Techspert.io has successfully secured £1 million in its second funding round, aimed at enhancing its innovative AI-powered expert finding tool.
Established in 2016, the UK-based team at techspert.io has pioneered the first search engine designed to locate experts capable of addressing complex business inquiries. The Cambridge-based firm’s technology aims to eliminate the reliance on traditional ‘expert networks,’ such as the US-based Gerson Lehrman Group, which currently leads the market. By employing AI, techspert.io identifies niche specialists who may not be part of existing networks, providing a more objective and transparent evaluation of expertise.
Previously known as ‘Biotechspert,’ the company has made significant strides within the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Now, techspert.io sets its sights on the $5 billion global ‘economy of knowledge,’ striving to enhance how businesses source and interact with experts across various industries and geographies. Co-founder and managing director David Holden-White stated, “Our vision is for any company with a thorny question to get a better answer, quicker. Before techspert.io, companies seeking specialist knowledge typically had to use experts signed up to networks, leading to a high degree of self-selection. The AI enables techspert to learn continuously, adjusting its ranking as it perfects its ability to recognise genuine expertise, and to evolve as experts do.”
The recent funding round was spearheaded by Cambridge angel Simon Thorpe, an experienced investor known for backing companies like Swiftkey and Vocal IQ, both of which were acquired by tech giants Google and Apple. Other participants included Angel CoFund, a venture capital fund that collaborates with sector-savvy angel investors, as well as John Spearman, GW Asia Capital Ltd, and Adrian Lloyd. Notably, all three non-executive directors from the first funding round have reinvested. Lead investor Simon Thorpe remarked, “The company has already proved its capability and market fit by satisfying one sector. This investment will accelerate techspert.io’s plans to revolutionise expert input across many other industry sectors.”
Techspert.io’s latest financial boost marks a significant step towards revolutionising how businesses identify and engage with experts. By leveraging AI technology, the company is poised to disrupt the traditional expert network model, promoting greater objectivity and efficiency in expert sourcing.