Pie Tech

Pie Tech Inc. provides an AI-powered growth platform designed to help local small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) acquire new customers. The company was founded in 2024 by Syed Ali (CEO) and Akhil Mantripragada (CTO), who are both veterans of Square and Toast. Their experience building products for small businesses revealed that owners needed more customers rather than more administrative software. Pie Tech emerged from stealth on June 30, 2026, announcing a $19.5 million Series A funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, which brought its total funding to $23.7 million. The round also saw participation from Capital One Ventures, Max Levchin's SciFi VC, F-Prime, and Commerce Ventures, among others. The company's integrated platform is built to address the shift in customer discovery from traditional search engines to AI-powered channels. It offers a suite of three main products: 'Growth', 'AI Search', and 'Front Desk'. The 'Growth' product automates and optimizes advertising campaigns across high-intent local channels like Google Maps, Yelp, and Nextdoor. 'AI Search' focuses on what the company calls Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), aiming to have a business recommended by AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini when users ask for local services. The 'Front Desk' product is an AI-powered receptionist that operates 24/7 to answer calls, handle customer questions, and manage bookings or reservations, ensuring that no customer demand is missed. Pie Tech's business model is designed to be a more accessible and cost-effective alternative to traditional marketing agencies, which can be prohibitively expensive for many small businesses. The company reaches its customers, which include businesses in sectors like auto repair, pet care, fitness, and beauty, both directly and through embedded partnerships with vertical software platforms. Since launching its first product in late 2025, Pie has acquired thousands of customers and reports that businesses using the platform typically see a 15-20% increase in year-over-year sales. Keywords: AI marketing, small business growth, local business marketing, Generative Engine Optimization, GEO, automated advertising, AI receptionist, customer acquisition, lead conversion, Syed Ali, Akhil Mantripragada, Google Maps marketing, Yelp advertising, AI search optimization, ChatGPT business visibility, local discovery, customer demand generation, SMB marketing platform, ad campaign automation, AI business tools, front desk automation