Worktrace AI Secures Major Seed Funding to Scale Enterprise Automation Platform

Worktrace AI, an artificial intelligence startup launched by former OpenAI product manager Angela Jiang, has closed a significant seed funding round as it prepares to scale its automation platform designed to help businesses identify and automate repetitive tasks. The company, rooted in cutting‑edge AI research and enterprise workflow optimization, has attracted strong interest and financial backing from a mix of venture capital firms and prominent figures in the AI industry, marking a major milestone ahead of its broader market expansion.

Worktrace AI announced that it has raised $9 million in seed funding led by 8VC and Conviction, two venture capital investors known for backing early‑stage technology innovators, particularly in the AI and enterprise software sectors. Participation in the round also came from the OpenAI Startup Fund, which supports companies building foundational AI products, alongside other investors including SV Angel, Genius Ventures, Altimeter, Gunderson Dettmer, Illinois Ventures, and Zero Shot Fund.

In addition to institutional participation, Worktrace AI’s round featured strong support from a high‑profile group of angel investors from across the AI ecosystem. Notable individual backers include Mira Murati, former Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI and co‑founder of Thinking Machines Lab, who brings deep domain expertise and leadership in AI innovation; Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer at OpenAI; Joanne Jang, head of the Model Behavior team at OpenAI; Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT; Ranveer Chandra, VP of Copilot Tuning at Microsoft; Evan Sparks, former Chief Product Officer for AI at Hewlett Packard Enterprise; and a broader group of AI leaders and operators who are early believers in Worktrace AI’s mission.

Worktrace AI was founded by Angela Jiang and co‑founder Deepak Vasisht, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Illinois. Jiang was one of OpenAI’s earliest product managers and played a key role in launching major versions of ChatGPT, including GPT‑3.5 and GPT‑4. Vasisht brings academic and research expertise in large‑scale AI systems and machine learning, combining deep technical roots with enterprise‑oriented product strategy. Their shared vision is to build a platform that continuously learns how work is done across an organization and proactively automates tasks that traditionally require manual human effort.

According to public statements from the company, Worktrace AI’s technology is designed to integrate the latest “agentic AI” into everyday work processes to identify inefficiencies and repetitive actions. By learning patterns across applications and systems, the platform aims to reduce manual workloads, increase operational efficiency, and empower employees to focus on more creative and strategic tasks. The seed capital will help accelerate development of the core product, expand system integrations, and grow the engineering and research teams necessary to bring the platform to market.

Worktrace AI has been operating in stealth mode, with its team focused on building early prototypes and engaging with potential enterprise customers. The company’s LinkedIn announcement underscores its ambition to “eliminate the AI divide between frontier labs and the workforce,” signaling a focus on practical, real‑world automation challenges faced by large organizations. As part of that effort, the startup is actively hiring founding engineers and research scientists to help shape its technical foundation and AI roadmap.

The company’s funding and backing reflect a broader trend in which former OpenAI talent and other AI pioneers are launching startups that attract significant early investment due to their expertise, networks, and innovative visions. The robust seed round positions Worktrace AI to accelerate its product development cycle, expand its team, and capture market share in a rapidly evolving enterprise automation landscape.

With the $9 million seed round now secured, Worktrace AI is poised to continue building out its automation platform, deepen its enterprise integrations, and expand engagement with businesses seeking to unlock productivity gains through AI‑driven efficiency and task automation.