Just Words, an AI-first marketing platform founded by seasoned tech veterans Neha Mittal and Jeff Hara, has announced the closing of a $1.7 million seed funding round led by Peak XV Partners (Previously Sequoia Capital India & SEA) and Y Combinator. The company aims to revolutionize user-facing messaging by leveraging AI to deliver highly personalized content in real-time.
From Social Media Insights to AI-Powered Marketing
Just Words can be traced back to Mittal’s experiences at tech giants Twitter and Pinterest. A pivotal moment came when a simple change in notification wording from “Elon tweeted” to “Elon just tweeted” resulted in an astounding 800,000 new users for Twitter. This revelation highlighted the immense potential of optimized messaging and the need for more efficient testing methods.
“We knew we needed to do a lot more experimentation,” Mittal explained in a recent interview. “We knew that this was a slow cycle and operationally heavy. So that’s why we started automating a lot of this.”
Standing Out in a Crowded Market
While A/B testing tools and email service providers (ESPs) are not new to the market, Just Words distinguishes itself by focusing on content quality and brand management. The company’s platform enables businesses to test infinite variations of content quickly, placing it in front of users and auto-refreshing it over time.
“We’re trying to go to a world of user-centric focus rather than campaign-centric focus,” Mittal emphasized. This approach represents a significant shift from traditional marketing strategies, allowing for personalization that adapts to individual users and evolving trends.
Neha Mittal, CEO and Co-Founder of Just Words, commented on the fundraise: “We’re thrilled to partner with Peak XV and Y Combinator as we embark on our mission to redefine how businesses communicate with their customers. With this funding, we will invest in expanding our AI capabilities and building a world-class team to meet the growing demand for personalized messaging solutions.”
Mittal emphasized the increasing importance of hyper-personalization in the age of AI-generated content: “Users will become more discerning as they are inundated with AI-driven messages. Only the most relevant and engaging content will cut through the noise.”
The startup has gained traction with leading AI-first companies such as Grammarly, BeReal, and BiggerPockets. It’s also focusing on the Indian market, aiming to serve billions with tailored solutions for platforms like Naukri and Jeevansathi.
Just Words’ AI engine analyzes user behavior, preferences, and market trends to automatically refine messaging across various channels, including emails and push notifications. This approach enables businesses to experiment with multiple messaging styles simultaneously, combat content fatigue, and drive higher engagement and conversions.
A sneak peek into how Just Words helped Grammarly:
– Lifted email engagement for Grammarly by more than 16%
– Tested 45+ messaging variants in 2 months
– Went from old-school A/B tests to an AI-powered continuous testing framework
– Ranking and recommendation frameworks now serve as an autonomous Marketing Co-pilot for hyper-personalization
The company’s vision for the future involves “everything is hyper personalized one on one” within the next three to five years. Mittal describes it as “bots optimizing for bots, not bots optimizing for people,” envisioning a world where marketing and sales converge into seamless, real-time, one-on-one communication.
Just Words aims to put businesses in a constant mode of strategizing while automating operational work. As Mittal puts it, “We want you to be continuously decision-making, coming up with new hypotheses. That’s your skill. All the operational work you spend time on, whether it’s building Excel sheets, whether it’s setting things up, all that stuff is what we’re here to automate.”
The startup’s journey wasn’t without challenges. Mittal candidly shared her experience of a co-founder breakup mid-way through Y Combinator. She credits Y Combinator for providing crucial support: “YC gave some of the best advice. Michael Seibel, our partner, shared with us: if it’s not working, it’s not working. Do not diagnose, look forward.”
Mittal also emphasizes the role of intuition in running the company: “Literally everything runs on intuition in the company.” From product prioritization to fundraising decisions, she balances data-driven decisions with gut feelings.
The Y Combinator experience has been significant for Just Words. Mittal reflects, “They made things very real… We went into an environment that was genuine, that allowed you to be vulnerable and that allowed you to grow.”
As Just Words moves forward with its fresh funding, the team is focused on realizing their vision of a world where marketing is completely revolutionized. They aim to put businesses in a constant mode of strategizing while automating operational work.
