Outset, a San Francisco-based startup, has recently secured $17 million in Series A funding to accelerate the adoption of its AI-moderated research platform among Fortune 500 enterprises. The funding round was led by venture capital firm 8VC, with participation from Future Back Ventures by Bain & Company and existing investors, bringing the total funding raised by the company to $21 million.
The company, founded two years ago, has developed a groundbreaking AI-moderated research platform that enables the conducting of video interviews with research participants at an unprecedented scale and speed. Major customers such as Nestlé, Microsoft, and WeightWatchers have already started using this technology to replace traditional market research methods that have remained largely unchanged for decades.
Aaron Cannon, the co-founder and CEO of Outset, emphasized the importance of truly understanding customers and their needs, stating, “We designed AI agents to do what we couldn’t — talk to thousands of people at the speed, scale, and depth that’s never been possible.”
The platform promises research results that are 8 times faster, 81% less expensive, and provide 10 times more reach compared to human-led research methods. Using AI moderators, the technology conducts video interviews with participants using synthesized voice, text, images, and videos, allowing for responses in various formats such as video, voice, text, or screen sharing for user experience research. The AI then automatically synthesizes the results, providing instant reporting and analytics.
Outset’s platform has found success with companies like Nestlé and Microsoft. Nestlé uses the platform to test new product concepts by conducting in-depth interviews with hundreds of participants over a short period, achieving significant cost reductions and faster research timelines. Microsoft, on the other hand, utilizes the platform to gain insights into user experiences with AI products.
The investment in Outset reflects the growing interest of venture capitalists in AI applications that can automate traditional manual processes. Jack Moshkovich, a Partner at 8VC, sees Outset addressing a massive addressable market and highlighted the company’s potential for long-term success.
The funding will be used to expand the go-to-market team and develop more advanced AI agents to empower organizations to gain a deeper understanding of their customers. Outset aims to become the world’s first end-to-end, AI-native enterprise research platform within the next 12 months, with ambitious revenue growth targets and plans to become a critical decision-making infrastructure for a significant portion of the Fortune 1000 companies.
Outset’s success signifies a broader transformation in the market research industry, where AI-powered solutions are disrupting traditional methodologies and offering superior speed, scale, and cost-effectiveness. As enterprises increasingly adopt AI-moderated research platforms like Outset, the future of understanding customer needs and behaviors may rely more on machines than human researchers.
