Outset is Building the First AI Native Customer Experience Management Platform

Outset, the most advanced AI-moderated research platform for research teams, led by Aaron Cannon and Michael Hess, has secured $30M in Series B funding led by Radical Ventures with participation from M12, Microsoft’s venture arm, alongside existing investors 8VC, Y Combinator, and Adverb Ventures.

This raise follows a breakout year for the team, with the business growing more than 8× and customers across industries adopting the newly created category of AI-moderated research as the emerging standard for understanding people.

Outset was founded on the principle that organizations should truly listen to the humans they serve. AI is bridging the historical trade-offs between depth, speed, reach, and nuance, reshaping how companies understand people.

This funding round responds to a rapidly expanding opportunity, as organizations rethink how customer insights are gathered and applied across the entire journey.

The funding enables deeper investment in the AI-moderated research platform that defines Outset and accelerates the launch of the world’s first AI-native Customer Experience Management platform. This approach extends the new research method beyond standalone studies to every touchpoint where insight matters, providing richer context behind signals, a deeper understanding of metrics, and a continuous, adaptive view of customer needs.

The next phase focuses on scaling the platform, expanding the team, and increasing impact for organizations worldwide.