Forethought Looks to Reshape Enterprise Search with AI

Forethought Aims to Revolutionize Enterprise Search with AI

Forethought, a participant in the 2018 TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield, is developing an innovative AI-powered enterprise search engine named "Agatha." The startup's vision is to move beyond traditional keyword-based search, offering a more intelligent and context-aware approach to information retrieval within business workflows.

The "Agatha" Engine: AI-Driven Information Retrieval

Forethought's approach centers on its proprietary AI engine, "Agatha." Unlike conventional search engines that rely heavily on keywords, Agatha utilizes advanced artificial intelligence, including Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Understanding (NLU). This allows the engine to process and understand documents much like a human would, enabling users to ask questions using natural language, synonyms, and even without specific keywords.

Nicholas explains that Agatha's core function is to index relevant company documents at scale, quickly and efficiently. The NLP and NLU capabilities enable the engine to comprehend the content, identify relevant answers, and deliver them directly within the user's workflow, making information more accessible and actionable.

Transforming Customer Support with AI

One of the primary use cases Forethought is targeting is customer support. "Agatha for Support" integrates with popular help desk software like Zendesk and Salesforce Service Cloud. By reading support tickets and knowledge base articles, Agatha can suggest relevant answers and resources to customer support agents. Nicholas claims this AI integration has led to a significant increase in agent efficiency, reportedly improving it by 20-30 percent. This allows support teams to close tickets more efficiently and provide faster, more accurate responses to customers.

Broader Ambitions and Future Expansion

While customer support is an initial focus, Forethought has broader ambitions to apply its AI search technology across various departments and functions within an enterprise. The plan is to embed Agatha into the tools and platforms that employees use daily, making information retrieval seamless and integrated into their work processes. When the product reaches general release, it will operate as a cloud service, allowing customers to connect their existing software (like Zendesk or Salesforce) for content indexing.

Founding Team and Funding

The founding team, largely in their mid-20s, shares a deep passion for artificial intelligence. CEO Deon Nicholas, with a background in AI and machine learning, including academic publications and internships at major tech companies like Palantir, Facebook, and Dropbox, leads the company. The startup has secured pre-seed funding, led by K9 Ventures, with participation from Village Global, Original Capital, and other investors. The company launched last year and began its private beta four months prior to the article's publication, with one of its initial six participating companies already converting to a paying customer.

TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018 Presence

Forethought's participation in the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield highlights its innovative approach and potential impact on the enterprise software market. The event provides a platform for emerging startups to showcase their technologies and gain visibility.

Event Promotion

The article also includes promotional content for TechCrunch events, specifically the "TechCrunch All Stage" pass, offering discounts for attendees interested in networking with industry leaders and gaining insights into startup growth strategies. The event is scheduled for July 15th in Boston.