Unify, an AI-powered startup specializing in data-driven outreach to prospective buyers, has successfully raised $12 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by existing investors Emergence Capital and Thrive Capital, with participation from OpenAI Startup Fund, Neo, Abstract, 20Sales, and AltCap.

Founded 20 months ago by Austin Hughes and Connor Heggie, Unify emerged from OpenAI's Converge I accelerator program. Hughes, leveraging his experience from Ramp's sales outbound program, recognized the declining effectiveness of cold email outreach. This insight led to the creation of Unify, which aims to enhance sales and marketing efforts through personalized "warm outbound" messaging using AI. Unlike traditional AI sales development representative (AISDR) companies, Unify focuses on fine-tuning messaging by utilizing data from CRMs and online sources to identify potential buyers and tailor communications.

Unify views itself as a data company rather than a direct competitor to AISDRs. It draws inspiration from companies like Zoominfo and Outbound.io. Despite its unique approach, Unify is experiencing rapid growth, with revenues in the millions and a notable client base including Justworks and Lattice.