Applied Labs, an emerging leader in AI-powered support and operations solutions, has raised $4.2 million in a seed funding round to deal with a pressing issue for businesses: unreliable AI solutions. Founded by Scale AI veterans Michael Woo and Soham Waychal, the corporate is creating highly reliable AI agents that may handle complex, critical workflows with unmatched precision.
The funding round was led by Abstract, with participation from Point72 Ventures, Outlander, and Tetra, in addition to distinguished angel investors including Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch, Modal CTO Akshat Bubna, and ex-Twitter executive Ali Rowghani. This brings the corporate’s total funding to $5.2 million since its inception in January 2024.
Tackling AI Deployment Challenges
In a world where corporations are under increasing pressure to adopt AI, Applied Labs goals to bridge the gap between ambition and execution. Traditional AI solutions often fail in reliability and lack the potential to administer complex workflows. said Michael Woo, CEO of Applied Labs.
Applied Labs is positioned to empower businesses with AI customer support agents and AI-powered operational solutions tailored to individual knowledge bases. These agents are equipped with AI actions for each first-party and third-party integrations, offering a seamless experience. Despite the capabilities of AI, Woo emphasizes a “human-in-the-loop” approach to take care of quality and handle edge cases.
Woo explained.
The Applied Labs Vision
Founded in 2024, Applied Labs is on a mission to craft exceptional AI agents that solve real-world problems. The corporate believes in combining human creativity with artificial intelligence to unlock incredible possibilities, creating tools that not only solve challenges but in addition elevate the best way businesses operate. Applied Labs partners with ambitious corporations—starting from the world’s largest enterprises to modern small businesses—to construct AI support and operations agents that deliver reliability and scalability.
The team, spanning across North America and Asia, is united by their passion for innovation and a commitment to fostering a culture that encourages creativity and intelligence to thrive. the company states. Applied Labs envisions a future where AI-powered breakthroughs turn into the norm, redefining how businesses operate globally.
Key Differentiators and Solutions
Leveraging their expertise gained from Scale AI, Applied Labs has developed an progressive platform that mixes three critical components:
- Omnichannel Interactions – AI agents span chat, email, and phone, managing 100% of customer interaction volume.
- Sophisticated AI Orchestration – Agents are able to handling complex Q&A scenarios and complex workflows.
- Comprehensive Evaluation Tools – Built-in auditing, testing, and monitoring systems ensure high-quality results.
This robust solution is underpinned by real-time dashboards, automated quality checks, and human oversight, ensuring enterprises can depend on Applied Labs to handle critical tasks without compromising trust.
From Scale AI to Applied Labs
Each founders bring exceptional credentials to the table. Michael Woo was an early hire at Scale AI, leading a 30-person team dedicated to scaling operational workflows. Soham Waychal, who holds five AI patents, previously led engineering at a16z-backed Canal. Together, they’re focused on creating reliable, high-quality AI agents which might be intuitive to make use of.
The importance of quality and trust resonates deeply with the team. Woo said. Applied Labs builds guardrails and employs rigorous monitoring systems to forestall these risks, ensuring AI deployment is secure and effective.
Abstract’s Backing
Abstract, a San Francisco-based enterprise capital firm with $1.5 billion in assets under management, led the funding round. Since its founding in 2016, Abstract has invested in quite a few high-growth corporations, including Solana, Rippling, and Garner Health. The firm is sector-agnostic, specializing in seed and early-stage founders and boasting a fame for its loyalty, connections, and commitment to helping founders succeed.
said Ramtin Naimi, Founder and General Partner at Abstract.
Revolutionizing Support and Operations
Applied Labs’ digital employees redefine what AI can achieve in business operations. Key features of the platform include:
- Easy Deployment and ROI – Businesses can see measurable productivity gains inside days.
- Self-Learning Systems – AI agents constantly adapt and improve, capturing best practices in real-time.
- Omnichannel Engagement – The platform integrates chat, email, phone, and social channels right into a unified inbox.
- Smart Escalations – Seamlessly escalates complex issues to human agents for judgment calls.
- Visual Workflow Automation – Businesses can create sophisticated AI workflows using a no-code visual canvas.
The potential impact is staggering, with AI agents able to resolving customer inquiries in seconds, automating refunds, and managing operational workflows with enterprise-grade reliability.
Looking Ahead
Applied Labs shouldn’t be just chasing efficiency; it’s pioneering a brand new era where AI and human intelligence work in harmony. The corporate’s vision is to create “digital employees” that mix machine efficiency with human judgment, unlocking latest possibilities for enterprises of all sizes.
Woo said
The platform’s real-time monitoring, evaluation tools, and SOC 2 compliance make it enterprise-ready, while its modular design ensures scalability across industries. From customer support excellence to finance automation, Applied Labs is transforming how work gets done.
