BY Venture Partners, based in Abu Dhabi, has participated in an oversubscribed $2 million pre-Seed funding round for Canadian startup ChatFeatured, which specializes in AI-powered search optimisation. The funding round, led by Storytime Capital and supported by Garage Capital, aims to bolster ChatFeatured's development of its Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) platform, designed to enhance brand visibility across AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT and Gemini. Founded in 2026 by Farris Nasr and Nithiiyan Skhanthan, ChatFeatured has already made significant strides, expanding into five countries within just six months and achieving over 40% monthly growth.
The fresh capital will enable ChatFeatured to scale its team, accelerate its go-to-market strategy, and develop autonomous AI agents that will assist marketing teams in identifying and resolving visibility issues in real-time. By automating content creation and publishing, the platform seeks to address the emerging challenges businesses face in optimising for AI-generated responses, a shift that is becoming increasingly crucial as traditional search engines evolve.
This investment aligns with BY Venture Partners’ strategy of nurturing scalable AI startups while fostering connections between international founders and the MENA region's investment ecosystem. The deal highlights a broader trend among investors who are keen on backing companies that are building the necessary infrastructure for the burgeoning AI search economy, as businesses pivot towards optimising content for AI rather than conventional search methodologies.
The fresh capital will enable ChatFeatured to scale its team, accelerate its go-to-market strategy, and develop autonomous AI agents that will assist marketing teams in identifying and resolving visibility issues in real-time. By automating content creation and publishing, the platform seeks to address the emerging challenges businesses face in optimising for AI-generated responses, a shift that is becoming increasingly crucial as traditional search engines evolve.
This investment aligns with BY Venture Partners’ strategy of nurturing scalable AI startups while fostering connections between international founders and the MENA region's investment ecosystem. The deal highlights a broader trend among investors who are keen on backing companies that are building the necessary infrastructure for the burgeoning AI search economy, as businesses pivot towards optimising content for AI rather than conventional search methodologies.
Source: Wamda
