I confess that I’ve grown weary of products being prefixed with ‘AI’.
So when the concept of an AI-native CRM emerged, I met it with skepticism.
Yet the category, though still nascent, is gaining momentum among teams who want a CRM tailored to their business without having to assemble a complex GTM stack.
Early traction could be felt in the August funding rounds of Attio ($52M Series B) and Aurasell AI ($30M Seed). Other emerging players include Aero, Breakcold, Day AI, Lightfield, Reevo, SalesDesk (UnifiedCRM), Skarbe, toflow AI, and Zipteams.
So, what should you expect from an AI-native CRM?
A flexible data model that breaks the rigidity of the legacy lead/contact/opportunity framework, enabling custom objects and adaptable workflows without complex customization.
A unified data infrastructure with a graph combining structured data (people, accounts) and unstructured data (conversations, intent, documents).
Built-in dataset enrichment.
Automated activity capture (emails, calls, meetings, chats, documents, etc.), all summarized and semantically indexed.
A modern UX that allows users to interact through natural-language and conversational commands, with in-context coaching and next-best-action guidance.
Built-in pipeline management, sales engagement, and forecasting.
Of course, incumbent CRM players aren’t standing still and are racing to infuse these capabilities across their platforms.
Salesforce has woven Data Cloud across its portfolio to unify structured and unstructured data, with Customer 360 acting as the connective tissue between its clouds and MuleSoft managing third-party integrations. A broad set of AI features is available as add-on modules, with Agentforce agents simplifying access to them. On paper, it checks every box, but in practice, realizing the vision still demands stitching together multiple modules and complex integrations.
HubSpot has taken a different route, evolving its CRM into the newly minted Smart CRM, a unified repository for structured and unstructured data. It is gradually expanding customization, notably through custom objects and a more flexible schema design, while Data Hub now provides rich connectivity to third-party systems. The integration of Clearbit into the platform simplifies data enrichment and signal acquisition. Over time, HubSpot has embedded numerous AI features across the suite, which feel native to the user experience.
The AI-native CRM category is still in its early days, but alongside the moves of incumbents, it is already setting a new yardstick for modern GTM infrastructure. I’m curious to hear your perspective and whether other innovative providers deserve a spot on your radar.