SalesTechStar Interview with Elizabeth Lukas, CEO, Americas at AutoGenAI

Elizabeth Lukas, CEO, Americas at AutoGenAI discusses the impact of AI on RPFs and deal-making in this chat with SalesTechStar:

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Welcome to this SalesTech Series chat, Elizabeth: tell us about yourself and more about AutoGenAI – what inspired the platform and how has the journey been so far?

Thank you for having me! AutogenAI is an enterprise-level artificial intelligence technology that deploys cutting-edge AI technology so that organizations can write evidenced proposals faster and more compellingly. AutogenAI was founded by serial entrepreneur, Sean Williams, who started his career as a proposal writer and was inspired to create a tool that supercharges proposal writers’ ability to respond to complex RFPs.

We work with Fortune 500 companies, management consultancies, international government agencies, and more to solve and innovate time-consuming processes. We are dedicated to making our product suite easily accessible with tools that cut down both the time and cost associated with the pursuit writing process.

It’s been an incredible journey so far as we’ve experienced rapid growth since inception in 2022. With the latest funding round of $35.9M backed by Salesforce Ventures and Spark Capital, with participation from Blossom Capital, we’re excited to continue supporting international businesses to revolutionize the pursuit writing process.

A little bit about me: I am an entrepreneurial leader with a proven track record of driving growth and success for some of the world’s top companies. Before joining AutogenAI, I was the CEO of Americas at Decoded Ltd. where I launched the UK startup into the U.S. market and drove 30%+ YOY growth. As the CEO of Americas at AutogenAI, I’m responsible for propelling growth and the adoption of generative AI in business here in the U.S. marketplace. I’m passionate about empowering people with the next generation of business tools that enable them to excel and compete in this rapidly accelerating market.

Kudos on your recent funding: can you talk about the near future and roadmap for AutoGenAI – what can users expect? 

Thank you. With this latest funding round of $35.9M backed by Salesforce Ventures and Spark Capital, with participation from Blossom Capital, we plan to further develop our platform’s proposal-writing product suite. As industries continue to evolve and businesses invest in technology solutions, it is our goal to remain the number one solution. We do that by having built a world-class tech team and being hyper-focused on our customers and what they need to win new business.

In regards to our product development roadmap, we roll out product enhancements and novel features bi-weekly. Our timeline is replete with innovative features that will persist in assisting teams in drafting and substantiating their responses. Our clientele has the privilege of previewing all new features first.

Some of the latest additions include a novel security element named the Bowdleriser, which eliminates sensitive data from documents before being integrated into the LLM. This feature is transformative for businesses that handle confidential or classified data, as it completely revolutionizes how knowledge is controlled, modified and repurposed.

In the year ahead, we plan to focus on both the enterprise and public sectors. We just kicked off a seven-figure, 3-year partnership with multi-billion dollar government services company, Serco to deploy AutogenAI’s innovative generative AI software across the business globally.

Efficiency is non-negotiable for the government contracting RFP & bid process, but current workflows remain outdated. This is crucial to keep in mind as one out of every ten dollars of federal government spending in the US goes to contractors and the global public sector market which is worth over $10 trillion.

Our partnership with Serco follows a successful 6-month test pilot in the UK and Europe which resulted in up to 85% time-saving when managing and collating knowledge about Serco’s capabilities worldwide.

It is our responsibility to educate government sectors on these tools so that we can collaboratively build a better future. Our mission is to use our resources to educate government enterprises on how to efficiently and effectively implement AI tools to revolutionize workflows.

How has AI and AI-powered tech been enabling teams when deal-making, building, proposals / RFPs? What are your views on the future impact of AI in this domain?

AI and AI-powered technologies give teams a competitive advantage, increased efficiency and cost savings compared to those that don’t integrate these tools into their tech stack.

For example, companies that have implemented AutogenAI’s bespoke AI tool are reporting up to 50% cost savings and a 30% uplift in win rates. Industries across the board are evolving and demanding new tools to improve workflows, and AI-powered technologies are following suit to meet the needs of all players. This is crucial, especially to the fast-paced and heavily detailed landscape that is bid and proposal writing.

