Google’s AI Venture Fund Backs Seattle Startup Cascade AI in $3.75M Seed Round

Cascade AI, a company at the intersection of HR and AI, has announced an almost 3.75 million dollar seed funding round led by Gradient, Google’s AI-focused venture fund, aimed at revolutionizing HR support for large organizations.

Read the original announcement on gocascade.ai.

Cascade’s AI-powered assistant is designed to answer a wide range of HR inquiries—from benefits and leave policies to bonuses and internal conflicts—tailored to each company’s specific policies.

The bot can address over 50% of HR-related queries autonomously. This automation frees up HR professionals, creating notable productivity gains and allowing them to focus on more strategic issues.

Cascade’s assistant customizes responses based on details like the user’s role and location, making it feel as personal as talking to an HR rep. And when it reaches the limits of its knowledge, the system smoothly escalates the inquiry to human support. The platform also offers companies aggregate data to track and understand HR trends, while preserving individual anonymity.

Ana-Maria Constantin and co-founder Pulak Goyal, both Harvard grads and former Microsoft employees, initially launched Cascade as a healthcare pricing platform. After challenges with healthcare transparency data, they pivoted, realizing HR teams faced a similar lack of clarity around benefits and policies.

Cascade’s new focus has drawn interest from large enterprises in sectors like tech, energy, and healthcare, as they seek more efficient ways to manage their workforce’s HR needs. The company operates on a subscription model, pricing per employee per month, although revenue figures have not been disclosed.

Cascade’s recent funding will help it expand its offerings, with Constantin hinting at new features that go beyond answering questions, potentially allowing the bot to complete tasks on behalf of employees. The startup’s evolution reflects a clear trend in AI-driven HR innovation, with companies keen to leverage AI to enhance both privacy and productivity in the workplace.