Hightouch, a startup reshaping marketing automation with AI-driven tools, has raised $80 million in a Series C funding round, propelling its valuation to $1.2 billion. Led by Sapphire Ventures, with participation from NVC, Amplify Ventures, ICONIQ Growth, Bain Capital Ventures, and Y Combinator, this latest investment nearly doubles Hightouch’s previous valuation from 2023. The funds will be used to enhance the company’s AI capabilities, expand its customer data platform (CDP), and drive business growth.
Founded in 2019 by Tejas Manohar, Kashish Gupta, and Josh Curl—two of whom previously worked at Segment—Hightouch emerged as a solution to simplify customer data management. Traditional marketing tools required developers to integrate data from multiple sources, a process that was often complex and inefficient. Hightouch’s approach shifts focus to cloud data warehouses, leveraging AI to seamlessly sync data across platforms like CRM, sales, and customer support systems.
The company’s core offering, its CDP, allows both technical and non-technical users to extract insights from data warehouses for personalized marketing, loyalty programs, and automation. With over 250 integrations, including major platforms like Spotify, PetSmart, and Grammarly, Hightouch enables businesses to maximize the value of their customer data.
A key driver behind this funding round is the rapid adoption of Hightouch’s latest product, AI Decisioning. Launched in August 2024, this AI-driven system automates marketing optimization by running thousands of experiments to refine customer engagement strategies. The AI agents analyze vast datasets to determine the best approaches for increasing customer lifetime value and revenue. The strong demand for this AI-powered tool convinced Hightouch’s leadership to pursue additional funding despite the company’s capital-efficient model.
As AI continues to redefine marketing and customer engagement, Hightouch’s success highlights the growing need for intelligent automation in the industry. With fresh funding and a robust AI-driven product suite, the company is well-positioned to lead the next wave of AI-powered marketing solutions.