This startup is helping brands show up in chatbots and AI search. Read the pitch deck it used to raise $4 million.

A London-based startup, Azoma, has successfully raised $4 million in funding to enhance the presence of brands in AI search results and chatbot interactions. The company is poised to leverage the burgeoning field of generative engine optimization (GEO), a method designed to elevate content visibility in AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT. Max Sinclair, Azoma’s CEO and cofounder, stated, "We’re helping some of the world’s most recognizable brands maintain their relevance in the age of AI search," during an interview with Business Insider. Founded in 2022, Azoma boasts two patented technologies that facilitate its mission. One of these innovations is a 'digital twin' that mimics how brands are represented in chatbot dialogues. Given the confidentiality of most chatbot interactions, Azoma constructs profiles that reflect the demographics of its clients' target audiences. By generating a substantial volume of prompts—such as 100,000 inquiries about the best coffee shop in a specific city from the perspective of a typical customer—Azoma evaluates how its clients fare in chatbot responses compared to competitors. In addition to this, the startup is also focused on content creation, producing product listings optimized for visibility in AI search results. Sinclair describes Azoma as a software-as-a-service platform that operates on a pay-per-use model and charges retailers based on product categories. Its clientele includes major brands like Mars, Colgate, Zappos, and Procter & Gamble, and the company achieved profitability earlier this year. As the GEO and answer engine optimization sector continues to evolve, Sinclair notes that while some traditional search engine optimization (SEO) principles remain applicable, the landscape is changing rapidly due to the technological advancements in large language models (LLMs). He explained, "The way these LLMs operate is fundamentally different, as they involve a much larger set of keywords and possess greater contextual understanding of users." Azoma’s recent funding round saw participation from investors such as Ignite Ventures, Rank Ventures, eBay Ventures x Techstars, Twinpath, MaRS ISF, and several angel investors. With this new capital, Azoma plans to bolster its research and development efforts as well as expand its commercial operations by hiring for sales and customer success roles. The startup has shared a detailed 19-page pitch deck outlining its strategies to secure the pre-Series A funding.