Builders, bakers, and fitness professionals may not immediately come to mind when considering the impact of AI on various industries. However, a Vancouver-based startup named Durable is changing this perception by developing AI-powered business tools tailored for these sectors and numerous other categories within the realm of small businesses and service industries. Today, the company announced a successful Series A funding round of $14 million, led by Spark Capital, with participation from Torch Capital, Altman Capital, Dash Fund, South Park Commons, Infinity Ventures, and Soma Capital, bringing Durable’s total funding to $20 million.
Durable’s flagship product is an AI website creator designed to assist small business owners in planning, creating, and managing business apps more efficiently. The platform targets traditional businesses with limited online presence and aims to empower them through AI-driven solutions. Over the past year, Durable’s AI-powered website builder has already facilitated the creation of more than 6 million websites for users lacking a substantial online presence.
Founder and CEO James Clift explained that Durable’s clientele consists of established yet digitally undeveloped enterprises, such as plumbers, skilled tradespeople, and personal trainers. These small businesses often lack the time and resources to build an online presence and marketing materials.
Durable plans to use the Series A funding to further expand its platform and user base. The company’s long-term vision involves creating an omniscient assistant that not only responds to user queries but also provides proactive suggestions for optimizing business operations. Clift mentioned that a beta version of this “automated, proactive assistant” is expected to be released in approximately three months.
Durable’s approach to addressing the needs of small enterprises and sole traders involves leveraging AI to democratize access to affordable tools that were previously out of reach. The use of AI also enables Durable to scale its services more effectively, overcoming challenges associated with catering to a fragmented customer base.
By tapping into the capabilities of OpenAI, Durable enhances its AI-driven features, such as an AI bot for answering business-related questions. Jack Altman, founder of Altman Capital (the VC firm behind Durable’s seed round), expressed excitement about the potential for AI to empower founders and small business owners. Durable’s partnership with OpenAI positions it as a promising player in the evolving landscape of AI-driven solutions for small businesses.
