The world is witnessing a seismic shift in consumer behavior, arguably the biggest since the rise of search engines. Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Meta AI, and Claude are fundamentally changing how people access information, conduct research, and make purchase decisions. According to Gartner, by 2028, brands could see a 50% or greater reduction in organic search traffic as consumers shift to generative AI-powered search. This means the most critical visitors to your website aren’t humans anymore – they’re AI agents acting on behalf of humans. We believe this represents a massive opportunity for business, but also a significant challenge: How do you ensure your brand is effectively represented in this emerging AI-driven ecosystem?
Today, we are thrilled to announce our inception stage investment in Scrunch AI, a company founded by Chris Andrew and Robert MacCloy. Scrunch AI offers a platform to help businesses understand, optimize, and manage their presence across AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. The Scrunch Platform offers tools that help companies evaluate their brand’s visibility, reputation, and accuracy across thousands of AI-generated responses. Also, their solution enables businesses to optimize websites specifically for AI-driven search, retrieval, and content understanding—solving a critical problem for companies that want to stay relevant in the AI era.
For us at Mayfield, investment decisions always start with people, and I’ve been fortunate to have known the founding team for more than 15 years. Prior to founding Scrunch AI, Chris and Robert were among the first employees and CPO and CTO at Hearsay Systems – a leading social and marketing platform for enterprises. With their backgrounds, the team knows how megatrends can impact business and has the experience to build marketing software for enterprises.
We are incredibly excited about the potential of Scrunch AI and the vision of Chris and Robert. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, Scrunch AI provides businesses with the essential tools and insights to thrive in this new AI era.
