Bill Gurley and Jack Altman Lead Investment in Pursuit: AI Startup Streamlining Government Contract Sales
Renowned venture capitalist Bill Gurley and Jack Altman have invested in Pursuit, a startup revolutionizing how companies sell to government entities.
Pursuit just announced a $22 million seed funding round, pushing its total capital raised to $25.5 million.
Pursuit's Innovative AI Platform
Launched in 2023 by Mike Vichich and Brandon Max, Pursuit leverages AI to sift through public data from roughly 11,000 state, local, and education (SLED) agencies.
The platform identifies promising sales opportunities by analyzing budgets, contract histories, FOIA records, and RFPs buried in fragmented sources like PDFs and videos.
Key Investors and Leadership
The seed round was led by Mike Rosengarten, co-founder of OpenGov, with participation from Altman via Alt Capital, Gurley, and Sam Hinkie of 87 Capital.
Vichich, inspired by his family's public service background, previously sold a consumer company to Olo for $200 million in 2021.
Transforming Government Procurement
By turning public data into actionable insights, Pursuit acts as an AI clone for sales teams, monitoring accounts and surfacing high-potential buyers.
This innovation addresses the irony that government contract data has always been public but historically too costly to parse effectively.
Competitors like Starbridge, GovSpend, and Deltek GovWin IQ exist, but Pursuit emphasizes accessibility and transparency in SLED markets.
Vichich stated, “I want them to grow up in a country where government can actually get stuff done,” highlighting the personal motivation behind the venture.
Looking ahead, Pursuit aims to democratize government sales, potentially unlocking billions in untapped opportunities for startups and enterprises alike.
