Gushwork, a startup helping companies capture customers from AI-powered search platforms, has raised $9 million in a seed funding round led by Susquehanna International Group (SIG) and Lightspeed. The investment values the two-year-old company at $33 million post-money and brings its total funding to $11 million.
The funding comes as AI tools from companies like OpenAI and Perplexity begin to reshape online discovery, prompting traditional search giants like Google to integrate AI features. Gushwork is betting on this shift, using automated marketing agents to help businesses improve their visibility in AI-driven search results and chatbot answers.
From Workflow Outsourcing to AI Search Focus
Founded in 2023 by Nayrhit Bhattacharya and Adithya Venkatesh, Gushwork initially focused on helping small and medium businesses outsource workflows using a combination of AI and human expertise. The startup pivoted towards search-led marketing after observing strong customer demand for help with online visibility in new AI channels.
“When we started, we were focused on helping businesses outsource faster and outsource better,” Bhattacharya told TechCrunch. He added that customer interest in improving their presence on AI search platforms became impossible to ignore.
How the Platform Works
Gushwork’s platform employs a network of AI agents to automatically generate and update search-optimised content and build backlinks through a network of 200 to 300 partner websites. It also tracks inbound leads via an integrated content management system. The goal is to help businesses surface in both traditional and AI-generated search results without needing large in-house marketing teams.
The startup claims that for its customers, while only 20% of website traffic comes from AI-driven platforms, these sources account for 40% of all inbound leads.
Early Traction and Customer Impact
Gushwork says it has signed over 300 paying customers, with about 95% based in the United States. Subscriptions start at $800 per month, with an average annual contract value between $9,000 and $10,000.
Since launching its AI search-focused product three months ago, the company is running at approximately $1.5 million in annualised recurring revenue (ARR) and is targeting $3 million to $3.5 million ARR within the next quarter. Bhattacharya stated the startup is growing between 50% and 80% month-over-month.
The higher-intent leads from AI search are already translating into significant business for clients. Bhattacharya cited one professional services customer that closed contracts worth between $200,000 and $350,000 after adopting Gushwork's platform.
The Broader AI Search Shift
The move towards AI-driven discovery is accelerating. OpenAI reported in July 2025 that its ChatGPT service received about 2.5 billion prompts daily globally, with roughly 330 million originating from U.S. users. This trend is fundamentally changing how some businesses approach their online marketing strategies.
Gushwork’s current customer base is concentrated among high-ticket B2B service providers, industrial distributors, and contract manufacturers, primarily in the U.S. market.
Next Steps and Company Structure
Bhattacharya said the new capital will be used to expand Gushwork’s engineering team, improve model accuracy, and scale its go-to-market efforts. The startup has a waitlist of more than 800 businesses it plans to begin onboarding.
Headquartered in Delaware with an office in Bengaluru, Gushwork has about 70 employees in India, along with several contractors. The funding round included participation from B Capital, Seaborne Capital, Beenext, Sparrow Capital, and 2.2 Capital.