Last decade, companies like Segment rewrote the book on how organizations used APIs to merge data from disparate apps to improve marketing strategies. Today, a startup called Hightouch — co-founded by a former engineering manager at Segment — is announcing $80 million in funding for the next chapter: a platform that lets sales, marketing, and […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Hightouch, a company specializing in AI-powered marketing tools, has secured $80 million in funding, valuing the startup at $1.2 billion. This Series C round, led by Sapphire Ventures with participation from other investors, doubles Hightouch's valuation from its 2023 round. The funds will support technology development, business expansion, and hiring.
Founded by former Segment employees, including co-CEOs Tejas Manohar and Kashish Gupta, Hightouch offers two main products: a Customer Data Platform (CDP) launched in 2020, which leverages data warehouses for marketing and customer service, and AI Decisioning, introduced in August 2024, which uses AI to optimize campaigns through experiments. Notable clients include Spotify and PetSmart.
The surge in interest for Hightouch's AI product, particularly AI Decisioning, prompted the funding round, driven by companies seeking AI solutions to enhance customer experiences and boost revenue. Hightouch has previously raised funds through a 2020 seed round, a $40 million round led by ICONIQ, and a $38 million round in 2023.
