Dr. Benjamin Harvey, CEO of AI Squared, secured $13.8 million in funding through a unique LinkedIn pitch to former TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson.
According to Forbes report, in February 2022, Harvey wrote to Dr. Ferguson, “Here’s some of the work that we’re doing in financial services. I would love to just have a 15-minute phone call with you.”
Confident in his vision, Harvey’s persistence paid off with an invitation to discuss over breakfast. “I’m relentless with trying to make [my vision] become a reality,” Harvey tells Forbes.
The Series A raise, led by Ansa Capital and involving investors like NEA and Ferguson, marks a milestone for AI Squared. Founded in 2019, the company specializes in extracting data from AI models to deliver real-time business insights.
While AI Squared isn’t profitable yet, Harvey anticipates surpassing $10 million in revenue for 2024. The company monetizes through product licensing and data usage fees, serving clients like the U.S. Air Force, Navy, NSA, and Nasdaq-traded cybersecurity firm Rapid7.
Investor Greg Papadopoulos sees AI as a democratizing technology, empowering creativity. He highlights AI Squared’s role in solving the “last mile problem,” bridging the gap between AI development and deployment.
Harvey, raised in Jacksonville, Florida, credits his father, who worked as a AT&T project manager for his computer passion. His father would bring home computers that were not functioning properly, there Harvey learned how to fix them.
With a background in computer science and experience at NSA and Databricks, Harvey’s journey to AI Squared was fueled by a desire to improve data analytics for the military.
In addition to being the CEO of AI Squared, Harvey is also a Senior Research Associate at Johns Hopkins University, a Research Professor at Bowie State University, and a Research Professor at George Washington University.
Facing initial funding challenges, Harvey’s determination led him to max out credit cards and even drain his retirement account. However, a $6 million seed round in 2022 set AI Squared on its path to success.
Now, armed with fresh capital, AI Squared plans to expand its AI-as-a-service offerings, propelled by Ferguson’s involvement.
“We’ve grown that relationship off of a LinkedIn message,” says Harvey.
