Vertical AI software: from broad platforms to workflow engines
Vertical AI software refers to industry-specific AI solutions that are built around the data, regulations, and workflows of a single sector or role, turning messy operational tasks into automated, repeatable processes that generic platforms struggle to handle efficiently. This shift is shaping enterprise AI funding: instead of backing broad-purpose, horizontal tools, investors are betting on specialized AI platforms that function as execution engines inside a dealership, liquor store, revenue team, or small business back office. These products embed AI directly into everyday workflows—service retention campaigns, store operations, sales execution, or admin tasks—rather than sitting on the side as generic copilots. The result is a wave of funding for focused products that can prove revenue impact quickly, often by automating jobs teams already understand and measure, from appointment setting and reimbursement processing to deal follow-up and regulatory compliance.
Lokam AI and Scotch show depth beats breadth in retail
In automotive retail, Lokam AI secured USD 350,000 (approx. RM1,610,000) to expand its AI-driven dealership retention platform. It plugs into dealer management and CRM systems to process millions of customer data points and trigger targeted outreach that keeps owners returning for service, trade-ins, and upgrades. The focus is narrow: lift appointment set rates and repeat repair orders by automating the follow-up work BDC and marketing teams usually do by hand. In liquor retail, Scotch raised USD 20 million (approx. RM92,000,000) in Series A funding for an AI-native operating system built solely for liquor store owners. It combines point-of-sale hardware, payments, and a back-office suite that reflects the industry’s fragmented, heavily regulated landscape. By designing for store owners rather than generic retailers, Scotch aims to become the liquor sector’s equivalent of a restaurant tech giant’s all-in-one platform.
Airspeed’s execution layer: AI agents for revenue teams
Revenue operations is seeing the same vertical AI pattern. Airspeed raised €17.2 million (USD 20 million, approx. RM92,000,000) in Series A funding to build what it calls an agent-native execution layer for go-to-market teams. Instead of another analytics dashboard, the platform deploys autonomous AI agents across calls, emails, tickets, and CRM data to push deals forward. CEO Adam Liska argues that “revenue teams have systems of record and systems of intelligence. What they don’t have is a system of action – one that understands their unique commercial context and does the work.” Airspeed’s architecture creates a persistent “commercial brain” that centralizes customer knowledge and keeps humans in control while automating updates, risk flags, and follow-ups. This is AI tuned to a specific function—GTM and revenue ops—rather than a general-purpose chatbot, making it easier to tie back to pipeline and closed-won metrics.
Lassie and the rise of AI for small business administration
AI for small business is also skewing vertical and role-specific. Lassie raised USD 35 million (approx. RM161,000,000) in Series A funding to build autonomous AI systems that take over repetitive administrative work. The company focuses first on healthcare practices, where staff lose more than 100 hours per month to tasks such as insurance reimbursements and payment reconciliation. Lassie’s AI agent logs into insurance portals, retrieves reimbursement details, reconciles records, updates systems of record, and confirms deposits in bank accounts. According to Lassie, its platform already delivers more than 250,000 hours of labor annually across over 700 businesses. By targeting a specific job function—admin operations in small healthcare practices—rather than broad productivity, Lassie can quantify savings in staff costs and recovered time, which makes its value proposition clearer to both small business owners and investors.
Why specialized AI platforms are commanding larger rounds
Across automotive, liquor retail, revenue ops, and small business admin, a clear funding pattern is emerging: vertical AI software that owns a domain-specific workflow attracts bigger checks than generic AI layers. Lokam AI’s early raise is about proving that deep data connectivity can lift service retention. Scotch, Airspeed, and Lassie are each pitching an AI-native operating system for a defined context—store operations, GTM execution, or back-office administration—rather than yet another horizontal platform. Investors see that industry-specific AI solutions can plug straight into revenue levers: more service appointments, higher store throughput, faster deal cycles, or fewer admin hours. These products replace patchwork tools with specialized AI platforms that “do the work” inside a niche, not across every possible use case. As enterprises chase measurable ROI, the edge is shifting to AI that speaks one industry’s language fluently instead of all industries’ needs vaguely.
