Revolutionary AI Product Discovery: The Prompting Company Secures $6.5M for ChatGPT Mentions

In an era where digital innovation reshapes every facet of our lives, the way we discover products is undergoing a profound transformation. For those immersed in the world of cryptocurrency and cutting-edge technology, this shift presents both challenges and unparalleled opportunities. Gone are the days when traditional search engines were the sole gatekeepers of information; today, AI product discovery is rapidly emerging as the new frontier. This holiday season, reports indicate a significant pivot: Americans are increasingly turning to large language models like ChatGPT to unearth gifts, deals, and sales, bypassing conventional search methods. This monumental change in consumer behavior is precisely what The Prompting Company aims to capitalize on, recently securing an impressive $6.5 million in seed funding to lead this new wave of digital marketing.

The Pivotal Shift to AI Product Discovery

The landscape of online shopping and product research is evolving at an unprecedented pace. What was once dominated by Google searches is now being influenced by AI conversations. Imagine asking an AI for the best smart home device, or the most efficient crypto wallet, and receiving tailored recommendations directly within your chat interface. This isn’t a distant future; it’s happening now. Retailers could witness a staggering increase of up to 520% in traffic from chatbots and AI prompts by 2025 compared to 2024. For brands, this signals a critical need: they must learn how to appear in these AI-generated recommendations, and quickly.

This surge in AI-driven traffic forms the core premise behind The Prompting Company, a YC-backed startup. They are pioneering a new approach to help products get mentioned in AI applications, moving beyond traditional SEO into what they term Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). GEO is a strategic framework designed for a future where AI agents actively browse the internet on users’ behalf, making purchasing decisions and providing insights without direct human intervention at every step.

Understanding Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

So, what exactly is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and how does it differ from the SEO we’ve grown accustomed to? While traditional SEO focuses on ranking websites high in search engine results pages based on keywords and content quality, GEO targets AI models directly. It’s about optimizing content so that AI agents can easily understand, cite, and recommend products or services organically within a conversation.

Here’s how The Prompting Company’s platform works to achieve this:

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  Query Analysis: The platform identifies and analyzes the specific questions AI agents are asking. It probes various AI models to uncover purchase-intent queries, understanding what users (or their AI agents) truly seek.
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  Structured Content Creation: It then generates highly structured, concise content designed to directly answer these AI-driven questions. This content is devoid of marketing fluff and optimized for AI comprehension.
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  AI-Optimized Pages: The platform automatically routes AI agents to dedicated “AI-optimized pages.” These pages are stripped of human-centric elements like navigation bars, pop-ups, and heavy graphics, presenting information in a format that AI agents can process efficiently.
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  Organic Citations: By publishing thousands of these AI-friendly pages, the startup ensures that large language models (LLMs) can cite their answers even when those pages might not rank high in conventional search engine results. This creates an entirely new distribution channel for brands.

Kevin Chandra, co-founder and CEO, emphasizes this shift: “Over the past year, most of the growth on websites has come from AI bots, not people. We’re already seeing developers ask AI tools for product recommendations inside their workflows, and we think people, over time, will be less involved in parts of the purchasing funnel.”

The Prompting Company: Powering the Future of AI Commerce

Founded just four months ago by Indonesian immigrants Kevin Chandra, Michelle Marcelline, and Albert Purnama, The Prompting Company has quickly made its mark. Their $6.5 million seed funding round was led by Peak XV Partners, Base10, and Y Combinator, with participation from Firedrop and notable angels like Logan Kilpatrick. This substantial investment underscores the market’s confidence in their vision for AI-driven product discovery.

The founders are not new to the startup scene; they previously built YC-backed Typedream (acquired by beehiiv) and Cotter (acquired by Stytch), demonstrating a track record of successful innovation. Their current venture is already attracting significant clients, including:

With traffic driven to client sites already in the double-digit millions per month, The Prompting Company is demonstrating significant traction. Their subscription model, based on tracked prompts and hosted pages, offers a scalable solution for businesses adapting to this new digital reality.