AutogenAI has supported international businesses to increase their win rate from 50% to double – which is a testament to the benefits of AI. Those involved in the bidding process understand that these tools are game changers revolutionizing the approach to proposal writing, and see the value of increasing productivity and win rates.

Teams that have embraced AI-powered technology are not just keeping up with the times; they are leading the way, setting new precedents in innovation when it comes to deal-making, building, proposals, and RFPs. By integrating AI into their operations, these teams are pioneering new strategies and techniques that are reshaping the landscape of their respective industries.

As we look towards the future, it is becoming increasingly clear that AI will continue to play an integral role in the evolution of various industries. One of the most significant changes that we can anticipate is a shift in focus from mundane tasks to more complex and strategic activities. This shift is already beginning to take place, as demonstrated by our clients who are leveraging the time saved through AI implementation to concentrate on key differentiators and strategic initiatives.

These clients are using the advantages of AI to drive their businesses forward, enabling them to stand out from their competitors and gain a significant edge in their respective markets. They are setting strong examples for other businesses to follow, illustrating the immense potential of AI in enhancing productivity, improving efficiency, and driving innovation.

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For teams at the nascent stage of setting up AI-driven processes and tools within their systems: what tips would you share?

1. Pinpoint the issues: Begin by pinpointing the specific problems or challenges in your company where AI could potentially enhance productivity and decrease expenses.
2. Investigate AI solutions: Execute comprehensive investigations to discover AI solutions that align with your company’s requirements and objectives. Search for solutions that have been demonstrated to be successful in similar sectors or applications.
3. Take calculated risks: There will be both general and specialized AI solutions available. Experiment with a few to see which one is the most suitable for your company.
4. Supervise and fine-tune: Regularly supervise the performance of the AI solutions and gather feedback from your team. Determine areas that could benefit from improvements and make necessary modifications to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
5. Merge AI and human skills: Understand that AI is not designed to substitute human skills but to supplement and amplify them. Promote cooperation between AI solutions and your team to leverage the advantages of both.
6. Constantly modify and progress: As technology progresses and new AI solutions become available, stay informed and modify your processes accordingly. Adopt a mindset of constant enhancement and be open to exploring new AI solutions that can further improve your company’s workflows and achieve your business objectives.

What are the most exciting possibilities in tech that you’re looking forward to in 2024?

Looking forward to 2024, I’m excited for the continued growth and advancements in the field of artificial intelligence. This sector has a high potential for rapid expansion, and there will surely be a significant turning point for AI in the near future. Early adopters of AI technology will inevitably gain a competitive edge over those who delay learning about or implementing these new tools.

As this technology continues to advance, it is set to play a pivotal role in reshaping job roles. By automating everyday tasks, AI will liberate human manpower to concentrate on tasks that require critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. This change in focus will not only increase individual efficiency but also have a significant positive impact on the overall success of a company. As a result, professionals will likely gravitate towards organizations that utilize AI technology, pushing companies that fail to adopt this technology to the sidelines.

The implementation of AI-powered tools will enable employees to devote more time to innovation, potentially leading to increased engagement and job satisfaction. This is particularly significant given that job satisfaction has reached a record low since 2020. AI technologies, such as generative AI and language model engines, are lowering the mental effort required for tasks and enhancing the capabilities of workers at all skill levels. These tools empower individuals to automate routine tasks, freeing up time for more meaningful activities and allowing them to focus on creative thinking and innovation and the creation of high-value solutions for clients.

If you had to share a few AI trends that will lead the salestech-martech space in 2024 and beyond, what would you talk about?

For 2024 and beyond, in the field of AI, there is a growing trend toward developing generative models that can comprehend and generate various forms of multimedia content. This capability, known as multimodal learning, allows AI systems to not only understand and work with text-based information but also interpret and create tables, diagrams and figures.

Additionally, transparency and trust will continue to be a hot topic for AI and the salestech and martech spaces.

The ability to source and reference where recommendations are coming from will become increasingly important – especially as the public and private sectors begin to use AI on the procurement side which accelerates business timelines. No matter the industry, companies that do not have AI tools will lose out to those who do and the speed of that change is faster than we’ve ever seen.

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