We build AI products, and we help companies put AI to work.
String Theory Accelerator is a founder-led studio in Portland, Maine. We make AEOify and InfillOS, and we advise companies on AI strategy, AI search visibility and agentic systems.
AEOify is used across Conair Corporation brands, including Cuisinart, Conair and BaByliss, and by Gordini USA.
Products we build and sell
AEOify
Live, with paid subscribers
See your site the way AI search does.
Used across Conair Corporation brands, including Cuisinart, Conair and BaByliss, and by Gordini USA.
InfillOS
Invite-only, live in Durham, NC
Every buildable lot in your market, already run through the numbers.
132,562 Durham parcels evaluated. BRM Collective is the founding customer and first investor.
Consulting, grounded in what we've shipped
AI strategy & governance
We help teams decide where AI belongs in their work, write the policy that governs it, and pick tools they can defend to clients.
In practice: A law firm handling sensitive, high-profile matters, Malone Auto Racks
AEO & e‑commerce growth
We get your brand cited by AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, and help you sell more on your own site and on marketplaces.
In practice: AEOify, Malone Auto Racks, Two Maine marketing agencies
Agentic AI & RAG builds
We design and ship AI assistants, agents and MCP servers that run in production, not just in a demo.
In practice: AEOify, InfillOS, Portland Old Port, Maine residents and boaters
Who you'll work with
James Wagenheim
Founder & CEO
James spent five years as product owner of IDEXX Enterprise, a SaaS platform sold to corporate veterinary groups in four regions, leading a 10-person team and a budget of about $3 million. Before that he built and ran products at Vets First Choice and PetSafe, and started out writing Java.
At STA he sets product direction and still writes much of the code, which is why our advice tends to be specific.
Selected work
- A law firm handling sensitive, high-profile mattersClient work
AI governance for a law firm where confidentiality is the whole job
An AI policy, workflow map and confidentiality-rated tool matrix for a firm's AI committee.
AI strategy & governance
- Malone Auto RacksClient work
An Amazon channel strategy for a Maine manufacturer
A 132-listing Amazon audit and a 90-day plan projected to pay for itself within three months.
AEO & e-commerce growthAI strategy & governance
- Portland Old PortClient work
A production AI assistant for Portland's Old Port
A retrieval-augmented assistant that answers visitor questions from the district's own content.
Agentic AI & RAG builds
- Maine residents and boatersOpen source
PublicMCP: public services as a conversation
An open-source MCP server for Maine burn permits, fire danger, tides and marine forecasts.
Agentic AI & RAG builds
Smol Der, the podcast
- Part 1 - 2025 Smol Der Year in Review with Jim DuffyJan 8, 2026, 1 hr 8 min
- AI Music, Human Taste, and the Future of SEO — with Digital Entrepreneur & Musician Will MasonDec 29, 2025, 1 hr 16 min
- Penetration Testing, Fiction Writing, and LLMs With Cybersecurity Expert and Author Alex FoxDec 16, 2025, 1 hr 6 min
Questions people ask
- What does String Theory Accelerator do?
String Theory Accelerator (STA) is a founder-led AI studio in Portland, Maine. We build our own AI products, AEOify for AI search visibility and InfillOS for real-estate feasibility, and we help other companies with AI strategy, answer engine optimization and agentic AI builds.
- Who does STA work with?
Law firms and professional-services teams adopting AI responsibly, consumer brands and manufacturers that need to be found in AI search, and teams that want an AI assistant or agent built and shipped to production.
See our work- Is STA a product company or a consultancy?
Both, on purpose. Building and selling our own products keeps our consulting grounded in what actually works in production, and client work shows us problems worth turning into products.
- Who is behind STA?
STA was founded in December 2024 by James Wagenheim, a product leader and engineer who spent five years as the product owner of IDEXX Enterprise, a multi-region SaaS platform, and still writes much of STA's code.
Read the founder story- How do we get started?
Book a free 30-minute intro call. We'll tell you honestly whether AI is the right answer for your problem and what a realistic first step looks like.
Book an intro call- Do you work with clients outside Maine?
Yes. We're based in Portland, Maine, and work with clients across the US, mostly remotely and in person when it helps.
Tell us what you're working on.
A free 30-minute call. We'll tell you honestly whether AI is the right answer, and what a realistic first step looks like.