Pienso is a technology company.
Pienso has raised $13.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Pienso has raised $13.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Pienso has raised $13.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Pienso's investors include Alumni Ventures, Arthur Ventures, ENIAC Ventures, First Round Capital, Indicator Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Lowercarbon Capital, Polaris Partners, Preface Ventures, Uncork Capital, Alain Hanover, Avid Larizadeh.
Pienso is a technology company specializing in a no-code machine learning platform that empowers non-programmers, particularly subject matter experts, to train and deploy AI models on their business data without coding.[1][2][4] It focuses on generative AI and language data analysis, offering an interactive interface for applications like customer insights, content moderation, document intelligence, and risk detection, with interoperability across major LLM providers and options for cloud or on-premise deployment to ensure data privacy.[1][2] The platform serves businesses and professionals handling unstructured data, solving the problem of inaccessible AI tools by enabling rapid experimentation, training, and deployment, which has driven early traction in high-impact areas like misinformation detection and supply chain analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
Pienso was founded in 2016 in Arlington, Virginia, originally as UBQ Labs, Inc., by co-founders Birago Jones (SM ’12) and Sivaraman "Shiv" Dinakar, who drew from their MIT roots in addressing cyberbullying through AI.[1][2] The idea emerged from developing point-and-click tools to let non-experts build machine-learning models, evolving from research into practical applications for detecting issues like human trafficking, weapons sales, and misinformation.[1] A pivotal moment came during the pandemic when Pienso enabled virologists to mine research articles, aiding government efforts to secure supply chains for drugs like remdesivir—highlighting its real-world impact without requiring deep learning expertise from users.[1]
Pienso rides the democratization of AI trend, making generative AI and LLMs accessible beyond programmers amid exploding demand for custom models on proprietary data.[1][4] Timing aligns with rising concerns over data privacy in cloud AI services and the shift toward on-premise solutions, especially as regulations tighten on data sovereignty.[1] Market forces like the proliferation of unstructured business data and talent shortages in ML engineering favor Pienso, enabling sectors like healthcare, cybersecurity, and finance to leverage internal expertise without Big Tech dependencies.[1][2] It influences the ecosystem by bridging domain experts to AI scale, fostering innovations in public good applications and reducing barriers for startups and enterprises in the no-code AI wave.[1][3]
Pienso is poised to expand as no-code AI platforms become essential for enterprise customization of LLMs, potentially scaling through partnerships with LLM providers and deeper integrations for industries like healthcare and defense.[1][3] Trends like edge AI, stricter privacy laws, and multimodal data will shape its path, amplifying its edge in sovereign deployments. Its influence may evolve from niche humanitarian tools to a mainstream enabler, empowering more experts to drive AI-driven decisions—reinforcing its founding mission to harness technology for humanity's toughest challenges.[1]
Pienso has raised $13.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $10.0M Series A in March 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2024 | $10.0M Series A | Alumni Ventures, Arthur Ventures, ENIAC Ventures, First Round Capital, Indicator Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Lowercarbon Capital, Polaris Partners, Preface Ventures, Uncork Capital, Alain Hanover, Avid Larizadeh, Edith Harbaugh, Frederic Kerrest, Matt Mazzeo, Ryan Carlson, Yan-David Erlich | |
| Oct 1, 2019 | $1.0M Seed | Alumni Ventures, Anorak Ventures, Antler, Balderton Capital, Citi Ventures, Floodgate, Footprint Coalition, Foundation Capital, General Catalyst, Ignition Partners, Montage Ventures, Presence Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Roble Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Super Ventures, Don Stein, Hippolyte Genet, Jeff Seibert, Ryan Walsh, Wayne Chang | |
| Nov 1, 2017 | $2.0M Seed | CP Ventures, ENIAC Ventures, Factorial, Firstminute Capital, FJ Labs, Flybridge Capital Partners, Indicator Ventures, Kima Ventures, NextView Ventures, Francisco Larrain, Omar El-Ayat, Tom Williams |