TL;DR: Browse AI, a Vancouver-based startup making automated web scraping and data monitoring accessible to all, raised $2.8 million in its latest round of funding from co-founders of Dropbox, DoorDash, Blinkist, and more.
I'm Ardy, the founder of Browse AI. You’ve read the title and know that we recently got a new round of funding (which I’m thrilled about, as it brings us a step closer to achieving our mission of democratizing access to web data). So if you’re here for the big picture, I’d love to tell you about our journey so far. Let’s start with …
Why We Exist
Our story began in 2015 when I got into a side project that involved scraping web data and transforming them into valuable insights for people selling digital products on marketplaces. My initial expectation was that building the tool was enough – the rest would fall into place. But it soon became clear that the true challenge was maintaining custom scrapers in the complex landscape of evolving websites, governance, and commercialization.
Through this experience, I realized that the immense power of live data exists within an unequal system, one that is controlled by tech giants taking data from the common man and using it to monopolize industries. Breaking down the barriers that make it hard for individuals and small businesses to access important web data was a dream I wasn’t ready to give up on.
That’s why we launched Browse AI in 2021.
The Foundations
For the first six months, we were a small team of five, writing thousands of lines of code and pouring our hearts into creating the easiest-to-use product. Despite the early limitations, users believed in our vision and word about us spread quickly, leading to our first investment of $400,000 from Zapier, Angels of Many, and a startup accelerator. This pre-seed fundraising helped us expand the team and build the product exponentially faster.
Within a year, we grew to a team of 12 and a community of 200,000 strong. More excitingly – we became profitable! But true to the story of most startups, with great reception and major growth came unexpected challenges and the struggle to keep up with the momentum. Between an increasing number of curious users and not wanting to lose sight of our goals, we were ready to welcome our next round of funding and the opportunity for more resources.
Yet, we had to be cautiously enthusiastic about interested investors to make sure that they believed in our mindset as much as they did the product. A critical decision had to be made, and soon.
The Seed Round
We proactively sought out partners who not only shared our values but also believed in our vision. Engaging with over 120 VCs and investors resulted in $2.8 million raised from luminaries like co-founders of Dropbox, DoorDash, Blinkist, among others. Their unwavering support not only provided us with a boost of confidence but also enabled us to swiftly expand our team and make a bigger impact — a whole year ahead of revenue projections.
What This Means For You
We’re excited to empower our 260,000+ community with a range of new and improved features that will revolutionize the user experience. With your invaluable feedback and our growing team, here’s a glimpse of what’s coming:
- Faster robot training and wider range of automation options
- Enhanced reliability and compatibility of robots across different websites
- New and improved tutorials and resources to maximize your dashboard and robots’ potential
- Ability to create workflows, collaborate with others, and more with Future Labs
We’re just scratching the surface of possibilities, and as the product evolves, what remains constant is our commitment to giving users the best possible experience.
What This Means for Us
At the heart of it all, our mission remains to level the playing field for information access. We're committed to making web data extraction accessible to everyone. We're building a future where data access isn't a privilege but a right, and we're excited to work with small businesses and individuals striving for equality in the digital era.
Thank you for being a part of this incredible ride. Here's to making information equitable, one step at a time.
