A technology startup dedicated to enhancing how brands appear within artificial intelligence–driven search results and conversational AI interfaces has successfully secured $4 million in new funding. Based in London, Azoma is strategically positioning itself to benefit from the accelerating momentum of a specialized marketing discipline known as generative engine optimization (GEO). This emerging practice focuses on elevating the visibility of digital content within AI-generated overviews and interactive chatbot systems, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other large language model platforms that provide direct conversational responses rather than traditional search link results.
According to Max Sinclair, Azoma’s chief executive officer and cofounder, the company’s mission revolves around assisting globally recognized consumer brands in maintaining relevance within this transformative era of AI-driven discovery. In an interview with Business Insider, Sinclair emphasized that the landscape of online visibility has fundamentally evolved: instead of competing for first-page search rankings on traditional engines, brands must now ensure they are represented favorably within AI dialogue outputs. Founded in 2022, Azoma has built its technological edge around two patented innovations that allow it to simulate, measure, and improve brand presence throughout generative AI interactions.
The first patent centers on what Azoma describes as a “digital twin,” a sophisticated system designed to recreate how brands appear in chatbot responses. Because most AI chatbot conversations occur privately and are therefore inaccessible to researchers or marketers, Azoma solves this by fabricating virtual user personas that align precisely with a target brand’s ideal customer demographics. These simulated individuals then generate massive volumes of queries—often reaching hundreds of thousands of prompts—to various chatbots. The company then analyzes the aggregated responses to determine how a client’s brand ranks, how frequently it is mentioned, and how its perception compares with competing businesses. For instance, Sinclair explains that Azoma might send 100,000 AI queries asking for recommendations on the best coffee shops in a particular city, using a digital persona modeled on a man in his thirties. The collective data from those interactions allows Azoma to see exactly where its client’s brand appears and in what context relative to competitors.
Azoma’s second proprietary solution focuses on the proactive side of visibility: generating digital content that is formally optimized to appear in AI-generated search results and chatbot conversations. This might involve producing product descriptions, category pages, or marketing text designed with the structural and linguistic nuances that large language models favor when curating answers. Rather than relying solely on conventional search engine optimization rules, this process tailors content to the deeper contextual interpretation used by modern AI systems.
The company operates as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform with a flexible pricing model. Brands are charged on a per-use basis—depending on query volume and analytic depth—while retail clients are billed based on the number and scope of product categories analyzed. Azoma’s client portfolio already includes prominent global corporations such as Mars, Colgate, Zappos, and Procter & Gamble, all of whom are seeking to ensure that their names naturally surface in the new generation of AI-mediated user searches. Remarkably, Sinclair confirms that Azoma reached profitability earlier in the present fiscal year, reflecting the strength of both demand and operational efficiency.
The broader market Azoma participates in—comprising GEO and what some experts now call answer engine optimization (AEO)—is still a nascent, highly dynamic, and competitive space. Industry observers note that many of its foundational rules are still in flux as AI systems grow increasingly complex. Experts from technology leaders like Google and Microsoft have noted that while several core principles from classical SEO remain applicable—such as emphasizing relevance, accuracy, and authority—the mechanisms governing visibility have fundamentally changed. Sinclair, who previously held leadership positions at Amazon, supports this perspective. He points out that large language models (LLMs) process and interpret information in ways that diverge sharply from the keyword ranking systems underpinning traditional search. In his words, “the way these models function is entirely different.” He explains that AI-based search systems contend with a vastly expanded set of keyword permutations and, crucially, interpret requests with a deeper understanding of user context, intent, and behavioral patterns. This shift demands that businesses completely rethink how they craft and distribute information online.
The recent pre–Series A funding round attracted participation from a diverse pool of investors, including Ignite Ventures, Rank Ventures, eBay Ventures in collaboration with Techstars, Twinpath, and MaRS ISF, alongside several prominent angel investors. These contributors recognized the company’s potential to define best practices in an area where few established frameworks yet exist.
Azoma’s next phase of growth will channel its newly raised capital into two key areas: advancing research and development to enhance its analytical and generative technologies, and expanding its commercial infrastructure. This expansion will involve strategic hiring across sales, customer success, and client support functions in order to manage growing demand and strengthen relationships with enterprise partners. The cofounder team, which also includes Timur Luguev—who holds a Ph.D. in computer science—believes that these investments will allow Azoma to scale globally while continuing to shape a discipline that may soon become as fundamental to digital marketing as SEO once was. Business Insider obtained exclusive access to the startup’s 19-page pitch deck, the same presentation that successfully secured its $4 million fundraising round and outlined Azoma’s ambition to define how brands will exist and compete within a world increasingly guided by artificial intelligence–based search and conversation.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/azoma-geo-ai-search-funding-pitch-deck-2025-12
