ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Notion AI, Inc., the communications intelligence company, launched from stealth with $9.5 million of funding to solve communications overload once and for all. Together, Drive Capital and Accel led the Series A round, with participation from Hyde Park Venture Partners and Silicon Valley Bank.
With Notion’s mission to improve communications, email is the natural place to start. In 2015, people sent and received more than 205 billion emails each day1. A quarter of the average worker’s day is spent on email, making it the second most time consuming activity in their jobs2. What’s more, 92% of people become stressed every time they receive an email3.
Notion is more than just another standalone email app. Notion’s cloud intelligence analyzes the relationships behind communications and is able to predict what's important to you with over 95% accuracy from the beginning. It delivers tailored insights for a better experience and improves behavior to positively impact your relationships.
Notion’s public debut of its cloud intelligence technology is the Notion mobile email app, now available in the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android. The app works with existing email services and, at its simplest, saves people time and reduces communications stress. By understanding which messages are most important to you, Notion provides better focus and makes keeping up easier. Notion also improves responsiveness by highlighting items waiting for replies so people get the answers they need and no longer have to worry about dropping the ball.
Subscribers to Notion also get access to rich insights about their relationships with the people behind every single email. In this way, Notion uncovers the largest social network you already have, which, until now, has been buried inside your email history. Expanded access to Notion’s cloud intelligence is planned for desktop on Mac and Windows, via the Web, and more.
Also available soon, subscribers can link Notion to Amazon’s personal assistant device, Alexa, for a smart voice-activated experience that lets users talk to their email. Through the integration, Alexa can read the important emails, emails waiting for replies, relationship details and even archive, snooze or send messages -- all through voice communication. This allows people to stay on top of important email without being tied to their phone. See a demo here.
“Today's communication tools offer little in the way of improving the way we communicate or the underlying relationships behind our conversations,” said Guy Suter, co-founder and CEO of Notion. “Artificial intelligence will improve how people communicate by focusing our time and encouraging behaviors that build stronger relationships.”
Notion prioritizes the highest standards for user security and privacy in its operations and policies. The company only stores information that directly improves user experience and keeps its users in control. Notion’s policies, which transparently outline the data it collects, are publicly available here.
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Notion was founded in 2013 by CEO Guy Suter and technical co-founders Lindsay Snider and Ian Berry. The trio co-founded data backup company BitLeap, which they led to become the world’s top-selling backup appliance product after being acquired by Barracuda Networks in 2008. By combining their expertise in building powerful data platforms with talent from the University of Michigan in their backyard, the three turned their attention to tackling today’s communication overload. Jason Mars, University of Michigan professor / AI research team co-Director, and CEO of applied AI startup Clinc, is an advisor. Additionally, Notion employs current and former University of Michigan students. Notion will focus on expanding its cloud intelligence technology to power the next suite of features for the Notion app and beyond.
“Notion is built on cutting-edge AI technology, applied in ways we’ve dreamed of and are only now able to realize,” said Mark Kvamme, partner at Drive Capital. “The Notion team has a vision that extends beyond email. They have goals, and the means and expertise, to use AI to impact the way we all communicate. In this age of social media, texting, and email reliance, Notion wants to put people back at the center of communication.”
To download the Notion app for free, visit Google Play or Apple’s App Store. To learn more about Notion, visit http://www.notion.ai. For a demo of the Amazon Alexa integration, visit Notion’s YouTube page.
About Notion AI
Developed by a team of AI, data and security specialists, Notion is the future of personal communications. By adding a layer of intelligence to your communication tools, Notion keeps you connected and helps you build stronger relationships. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Notion is backed by leading technology investors, including Drive Capital and Accel Partners. For more details, visit http://www.notion.ai.
2 http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/high-tech/our-insights/the-social-economy