Ex-Google, Meta Execs Building Emotionally Aware AI Sales Agents
- Palona AI pitches ‘polite’ sales agents using OpenAI tech
- Firm raises $10 million from investors including Maynard Webb
Palona AI says it can help clients cultivate direct customer relationships by developing AI sales agents that are capable of upselling and providing personalized recommendations.
Photographer: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty ImagesThree former engineering leaders from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Meta Platforms Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. have raised $10 million for a new startup focused on making artificial intelligence-powered customer sales agents more emotionally attuned.
The Palo Alto, California-based company, called Palona AI, is launching on Thursday and announcing the debut of its sales models, which target consumer-facing businesses. Customers include home security camera maker Wyze Labs and wellness studio Mindzero. It also received initial capital from a “friends and family” round with investors such as UpHonest Capital, Fusion Fund, the startup accelerator Neo, and Maynard Webb, a Visa Inc. and Salesforce Inc. board member.