Ex-Unilever exec lands £7m for AI research platform Bolt Insight

A erstwhile Unilever enforcement whose user penetration level is utilized by astir a twelve of the world's largest packaged goods companies has raised millions of pounds to money its expansion.

Sky News understands that Bolt Insight, which counts Unilever, Reckitt and Danone among its clients, volition this week denote a £7m backing circular led by Pembroke VCT.

Sources said that Pembroke VCT, which has antecedently backed businesses including Me + Em, the women's manner brand, had injected fractional of the capital.

Investors including 212, Active Partners, Velocity, and TIBAS Ventures besides participated successful the round.

Bolt Insight's level combines AI-enabled workflows with quality researchers to present qualitative studies successful a fraction of the accustomed time, enabling them to link unrecorded with consumers.

The institution is led by co-founder and main enforcement Hakan Yurdakul, who spent 14 years astatine Unilever successful marque strategy and translation roles, and chap co-founder Kerem Turgay, its main exertion officer.

To date, Bolt Insight has interviewed much than 5 cardinal consumers and worked with much than 150 brands.

The caller backing volition beryllium utilized to grow BoltChatAI globally with the purpose of strengthening its presumption successful a planetary insights marketplace valued astatine astir $153bn.

"When we launched Bolt Insight successful 2019, our ngo was to bring existent user voices into the bosom of concern decision-making," Mr Yurdakul said.

"Since then, we've shown AI tin supercharge the velocity and prime of probe for the world's starring brands."

Andrew Wolfson, main enforcement of Pembroke Investment Managers, said: "Bolt Insight is simply a superb illustration of however AI tin pb alteration successful an established manufacture by putting existent user voices astatine the bosom of decision-making."