Believe India | विश्वस्त भारत’s Post

So .... Zendesk have just made an interesting move in AI. Zendesk, like all CX vendors have been working hard to add AI feature sets to their product - no news there. However, what they have done is decided to invest in the development of complimentary AI products. Zendesk has launched its corporate venture capital unit, Zendesk Ventures, focusing on artificial intelligence startups. With an undisclosed fund, reportedly fueled by tens of millions from Zendesk’s reserves, the initiative will support early-stage companies with investments ranging from US$500,000 to US$1 million. At launch, the venture already has four promising companies, including Zuper (field service management), Observe.AI (conversational intelligence), PolyAI (voice-commanded tasks) and unitQ (real-time interaction analysis). I have to admit that this is a very smart move. If you want a dominant marketplace then why not invest in it and win both ways! I wonder how long before other vendors with a marketplace (Genesys/Nice/Verint/Salesforce - looking at you) realise a similar approach will work.

DocketAI Raises $15 Million in Series A Funding DocketAI, a San Francisco, CA-based startup transforming revenue enablement through AI-driven solutions, raised $15 million in Series A funding. #SaaS #GenerativeAI #Sales #AISalesEngineer #RevenueEnablement #SeriesA #Funding https://lnkd.in/ggGn8zfq

📢 Exciting News! 🚀🌟 I am thrilled to announce that Microsoft is partnering with Alt Capital to provide support to early-stage B2B AI startups! 🤝💼 Check out our latest blog post to learn more about this exciting collaboration: [Partnering with Alt Capital to Support Early-Stage B2B AI Startups](https://lnkd.in/eqiG5SrH) #MicrosoftStartups #AIStartups #B2B #Partnership #Innovation #TechIndustry #Entrepreneurship #AltCapital #SupportingStartups This partnership aims to empower and nurture the next generation of AI-driven businesses, fostering innovation and growth in the tech industry. 💡💪 If you're an aspiring entrepreneur or part of a startup, don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to leverage Microsoft's resources and expertise. Together, we can shape the future of AI-powered solutions! 🌐🚀 #StartupOpportunity #TechCollaboration #MicrosoftSupport #AIInnovation #BusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurialJourney #TechCommunity #FutureOfAI Feel free to share this post with your network and spread the word about this exciting partnership! Let's inspire and empower startups to reach new heights! 🌟📈 #InspiringStartups #EmpoweringEntrepreneurs #TechPartnerships #MicrosoftCollaboration #StartupSuccess #InnovationEcosystem #AIRevolution #TechLeadership

Zendesk, the company providing the most complete #AI solution for #CX in the market, launched its #GlobalVenture fund to back AI-first companies focused on enhancing customer and employee experiences. Zendesk Ventures also announced new investments in PolyAI, a developer of advanced #ConversationalVoiceAssistants, and unitQ, an AI-powered customer feedback platform. Ben Barclay, SVP of Strategy, Corporate Development, & Transformation, #Zendesk, said, “Our goal extends beyond building our own products; we’re also supporting an ecosystem of startups whose visions align with ours. Customer and employee service is changing rapidly because of advancements in AI. Investing in these companies does more than drive their growth, it elevates our customers’ ability to provide exceptional interactions.” “With the Make AI in India initiative by the Union government, the AI startup ecosystem is booming in India. Unique value propositions and immense growth potential make AI startups a great investment in India. Zendesk Ventures is focused on bringing the best technology, products, people and network together, to empower AI-first startups in the country that are focused on solving meaningful business problems in the CX and EX space. We are excited for what the future holds for AI startups in India – and the place Zendesk can play in their development,” said Vasudeva Rao Munnaluri, RVP India & SAARC, Zendesk. . Read in detail at: https://lnkd.in/dakuSbAV . Merily Leis Rabbi Berenika Teter Mart Objartel Naveen Kumar Andre Santos Caroline Gorincour Jessen Raju Divakaran . ✅ Follow SmartStateIndia for more such updates. . #smartstateindia #zendesk

You.com, formerly known as SuSea Inc., secures $99 million in funding led by investor Georgian, with additional support from SBVA, Salesforce Ventures, and Day One Ventures. The AI-powered search engine faces increasing competition in the market from tech giants such as Alphabet Inc. and Microsoft Corp., while startups like Perplexity gain traction. You.com is an innovative artificial intelligence company specializing in collaboration tools. Their AI Agents are designed to assist individuals and teams by conducting research, solving complex issues, and generating content. With the recent influx of $99 million in funding, led by investor Georgian, the company's valuation remains undisclosed. Founded by CEO Richard Socher, who previously served as Salesforce Inc.'s chief scientist, YOU.COM aims to establish itself as a leading player in the competitive AI-powered search market, amidst competitors such as Alphabet Inc. and Microsoft Corp. Factacy.ai Congratulates and wishes them well. #innovation #management #digitalmarketing #technology #creativity #futurism #startups

End of AI on LinkedIn (Part 3) Startups find it so hard to stand out from their bigger competitors... (Especially for Saas startups) You just have to pause and observe the trend... Most bigger competitors can't have tight connections with every of their users. It will be hard. They have a large number of users, and they use AI to manage them. It will be a huge mistake on your part (the startup founder) to join them in doing this. How do you stand out? As a startup, you can start building tight connections with your users from day one. You can't automate everything You can't automate touch points. Given the stage you are currently in... It is a big mistake. A big brand like Apple don't listen to their customer's need. A startup founder can jump right in and start doing that, attracting customers who value it and stand out in the process. It's obvious more Saas companies are waking up to the fact you have to have a high customer engagement to stay relevant. And is not talking to your customers frequently the way you accomplish this? You can clear your calendar and eliminate the "talk to customer" section. It is a good idea ha. Remember, you're at a stage if you don't find product-market fit soon, you're out. #thefutureisfacetoface #productmarketfit