The Future of AI Marketing: Engaging Agents, Not Just Humans

As AI becomes the primary touchpoint for product discovery, and as AI agents begin to transact on users’ behalf, the very definition of AI marketing is being rewritten. The Prompting Company believes brands must learn to market not just to humans, but also to AI agents. This necessitates a fundamental change in how businesses present themselves online.

According to Chandra, brands will need an “AI-facing website” – a version of their site specifically designed for agents, devoid of the navigation bars, pop-ups, and marketing fluff intended for human eyes. “Most businesses still design websites only for humans,” Chandra notes. “But the fastest-growing segment of users on the internet today is AI agents, and they need a completely different interface.”

Emerging protocols, such as Google’s Agent2Agent framework and OpenAI's partnership with Stripe, are poised to accelerate this adoption. These innovations will enable AI agents to browse, compare, and even complete purchases on behalf of users, moving seamlessly from discovery to transaction. “Imagine you’re a large e-commerce store. Users can buy items, make returns, compare products, or search for promotions. We help our customers expose those actions to AI agents. Right now, these agents aren’t yet clicking those options or accessing APIs directly, but we expect that to change in the coming months,” Chandra explains. This evolution promises a path toward more advertising- or conversion-driven models, where AI agents become powerful conduits for commerce.

Why ChatGPT Recommendations are Becoming Indispensable

In this evolving landscape, the visibility of a product or service within prominent AI platforms is paramount. Getting ChatGPT recommendations, or mentions in other leading AI applications, is rapidly becoming a key indicator of market relevance. Nvidia, a leader in AI hardware, is even collaborating with The Prompting Company on next-generation AI search, signaling the importance of this space.

Arnav Sahu, a partner at Peak XV Partners, bluntly states the new reality: “If your product isn’t discovered or cited in ChatGPT, you’re ngmi [not going to make it].” This sentiment highlights the urgent need for brands to adapt their strategies to this new AI-first discovery model. The Prompting Company is building the foundational infrastructure for this new era of product discovery, already powering a Fortune 10 company and a growing roster of fast-growing startups.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is The Prompting Company?

The Prompting Company is a YC-backed startup that helps products get mentioned and recommended in AI applications like ChatGPT through a strategy called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

2. What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

GEO is a new marketing strategy focused on optimizing content for AI agents. It involves identifying AI-driven purchase-intent queries, creating structured content to answer them, and routing AI agents to “AI-optimized pages” to ensure organic product recommendations within AI conversations.

3. How much funding has The Prompting Company raised?

The company has raised $6.5 million in seed funding from investors including Peak XV Partners, Base10, Y Combinator, Firedrop, and angels like Logan Kilpatrick.

4. Who are the founders of The Prompting Company?

The Prompting Company was founded by Kevin Chandra, Michelle Marcelline, and Albert Purnama, who are repeat Y Combinator founders.

5. What kind of customers does The Prompting Company serve?

They primarily serve fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS customers, including companies like Rippling, Rho, Motion, Vapi, Fondo, Kernel, and Traceloop, as well as an unnamed Fortune 10 company.

6. What is an “AI-facing website”?

An AI-facing website is a version of a brand’s site specifically designed for AI agents. It’s optimized for machine readability, stripped of human-centric elements like navigation bars or pop-ups, to allow AI agents to efficiently process information and make recommendations.

The Impending AI Revolution in Commerce

The Prompting Company’s successful funding round marks a significant milestone in the evolution of digital commerce. By focusing on AI product discovery through Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), they are addressing a critical need for brands in the age of AI agents. Their innovative approach to AI marketing ensures that businesses can remain visible and relevant, securing crucial ChatGPT recommendations and mentions across other AI platforms. As AI agents increasingly take on roles in product research and even purchasing, companies that embrace this shift will undoubtedly gain a competitive edge. The future of online discovery is here, and it’s conversational, intelligent, and powered by AI.