A serial tech entrepreneur has launched a new artificial intelligence startup aiming to improve sales efficiency with the help of virtual sales engineers. DocketAI, founded last year by Arjun Pillai, a former chief data officer at leading B2B firm ZoomInfo, has secured $15 million in seed funding led by prominent VC firms Mayfield and Foundation Capital.
During his time at ZoomInfo, Pillai noticed sales engineers were bogged down answering repetitive technical questions from sales reps on customer calls. Seeing an opportunity, he decided to build an AI-powered solution to provide sales teams rapid answers to routine technical queries, freeing human experts to focus on more complex deals.
DocketAI’s flagship product simulates a sales engineer, assisting non-technical sales reps with tasks like responding to technical inquiries from prospects and drafting proposals. TheAI is trained using a combination of structured enterprise data and best practices synthesized from top sellers at client companies.
Since launching earlier this year, the startup reports strong customer traction. Revenue growth has been fueled by adding multiple large enterprise clients per month in industries like software and cybersecurity. Notable customers already include ZoomInfo and Demandbase.
Funds from the financing round will be used to continue enhancing DocketAI’s capabilities. The company aims to scale its ‘virtual sales engineer’ offering and expand the types of sales situations its AI can provide helpful guidance in handling. With sales teams under increasing pressure to do more with less, technologies automating routine work could be integral to remaining competitive in the years ahead.