🚀 Exciting News for GenAI Startups! 🚀 Menlo Ventures latest article, "Five Steps for How GenAI Startups Can Break into the Enterprise: Observe.AI’s Playbook," is now live! 📈💡 The contact center is poised for a GenAI revolution, but how do we move from today’s hype to truly transformative technology? This playbook offers a five-step process that can guide any GenAI startup into the enterprise. Don’t miss out on these invaluable insights! 🔗 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gjMeANGV

🚀 11x Secures $50M Series B to Scale AI-Powered Digital Workforce, Led by Andreessen Horowitz 🚀 In a landmark funding round, 11x, a startup revolutionizing the digital workforce with AI, has secured $50M in Series B funding led by Andreessen Horowitz. This comes just weeks after their $24M Series A, supported by notable investors like Benchmark, 20VC, Quiet Capital, and HubSpot Ventures. 💼 Expanding the AI Workforce Founded in London in 2022, 11x is pioneering “digital workers” — AI-driven tools that perform tasks traditionally handled by sales and customer support teams. CEO Hasan Sukkar shared ambitious plans to launch new AI agents over the coming year, each with the capacity to take on the work of 11 full-time employees, spanning tasks from lead management to pipeline analytics. 🛠️ Acquisition of Opkit Further accelerating its growth, 11x recently acquired Opkit, a US-based startup specializing in AI-driven communication between healthcare providers and patients, adding valuable expertise to 11x’s service portfolio. 🌎 Relocating to San Francisco This September, 11x moved its headquarters and engineering team from London to San Francisco to meet investor expectations and leverage the Bay Area’s tech ecosystem. Keith Fearon, Head of Growth, remarked, “Our investors wanted us to be closer to the epicenter of innovation.” 📈 A Growth-Fueled Year The company, which serves clients like Otter.AI, Airwallex, and Datastax, boasts a 5x revenue increase in 2024, cash flow positivity, and a client base of over 200 companies. With strong support from prominent investors, strategic acquisitions, and a robust market position, 11x is set to redefine productivity in sales and customer support through AI. https://lnkd.in/fzpnPPW #airevolution #digitaltransformation #futureofwork #techinnovation #venturecapital #innovation #management #digitalmarketing #technology #startups #entrepreneurship #artificialintelligence #sanfrancisco #healthcare

Can non-technical investors really help AI startups? We all know that the #AI #startup ecosystem is experiencing rapid #growth and attracting substantial #venturecapital: • Year-to-date as of Q3 2024, AI startups have raised a record $53 billion, surpassing the $49.4 billion raised in all of 2021. • #Seed deals constituted 32% of total AI fundraising deals between 2015 and Sept 2024, suggesting that the AI ecosystem is just getting startued • In Q1 2024, the top 35 venture capital firms announced 51 AI funding rounds, up from 31 a year earlier. AI represented one out of every five investments for these firms, compared to one out of every ten in early 2023 Yet, investors making these bets on AI don’t always have a technical background. As an AI founder, it made me wonder, can non-technical investors provide material support to AI starutps beyond just funding? So, I did a little research, and this is what I found! Non-technical venture capitalists have been able to add value to software (I guess we'll have to wait and see about AI) companies in the following ways: Strategic Vision and Business Acumen • Business Model Refinement: When Airbnb was starting, Sequoia helped the founders pivot from a focus on air mattresses to a broader home-sharing concept, significantly expanding their market potential • Market Positioning and Vision: BCV helped DocuSign position itself not only as an e-signature service but also as a comprehensive "system of agreement," positioning DocuSign as an indispensable tool for managing business transactions. • Introducing a loyalty program: KP introduced Amazon to a board member who inspired their loyalty program Powerful Network and Connections One of the most valuable assets a non-technical VC can offer is their extensive network: • Customer Introductions: KP introduced Amazon to key corporate partners, helping them establish their initial B2B relationships and bring their product to amazon. • Executive Recruiting: One of Facebook’s investors helped Mark Zuckerberg recruit Sheryl Sandberg as COO, a pivotal hire that shaped the company’s growth • Hiring young talent: Contrary Capital leveraged a network of talented engineers, designers, product managers, and operators to help DoorDash recruit top talent early on What are ways in which you have seen non-technical investors contribute meaningfully to their software/AI companies? 

AI Start-ups are Accelerating Revenue Growth Faster than Previous Tech Companies 🚀 According to the Financial Times: • AI start-ups are reaching $1 million in annualized revenue in just 11 months after their first sales on Stripe, compared to 15 months for the previous generation of SaaS companies. • Those scaling to over $30 million in annualized revenue are achieving this milestone in 20 months — that’s five times faster than past SaaS companies. • However, Goldman Sachs has raised concerns about the profitability of AI businesses, noting that today’s AI winners are no longer capital-light, due to the significant costs of computing infrastructure needed to run and train AI models. Interesting insights! It would be great to see the full sample of AI companies included in this data. Credit: Dr.Andre Retterath Follow JayaSankar Subburaj for daily insights on Startups and Venture Capital. #VentureCapital #Startups #funding #investment