Google Ventures invests $16 million in Bounti’s AI for sales

Bounti, a company focused on autonomous AI solutions, has emerged from stealth mode and announced a successful seed funding round of $16 million, led by Google Ventures, on September 12, 2024, in San Jose, California. The funding aims to enhance Bounti's innovative platform designed to support sales, marketing, and customer success teams by automating non-revenue generating tasks, thereby allowing professionals to engage more meaningfully with customers. The platform introduces a unique AI teammate that specializes in prospecting, utilizing a research-first approach to streamline outreach efforts. This technology enables sales teams to conduct extensive research on potential clients quickly, significantly reducing the time spent on mundane tasks. Bounti's model emphasizes the importance of human involvement in the sales process, contrasting with traditional AI tools that often rely on mass email automation. Bounti's founders, Matt Cooley and Ashar Rizqi, both seasoned professionals in AI and sales, believe that the future of business lies in AI-augmented software that enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them. The company plans to use the new funding to expand its software capabilities and enhance its human-in-the-loop services, ensuring that trained professionals remain integral to the sales process. The investment from Google Ventures reflects confidence in Bounti's vision and the potential of its technology to revolutionize sales practices. As customer fatigue with impersonal outreach grows, Bounti aims to restore authenticity and effectiveness in customer relationships through its innovative solutions.