TLDR: A new Seattle-area startup, SCALA.AI, backed by Concur co-founders Raj Singh and Mike Hilton, is emerging from stealth mode to transform customer experience using generative AI. Led by CEO Ardie Sameti, the company aims to build a platform offering tailored AI solutions for various sectors, moving beyond basic automation to unlock greater value from customer interactions and data.
A new, secretive startup named SCALA.AI, based in the Seattle area, is set to redefine customer experience software by leveraging generative artificial intelligence. The venture is backed by Concur co-founders Raj Singh and Mike Hilton, bringing significant industry expertise and investment to the nascent company. SCALA.AI was incorporated in June and is now beginning its operations, positioning itself at the critical intersection of customer experience (CX), generative AI, and enterprise operations.
Ardie Sameti, a former restaurateur who transitioned into technology, leads SCALA.AI as its CEO. Sameti previously spent nearly a decade leading product teams at Accolade, a healthcare software giant that recently went private in a $621 million deal with Transcarent. While Sameti remained tight-lipped about specific details in an interview with GeekWire, he confirmed that the startup is developing a platform featuring ‘tailored vertical agentic AI solutions.’ The goal of this platform is to help companies extract significantly more value from their customer interactions and the vast amounts of customer data they possess.
Raj Singh, who served as CEO of Accolade before stepping down in April, is a co-founder and the executive chairman of SCALA.AI. Mike Hilton, who co-launched Concur with Singh and also held an executive position at Accolade, is an investor in the new startup. Singh expressed his enthusiasm for the new venture, stating, ‘I am more excited about the opportunity to innovate than ever. This is the best time in history to be an innovator and creator who loves solving problems.’
SCALA.AI plans to target a range of sectors, including healthcare, financial services, and retail. Sameti emphasized the company’s ambition to go beyond current industry trends, noting, ‘I think a lot of folks are playing for efficiency and low-level task automation. We’re building something much greater than that.’ This statement suggests a focus on more sophisticated AI applications that can drive deeper insights and more meaningful customer engagements, differentiating SCALA.AI from existing players in the CX industry such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, and customer data-focused startups like Seattle’s Amperity, where Singh previously served on the board for seven years.
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Sameti’s unique journey into tech, starting from the hospitality industry where he gained firsthand experience in business and customer experience, provides a distinct perspective to the startup’s approach to customer-centric innovation.
