Glean Aims to Outperform ChatGPT in Corporate Settings

In the realm of artificial intelligence, GenAI has its strengths and weaknesses. However, when it comes to extracting insights from extensive datasets, it undeniably excels.

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Enter Glean, a software solution designed to address the specific needs of enterprises by seamlessly tapping into both internal and external databases to field inquiries in plain language from employees, resembling a tailored version of ChatGPT. Launched by Arvind Jain, co-founder of the cloud data management firm Rubrik, Glean was born out of Jain’s recognition that Rubrik employees, much like those in other companies, often struggled to locate crucial information necessary for their tasks.

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Jain explains, "I noticed engineers spending excessive time away from code, account managers unable to access the latest research or presentations crucial for closing deals, and new hires experiencing prolonged onboarding processes. This productivity drain not only affected efficiency but also employee satisfaction."

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This observation resonates with findings from a recent Gartner survey indicating that nearly half of desk workers encounter difficulties accessing necessary data for their roles. Moreover, the proliferation of workplace applications, now averaging 11 compared to six five years ago, further compounds this challenge.

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In 2019, Jain and a small team introduced Glean, an AI-driven search application tailored for enterprise clientele. Initially resembling offerings like Microsoft's SharePoint Syntex and Amazon Kendra, Glean belonged to the category of "cognitive search," leveraging natural language processing to understand both specific document details and broader organizational queries. Over time, Glean evolved into a comprehensive platform that interfaces with and analyzes a company's diverse data sources to provide employees with relevant insights—a trajectory following the footsteps of the explosive GenAI trend. Today, Glean aggregates data from various sources, such as support tickets, chat transcripts, and customer relationship management platforms, deploying GenAI algorithms to distill this information into actionable insights.

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However, the prospect of integrating proprietary data, particularly internal chat records, into a comprehensive GenAI platform raises concerns about privacy and data security. Indeed, a recent Cisco survey revealed that over a quarter of organizations have prohibited the use of GenAI due to such risks, fearing potential intellectual property breaches or unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

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Nevertheless, Jain reassures that Glean prioritizes security and privacy within the constraints of a cloud-based GenAI platform. According to him, Glean operates within the permissions framework established by a company's data sources, ensuring that employees only access information pertinent to their roles. Additionally, Jain emphasizes Glean's commitment to data integrity by promptly reflecting changes made within underlying applications.

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Addressing another common pitfall of GenAI—erroneous responses—Jain emphasizes Glean's efforts to enhance reliability. While specific statistics on Glean's accuracy remain undisclosed, Jain underscores the platform's personalized approach, tailoring results based on individual user attributes such as role, responsibilities, and project involvement. Moreover, Glean leverages techniques like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to bolster its performance by cross-referencing external knowledge sources, with every provided answer traceable back to its origin.

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Glean operates on a subscription-based model, charging a monthly fee per user under annual contracts. Despite facing competition from industry giants like Microsoft and OpenAI, as well as established enterprise search providers, Glean has experienced robust growth, as evidenced by a fourfold increase in annual recurring revenue over the past year. This growth contradicts the prevailing narrative of cautious GenAI adoption among corporations, as indicated by a survey conducted by Convrg, an Intel subsidiary.

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The company's financial success, coupled with a diverse clientele that includes Duolingo, Grammarly, and Sony, has attracted significant investor interest. Glean recently announced a $200 million Series D funding round co-led by Kleiner Perkins and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from several other prominent investors. This funding, bringing Glean's total raised to approximately $360 million and valuing the startup at $2.2 billion, will be allocated towards expanding the company's workforce, enhancing its product offerings, and strengthening its market presence.

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Reflecting on the investment, Mamoon Hamid of Kleiner Perkins expresses confidence in Glean's potential to revolutionize enterprise GenAI solutions, citing the team's track record and the substantial market opportunity. Jain affirms that the influx of capital will support Glean's continued growth trajectory, driven by increasing demand from enterprises eager to leverage GenAI capabilities to enhance their operations.

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