Otso Veisterä
Founder and ML engineer focused on LLM input optimization
San Francisco, California
Helsinki, Finland
Summary
Founder focused on LLM input optimization: Otso founded The Token Company to build ML-based compression middleware (bear-1 family) that preprocesses LLM inputs to cut token counts, lower inference costs, reduce latency, and in benchmarks improve end-to-end model performance. thetokencompany+1
Early, technically deep builder: publicly profiled as a teenage founder and frequent participant in early-stage hacker residencies, Otso began programming at a young age and has pursued ambitious technical projects while still in secondary education. substack+1
Hands-on ML and engineering experience across domains: Otso's background includes applied ML work for 3D medical imaging (Planmeca), electronic design internships, software testing, and multiple software projects and open-source contributions demonstrating end-to-end product development skills. veistera+1
Integrated into startup and investor ecosystems: Otso has participated in accelerator/residency programs (FR8), served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Lifeline Ventures, and gone through Y Combinator with The Token Company, indicating active engagement with both startup builders and early-stage investors. equilar+2
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
Launch YC: The Token Company: Intelligent compression for LLM context bloat
March 1, 2026Launch post describing The Token Company's LLM input compression approach: a fast ML-based model that removes redundant tokens to reduce costs, latency, and improve model performance; includes benchmarks and integration notes.
About – Otso Veistera
Personal Medium author/about page for Otso Veistera.