Gushwork Raises $9M for AI-Powered B2B Leads
Gushwork, a startup providing AI-powered search leads for B2B companies, has raised a $9 million seed round. The company, which uses a video explainer to detail its strategy, reports achieving $1.5 million in annual recurring revenue within 90 days of launch.
- The seed round was led by Susquehanna International Group (SIG) and Lightspeed, valuing Gushwork at $33 million post-money. This represents a significant step up from the $7.5 million valuation it held after a $2.1 million pre-seed round in July 2023. - Gushwork was founded in 2023 by Nayrhit Bhattacharya and Adithya Venkatesh and, while headquartered in Delaware, has a large operational office in Bengaluru, India. - The company's strategy focuses on what it calls "Answer Engine Optimization" (AEO), using a network of AI agents to create content and build backlinks so that its clients are cited in the answers of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. - Gushwork initially launched to help businesses outsource various workflows using AI and human support but pivoted to focus entirely on search-driven marketing after seeing strong customer demand. - The company reports having over 300 paying customers, 95% of which are in the U.S. and are typically high-value B2B service providers or industrial manufacturers. - Subscription pricing starts at $800 per month, with the average customer paying between $9,000 and $10,000 annually. - According to company data, AI search and chat platforms drive about 20% of its clients' web traffic but account for roughly 40% of inbound leads, suggesting higher intent from these sources. - Gushwork plans to use the new funding to expand its engineering team and scale its go-to-market efforts, with a reported waitlist of more than 800 businesses.
