David Christian Blumenthal-Barby

I’m leading Babbel’s Machine Learning Team, which I have built from the first hire, and I’m setting up a new unit focused on strategic data analytics. Together, the teams create and operate data products and services that help Babbel understand, predict and optimise the business and the product across departments. We own topics like churn, CLR and forecasting. We use machine learning to link data across domains, such as product, marketing and finance.

I'm building a small but sharply focused data science unit responsible for long-term projects, innovation and cutting edge methodology. Our mission is to use state of the art machine learning and statistical modelling to analyse and predict our customers, our markets and the mechanics of our business. We work closely with data engineers and our stakeholders in marketing, product and finance.

Building & leading a data science team (machine learning focus), supporting platforms with 300 million users globally. Developing models around fraud, content quality, user behaviour, search in Python, Scala. Diverse datasets, including text in 12+ languages, tracker data and images, using classic supervised and unsupervised ML, topic modeling and probabilistic approaches. Developing strategies for ML-as-a-service; tracking innovation topics (deep learning). Working closely with BI and big data engineers.

Worked on predictive models for KPIs in finance and architectures for integration of data science into business processes. Designed feature extraction for a genome analysis platform for life science applications. As a software engineer, responsible for core backend components of cloud-based accounting solutions. Contributed to patent-pending cloud / on-premise hybrid architectures; designed, implemented data models for dynamic schema extension of ERP systems. Introduced key technologies in the team's stack.

Researcher in applied computer vision, focusing on numerical optimization and machine learning methods. Contributed to applications in medical image processing, security, augmented reality, film production. As a project manager, responsible for work packages in multinational research projects, R&D collaborations with high-profile industry and government clients. Co-author on successful grant applications. Numerous conference talks and 20+ peer-reviewed academic publications, some of which have won awards.

Entwurf der Architektur und der Algorithmen eines argumentationstheoretisch fundierten Knowledge Management Systems. Leitung der Programmierung. Argunet wurde mit einem E-Learning Award ausgezeichnet und wird in verschiedenen Universitäten und Forschungsrichtungen eingesetzt.

Studentischer Mitarbeiter in der Arbeitsgruppe "Künstliche Intelligenz". Entwicklung von Computervision-Algorithmen für autonome Roboter und intelligente Dokumentenverarbeitung.

Künstliche Intelligenz (insb. Computer Vision, Machine Learning), Computergrafik & Bildverarbeitung, Algorithmik