Apple and Andreessen Horowitz alumni raise $20 million to introduce AI in real-world businesses

(SeaPRwire) –   AI is rapidly transforming the way people work, but much of this workplace transformation has so far been concentrated in large tech-centric companies. Ciridae has raised $20 million in seed funding to bring AI solutions to the many U.S. businesses that operate outside the Fortune 500.

The funding round was led by Accel, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst. Its co-founders—former a16z partner Jack Soslow and former Apple and Tenyx machine learning lead Jack Weissenberger—view AI adoption as a critical challenge for mid-market companies that their startup aims to serve.

“Many of the businesses most vulnerable to AI disruption are least prepared to adapt themselves,” Soslow told in an interview. “These include home services, construction, and industrial distribution firms—the backbone of our real economy. Without adopting AI, they risk falling behind and losing competitiveness over time.”

Ciridae’s approach reflects a broader movement where companies are leveraging AI to modernize and improve traditional industries. For example, investment firm Long Lake recently acquired a corporate travel platform for $6.3 billion with plans to use AI to enhance its operations. Ciridae intends to capitalize on this trend by initially targeting private equity-backed enterprises.

In practice, much of Ciridae’s work with real-economy businesses involves resolving back-office inefficiencies and addressing localized challenges such as scheduling conflicts due to workplace dynamics. The company reports strong traction: Soslow noted that Ciridae collaborates with more than 20 partners and generated “high seven figures” in revenue during 2025.

While acknowledging a “culture problem” around AI adoption—particularly among American workers and the businesses Ciridae plans to support—the founders believe demonstrating tangible benefits will help overcome resistance. “We’re not building AI that mows lawns directly,” Weissenberger explained. “Instead, we enable companies to provide better, more consistent lawn care services, which translates into improved experiences for end customers.”

Ciridae partnered with a Dallas-based commercial construction firm, replacing its CRM, project management, and working capital systems with an AI-powered operating system. This integration reduced the time required to complete monthly accounting processes—known as the “close”—from two weeks to a single click, according to Weissenberger.

At a time when AI attention remains largely focused on major tech players, Ciridae stands out for its focus on less glamorous, underserved companies, said Accel partner Christine Esserman in an interview with .

“Everyone is chasing the top-tier enterprise market,” Esserman remarked. “But there are thousands of small and mid-sized businesses—like a $200 million revenue restoration company in Texas—that genuinely want to adopt AI but have no idea how to start.”