
We are proud to partner with [Keith Rabois](https://www.khoslaventures.com/team/keith-rabois/) at [Khosla Ventures](https://www.khoslaventures.com/); [Max Altman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxhaltman/), [Ben Braverman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-braverman-a1120314/), and [Thomson Nguyen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randomforest/) at [Saga Ventures](https://www.sagavc.com/); and the whole team at [South Park Commons](https://southparkcommons.com/). In addition, we welcome some incredible Angels such as [Karim Atiyeh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimatiyeh/), [Scott Belsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/) and [Balaji Srinivasan](https://x.com/balajis).

We are honored to welcome these exceptional investors as partners; their commitment to Profound emphasizes the scale of the opportunity we pursue.

![header img](/founder-images/founders.webp)

Profound is becoming a mission-critical tool for companies worldwide to understand their AI Visibility.
This injection of capital will allow us to build stunning technology, hire the best team in NYC and accelerate faster to the bleeding edge of AI Visibility.

---TWEET:1823406080493527058

You can read more about our funding here:

- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/13/move-over-seo-profound-is-helping-brands-with-ai-search-optimization/)
- [Adweek](https://www.adweek.com/media/profound-funding-brands-ai-search/)
- [The Information](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/can-ai-really-replace-salesforce-and-workday)
- [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/09/23/ai-search-startup-perplexity-bids-to-cut-into-googles-share-of-digital-ad-market.html)

If you are interested in joining the Profound team, please visit our [careers page](https://www.tryprofound.com/careers).

— [James Cadwallader](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsca/) and [Dylan Babbs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/babbsdj/), Co-Founders



![header img](/blog-assets/ai-search-has-arrived/banner.png)

Google Search was a trillion dollar monopoly for the best part of two decades, until ChatGPT launched in November 2022 and the way people discover information was changed forever.

![chart of chatgpt users](/blog-assets/ai-search-has-arrived/chart.svg)

Today, an estimated [200-300 million daily queries](https://www.similarweb.com/blog/insights/ai-news/chatgpt-two-billion/) are handled by Answer Engines like ChatGPT or Perplexity and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
Consumers love AI Answers because they save time and reduce the pain of decision making.

---TWEET:1797124542441345079

# Future of search

And as the world witnessed in the past with previous shifts like digital, mobile and social, AI Search is shaping up as an ‘adapt or die’ ultimatum for any brand that relies on web traffic.

![screenshot of fast company article](/blog-assets/ai-search-has-arrived/fast-company.png)

This isn’t a problem that can be kicked down the road, this change is happening right now - with folks already reporting a decline in traffic.
And it seems like it will only continue to intensify; a [recent Gartner report](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-12-14-gartner-predicts-fifty-percent-of-consumers-will-significantly-limit-their-interactions-with-social-media-by-2025&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1717618017753004&usg=AOvVaw1HHUwcsVJb5jTZT8ghTQCK) states: "By 2028 brands’ organic search traffic will decrease by 50% or more as consumers embrace generative AI-powered search".

Right now is the time for brands to start monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing their content for AI Search. Much like SEO in 1992, the players that get ahead now will reap the benefits for years to come.

To illustrate the importance of AI Search Strategy, let’s look at an example of a consumer using ChatGPT to research running shoes:

![diagram of chat gpt](/blog-assets/ai-search-has-arrived/chat-gpt-diagram.png)

As you can see, the user is presented with multiple product recommendations, each with supporting rationale.

Unlike traditional search, ChatGPT synthesizes nuance to give better, more relevant answers; accounting for the running distance, the user’s gender and even the inferred request for additional arch support.
ChatGPT also memorizes key points which will be stored and used for context in future searches.

# Inconsequential to brands

At a glance, this new search format may seem inconsequential to brands, but look again and ask: where is Nike?
As you can see, ChatGPT did not suggest a single product from Nike - a company that spends $4bn per year on marketing (footwear being their #1 category).

For Nike executives, this is a critical issue. For every other marketing executive, it highlights a nascent opportunity created by AI Search.

A thoughtful AI Search Strategy is the antidote.
By establishing a continuous feedback loop with the Answer Engines, brands can ensure content is optimized for LLM training and retrieval (RAG) systems, resulting in more frequent and favorable citations in AI Search.

This is the problem we are solving at Profound, the first dedicated platform to help enterprise brands monitor, analyze, and optimize their AI Search results.

Profound interrogates AI Search platforms with millions of questions daily to understand how your brand is being represented and then uses a proprietary algorithm to suggest improvements.

Reach out to [team@tryprofound.com](mailto:team@tryprofound.com) if you are interested in improving how your brand shows up in AI Search.


Blog

Profound closes $3.5 million seed round to pioneer AI Optimization

Goodbye blue links, AI Search has arrived