TLDR: MAI, an AI platform automating and optimizing performance marketing, has announced a $25 million seed funding round led by Kleiner Perkins. The company is launching AI agents designed to provide small and mid-sized businesses with advanced advertising tools, currently driving 40% more sales and managing millions in Google Ad spend monthly for clients.
SAN FRANCISCO – September 30, 2025 – MAI, an innovative AI platform dedicated to automating and optimizing performance marketing, today unveiled its flagship product and announced a significant $25 million seed funding round. The investment was spearheaded by Kleiner Perkins, with notable contributions from Gaorong Ventures, UpHonest Capital, and other investors.
MAI’s core offering centers around its AI agents, which are engineered to autonomously manage and refine performance marketing strategies. This technology aims to democratize access to sophisticated advertising tools, traditionally reserved for large enterprises, making them available to small and mid-sized businesses. The impact of MAI’s agents is already evident, with clients reporting a 40% increase in sales and the platform effectively managing millions of dollars in Google Ad spend each month.
The newly secured capital will be strategically allocated to bolster MAI’s product and engineering teams, accelerating the development and expansion of its AI agent platform.
Yuchen Wu, co-founder and CEO of MAI, emphasized the market need addressed by their technology: “Digital advertising is one of the biggest growth levers available to businesses, but it’s also one of the hardest to master. We’ve spent our careers building ad platforms and e-commerce engines at companies like Google and Instacart, and saw firsthand how advanced technology helped the largest companies grow. However, those same tools have historically been out of reach for small and mid-sized businesses. That’s why we built MAI. Our agents do the heavy lifting, driving results autonomously, so business owners can focus on building their companies.”
The current e-commerce landscape is characterized by robust annual growth of approximately 8%, surpassing even its peak during the Covid-19 pandemic. Concurrently, distribution channels have become increasingly fragmented, intensifying competition for direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands and consumer applications. Digital advertisements, particularly Google Ads, have emerged as a primary customer acquisition method, yet their management remains a time-consuming and often complex endeavor for business owners.
MAI directly confronts these challenges by automating Google Ads management, enabling businesses to scale their ad spend profitably. The AI agents seamlessly integrate with various business data sources, operating 24/7 to adjust spending, pinpoint new opportunities, and adapt in real-time to shifts in performance.
Mamoon Hamid, a Partner at Kleiner Perkins, expressed confidence in MAI’s vision: “MAI’s approach is bold and refreshingly pragmatic. We’re excited to back Yuchen and Jian as they build this out.”
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The company was founded by experienced AI/ML engineers who previously contributed to the development of Google Ads and managed growth marketing engineering teams at Instacart. MAI is committed to driving growth for businesses globally through its AI-powered performance marketing solutions. For additional information, visit mai.co.
