| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| How The Prompting Company Started | Business Model of The Prompting Company: Founded by Kevin Chandra, Michelle Marcelline, and Albert Purnama—Indonesian immigrants who met as freshmen and previously built successful Y Combinator-backed startups Typedream (acquired by beehiiv) and Cotter (acquired by Stytch). The San Francisco-based team recognized consumer search behavior fundamentally shifted from browser-based Google queries to conversational AI interactions, creating entirely new discovery channels where conventional SEO tactics fail completely. Developed generative engine optimization (GEO) platform enabling brands to appear in AI-generated recommendations through strategies designed for futures where AI agents browse internet on users’ behalf. Secured $6.5 million seed funding at $25 million valuation just four months after founding—demonstrating investor conviction in problem urgency and team execution capabilities validated through prior successful exits. |
| Present Condition of The Prompting Company | Led $6.5 million seed round by Peak XV Partners with participation from Base10, Y Combinator, Firedrop, and former OpenAI developer relations lead Logan Kilpatrick. Currently hosts approximately 500,000 AI-optimized pages driving double-digit millions in monthly visits to customer sites. Serves primarily fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS customers including Rippling, Rho, Motion, Vapi, Fondo, Kernel, and Traceloop plus an undisclosed Fortune 10 company. Platform charges subscription fees based on prompts tracked and pages hosted. Technology enables customers standing up thousands of targeted, model-readable pages within days covering long-tail intents impractical addressing manually through conventional content strategies. System tracks which prompts drive traffic, analyzes how AI models cite sources, and optimizes page structure ensuring brands appear prominently when target audiences ask relevant questions through ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI assistants. |
| Future of The Prompting Company and Industry | The global generative engine optimization services market valued at $886 million in 2024 projects explosive growth to $7.3 billion by 2031 (34% CAGR)—nearly triple traditional SEO growth rates of 12.6% annually. Gartner forecasts traditional organic traffic declining 25% by 2026 and 50% by 2028 due to AI-generated search. ChatGPT reached 400 million weekly users by February 2025, surpassing Bing in daily visitors. Retailers face projected 520% traffic increases from AI chatbots in 2025 versus 2024, while 79% of consumers expect using AI-enhanced search within the year. Adobe data shows generative AI traffic to U.S. retail sites spiked 3,300% year-over-year during Prime Day 2025. Industry analysts estimate chatbot-style search engines might drive one-third of all organic traffic for B2B sites within three years, forcing marketing budget reallocation toward AI-native channels. Positioned to capture market share as brands migrate from traditional SEO commanding $89 billion globally toward GEO platforms optimizing for conversational AI discovery. |
| Opportunities for Young Entrepreneurs | AI-mediated discovery creates massive opportunities as consumer behavior permanently shifts from traditional search engines to conversational AI interfaces. GEO market growing 34% annually versus SEO’s 12.6% demonstrates emerging category velocity outpacing mature markets. 63% of websites now receive at least some traffic from AI chatbots according to Ahrefs studies, though current volumes remain modest at 0.17% average—creating early-mover advantages before competition intensifies. Brands optimizing for AI visibility capture growing discovery channels while competitors relying exclusively on traditional SEO watch organic traffic decline. Building infrastructure enabling AI-legible content formatting, tracking which prompts drive traffic, and analyzing how large language models cite sources solves critical pain points brands cannot address through conventional agencies. Practical implementations include side-by-side comparisons for niche configurations, region-specific compliance summaries, or dynamic FAQs mapping to trending prompts—delivering value impossible through manual content strategies. 70% of Gen Z using generative AI tools and 37% researching through ChatGPT demonstrates demographic segments where traditional search marketing fails reaching target audiences. |
| Market Share of The Prompting Company | The Prompting Company Operates in nascent GEO sector where traditional SEO agencies dominate $89 billion global market yet lack AI-native optimization capabilities. Currently serving fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS customers including Fortune 10 validation demonstrating enterprise readiness. Academic researchers formalized GEO frameworks and agencies launched audit services in 2024-2025, indicating discipline maturation from theoretical concept to operational necessity. Early adopters capture market share in less crowded channels before competition intensifies. ChatGPT commanding 400 million weekly users and handling over 10 million daily queries creates addressable market as brands reallocate marketing budgets toward platforms where consumers increasingly search. The Prompting Company’s Semrush projects large language model traffic overtaking traditional search by end-2027, positioning early GEO platforms capturing first-mover advantages in winner-take-most market dynamics. |
| MOAT (Competitive Advantage) | The Prompting Company works on Full-stack GEO platform eliminating optimization complexity through infrastructure enabling thousands of targeted pages within days versus months required for traditional SEO implementations. Proprietary technology tracks prompt performance, analyzes AI model citation patterns, and optimizes content structure ensuring brands appear prominently in conversational AI responses. Team brings validated execution capability through successful Y Combinator exits (Typedream, Cotter) demonstrating ability scaling products and achieving acquisitions. Fortune 10 enterprise customer provides credibility barrier new entrants cannot easily overcome. First-mover advantage hosting 500,000 AI-optimized pages and driving double-digit millions in monthly traffic creates data advantages—understanding which content structures AI models prefer through millions of interactions competitors lack. Unlike traditional SEO requiring backlinks and domain authority built over years, GEO optimizes for how large language models synthesize and cite information, creating differentiated expertise conventional agencies cannot replicate without fundamental business model transformation. |
| How The Prompting Company Makes Money | The Prompting Company provides SaaS subscription model charging fees based on prompts tracked and pages hosted on platform. Enterprise licenses for Fortune 10 companies and mid-market customers across fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS verticals. Revenue from hosting infrastructure enabling brands maintaining thousands of AI-optimized pages without internal development resources. Professional services supporting GEO strategy development, content optimization audits, and ongoing performance monitoring. Potential upselling advanced analytics tracking AI model citation patterns, competitive intelligence showing how competitors appear in AI responses, and automated content generation creating model-readable pages at scale.The Prompting Company focuses on Future revenue opportunities from API access allowing customers integrating GEO capabilities into proprietary content management systems. Platform economics improve as infrastructure scales—hosting 500,000 pages creates operational efficiencies enabling margin expansion while serving growing customer base. International expansion as GEO discipline matures globally and non-U.S. brands recognize urgency optimizing for AI-mediated discovery before traditional traffic declines materialize. |
I’m Araib Khan, an author at Startups Union, where I share insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, and business growth. This role helps me enhance my credibility, connect with professionals, and contribute to impactful ideas within the global startup ecosystem.
