By Titik Puspa 
In a seismic shift reshaping how businesses connect with potential customers online, India-founded startup Gushwork has successfully raised $9 million in a seed funding round. This significant investment, led by Susquehanna International Group (SIG) and Lightspeed, with crucial participation from B Capital, Seaborne Capital, Beenext, Sparrow Capital, and 2.2 Capital, signals strong investor confidence in Gushwork’s innovative approach to capturing market share from emerging AI-powered search platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. The funding round catapults Gushwork’s valuation to $33 million post-money, a substantial leap from its previous $7.5 million valuation following a $2.1 million pre-seed round in July 2023. This latest injection of capital brings the company’s total funding to $11 million, empowering it to aggressively scale its operations and solidify its position as a leader in the nascent field of AI-driven business discovery.
The timing of this funding is particularly prescient, arriving as AI companies, spearheaded by OpenAI and Perplexity, actively challenge the dominance of traditional web search engines. This disruption has compelled established players like Google to rapidly integrate AI-generated overviews and conversational features into their search products, recognizing the inevitable evolution of online information discovery. Gushwork is strategically positioned to capitalize on this paradigm shift, leveraging its proprietary technology to help businesses achieve unprecedented visibility within these new AI-driven channels. The company’s core offering revolves around automated marketing agents designed to enhance online presence and attract customers actively seeking solutions through AI interfaces.
Founded in 2023 by visionary entrepreneurs Nayrhit Bhattacharya and Adithya Venkatesh, Gushwork initially embarked on a mission to empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by streamlining workflow outsourcing through a synergistic blend of artificial intelligence and human expertise. However, the startup’s trajectory soon pivoted as it observed a burgeoning and insistent demand from its clientele for assistance in bolstering their online visibility. "When we started, our focus was on helping businesses outsource faster and outsource better," Bhattacharya explained in a recent interview. "But the pull from customers around search became increasingly hard to ignore. We recognized that for many businesses, the bottleneck wasn’t operational efficiency, but rather the ability to be found by the right customers in the first place." This realization spurred a strategic refinement of their focus towards search-led marketing, a decision that has demonstrably paid off.
At the heart of Gushwork’s innovative solution lies a sophisticated network of AI agents. These agents are meticulously engineered to automate the creation and ongoing optimization of search-relevant content, a critical component for any business aiming to rank well in both traditional search engine results pages (SERPs) and emerging AI-generated answers. Furthermore, the platform actively cultivates backlinks, a cornerstone of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), typically generating between 10 to 20 backlinks per customer through a carefully curated network of approximately 200 to 300 partner websites. This systematic approach to link building enhances a client’s domain authority and overall search ranking. The platform also integrates a comprehensive content management system to meticulously track inbound leads, providing businesses with a clear view of their marketing performance and return on investment. The overarching objective, as articulated by Bhattacharya, is to democratize online visibility, enabling businesses to achieve prominent placement in AI-driven discovery channels without the prohibitive cost and complexity of maintaining large, in-house marketing teams.
Gushwork’s traction is evidenced by its rapidly expanding customer base. The startup reports having onboarded over 300 paying customers, with an impressive 95% of them located in the United States. These clients are opting for Gushwork’s services through subscriptions that start at $800 per month. The company has achieved a significant milestone, currently generating approximately $1.5 million in annualized recurring revenue (ARR). This impressive figure has been built in just the last three months since the dedicated AI search-focused product was rolled out. The ambitious growth trajectory continues, with Gushwork targeting an ARR of $3 million to $3.5 million within the next three months, reflecting a remarkable month-over-month growth rate of 50% to 80%.
The impact of Gushwork’s platform on its customers’ lead generation is already palpable. Internal data reveals that across its customer base, approximately 20% of website traffic now originates from AI-driven search and chat platforms. More significantly, these AI-driven sources account for a disproportionately high 40% of inbound leads. This suggests that users engaging with AI search tools are often at a more advanced stage of the buyer’s journey, exhibiting higher intent and a greater propensity to convert.
The conversion of these higher-intent leads into tangible business outcomes is a key differentiator for Gushwork. Bhattacharya shared an anecdote of a professional services client who, after implementing the Gushwork platform, has successfully closed between $200,000 and $350,000 worth of contracts. While declining to name the client, this case study powerfully illustrates the platform’s ability to drive substantial revenue growth. The sentiment is echoed by many users who are reporting significant pipeline expansion as AI-driven discovery channels continue to gain traction and influence purchasing decisions.
Gushwork’s current customer demographic is predominantly composed of high-ticket B2B service providers, industrial distributors, and contract manufacturers, with a strong concentration in the U.S. market. The average subscription fee for these clients ranges from $800 to $900 per month, translating to an annual contract value (ACV) of approximately $9,000 to $10,000. This focus on higher-value B2B segments indicates a strategic alignment with industries that benefit most from targeted lead generation and efficient customer acquisition.
The ongoing transformation in how buyers research vendors and products underscores the strategic importance of Gushwork’s mission. Generative AI chatbots and AI-powered web browsers are rapidly becoming indispensable tools for modern procurement processes. The sheer scale of AI usage is staggering; OpenAI reported in July 2025 that ChatGPT was handling approximately 2.5 billion prompts daily worldwide, with a significant portion, around 330 million, originating from U.S. users alone. This monumental engagement with AI platforms signifies a fundamental shift in consumer behavior and business strategy, compelling companies to adapt their online visibility efforts accordingly. Bhattacharya’s assertion that this trend is actively reshaping how businesses approach online presence is a critical observation for any organization looking to remain competitive.
With the newly secured $9 million in seed funding, Gushwork is poised for aggressive expansion. The capital will be strategically allocated to bolster its engineering team, further enhancing the sophistication and accuracy of its AI models. Significant investment will also be directed towards scaling its go-to-market efforts, enabling the company to reach a broader audience and accelerate customer acquisition. Bhattacharya revealed that the startup has a substantial waitlist of over 800 businesses eager to leverage its services, a testament to the growing demand and the company’s proven value proposition.
Headquartered in Delaware, with a significant operational presence in Bengaluru, India, Gushwork embodies a global approach to talent acquisition and innovation. The company currently employs a dedicated team of approximately 70 individuals in India, complemented by a network of several contractors, fostering a dynamic and agile workforce capable of driving rapid development and execution. This dual presence allows Gushwork to tap into India’s rich pool of technological talent while maintaining a strategic foothold in the U.S. market, its primary customer base. The company’s journey from a workflow outsourcing solution to a leader in AI-driven business discovery is a compelling narrative of adaptability, customer-centricity, and strategic foresight in the face of a rapidly evolving technological landscape. As AI continues to redefine the internet’s architecture, Gushwork’s innovative solutions are set to play a pivotal role in helping businesses not just survive, but thrive, in this new era of digital engagement.