Otto Raises $500,000 to Build AI “Chief of Staff” for Sales
Otto is building a voice-first, self-driving CRM as an AI Chief of Staff for sales to replace traditional workflows.
Voice-first CRM startup Otto Sales AI has secured $500,000 in funding after winning the SaaStock USA 2026 Global Pitch Competition, held at the Palmer Events Center in Austin.
The investment comes from a syndicate of venture capital firms, including Backfuture VC, Quadri Ventures, BAG Collective, and OneSixOne Ventures. Otto emerged as the winner among more than 100 global AI and B2B SaaS startups, marking an early milestone for the company.
Founded in 2026 by Mumbai-born entrepreneur Omkar Pandharkame, Otto is building what it calls the world’s first “AI Chief of Staff” for sales, a voice-first, self-driving CRM designed to replace traditional dashboards and manual workflows.
The platform introduces a new way for sales teams to operate. Instead of relying on static CRM interfaces, Otto proactively engages users by delivering daily voice briefings on pipeline updates, priorities, and follow-ups. Its AI continuously processes data from emails, calendars, CRM systems, and external signals to create a dynamic, real-time “living memory” of each sales pipeline.
“We’re a Mumbai-born, US-incorporated company building for the global sales workforce. Winning at Austin was proof that the best sales tech ideas can come from anywhere. The future of sales is voice-first, self-driving intelligence,” said Omkar Pandharkame, Founder & CEO.
During the competition, Otto showcased a live demonstration where the product called its own founder, delivered contextual insights, and interacted directly with judges—highlighting its autonomous capabilities in real-time.
The startup positions itself as part of a new category of “self-driving sales intelligence,” moving beyond conventional CRM systems that depend heavily on manual data entry and static reporting.
Currently in early access, Otto has already onboarded 45 early adopters, with users converting to paid plans within weeks of launch, indicating early traction for its differentiated approach.
The company plans to use the fresh capital to further develop its product capabilities, expand its engineering and go-to-market teams, and accelerate adoption among global B2B sales organizations.
Otto operates in a highly competitive CRM and sales tech landscape dominated by legacy platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot, which are increasingly integrating AI into their offerings.