Monaco Blends AI Sales with Human Expertise

Sam Blond, formerly of Founders Fund, has officially launched his new venture, Monaco, an AI sales platform developed over a year in stealth. Co-founded with his brother Brian Blond and other industry experts, Monaco has secured $35 million in total funding, comprising a $10 million seed round and a $25 million Series A round. Both rounds were led by Founders Fund, with participation from Human Capital. The company also attracted significant angel investment from notable figures such as Stripe founders Patrick and John Collison, and Y Combinator's Garry Tan. Monaco distinguishes itself in the competitive AI sales technology market by integrating experienced human sales professionals to oversee and refine the AI's operations, rather than aiming for full human replacement. The platform offers an AI-native CRM and a prospect database, with AI agents capable of managing email outreach and drafting follow-up communications under human supervision. Currently in public beta, Monaco is designed to automate routine sales tasks for nascent startups, providing a blend of advanced technology and expert service. This approach aims to fill a gap for companies too early to hire dedicated sales teams directly, differentiating Monaco from competitors focused solely on AI-driven automation. The startup's strategy is to become a new market leader by pioneering the next platform shift in sales technology, addressing a market currently dominated by established players like Salesforce and Hubspot.