Kognitos: Generative AI is the new ‘It’ in automation

This startup, which just scored $20M, sees a future with no code for any business application

Automation has always been costly and time-consuming across industries, yet it’s a crucial step for any business looking to boost productivity. One startup has found a way to automate processes cheaper and faster, and to do so it’s using generative AI that understands plain language commands, no code required.

It is a San Jose-based startup called Kognitos, and it has just closed its Series A round of funding with $20 million in proceeds. Khosla Ventures in Menlo Park, California, led the round; existing investors Clear Ventures, Engineering Capital, and Wipro Ventures, all from the San Fransisco Bay Area, also participated.

The solution Kognitos is offering comes in the form of a “highly scalable bot-less and management-free” SaaS platform for automating processes using plain English. It employs a natural language processing automation (NLPA) model that understands language prompts and is equipped with patented conversational exception handling.

This, the company believes, will eliminate the expensive software development life cycle required by traditional automation tools. No more manual document-heavy and coordination-heavy processes, Kognitos says.

“For the last few decades, we have been forcing humans to learn the language of the machine through various no-code, low code and RPA platforms. The time has come for the machine to natively understand plain English," Kognitos founder and CEO, Binny Gill, said in a statement last week. "No developer should be needed to translate business requirements into automation because now the business requirements become the automation."

In fact, Kognitos envisions a future where all business applications are written without code, using just English, while machines natively understand human language.

In addition to the new funding, Kognitos has also announced the launch of the exception handling interface. The company also added some new automation features to the platform, namely: voice transcription, image comparison and manipulation, QR code support, data visualization, and PDF form filling.

Overall, the three-year-old Kognitos has raised $30 million capital to date. The company said it will invest into the platform’s ability to understand and execute complex business processes, as well as attract new partners and integrate new business applications. So far, Kognitos says it integrates directly with all major ERP, CRM, and productivity solutions for automation, including Salesforce, Teams, Google Drive, Microsoft Excel, and Slack.

Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures said in a release: “Every enterprise needs to embrace AI, and automation in human language will be key to widespread business usage.”

Among its clients today Kognitos counts IT consulting service Wipro, PepsiCo, equipment manufacturer Norco Industries, Century Supply Chain Solutions, Brown Integrated Logistics, JBI Interiors, Australian home improvement conglomerate Wesfarmers, and blockchain software developer IOHK based in Singapore.

Image: Kognitos