from Marel where he was responsible for, among other things, in-house versions of the GNU/Linux operating system. Pétur holds an MSc degree in Computer Science and a BSc in Mathematics.

Svanhvít Lilja Ingólfsdóttir

Technical Staff

Svanhvít Lilja is a specialist in our artificial intelligence team. She holds an MA degree in Translation Studies and has worked as a translator and proofreader, among other roles. Svanhvít also has a BSc degree in Computer Science and an MSc degree in Language Technology, speaks fluent Spanish, and is a formidable Scrabble player.

Sveinbjörn Þórðarson

Technical Staff

Sveinbjörn is a versatile programming genius who is, among other things, the brains behind Embla, our voice app. He never comes up empty-handed. Sveinbjörn is a self-taught software developer with an MSc degree in Philosophy and an MSc degree in History.

Þórunn Arnardóttir

Technical Staff

Þórunn is working on a collaborative project between the University of Iceland and Miðeind focused on the development of language analysis software. She holds a BA degree in General Linguistics and an MA degree in Language Technology. Þórunn was, among other roles, the project manager for the government's language technology program for a period. She is interested in everything related to outdoor activities, architecture, and tennis.