AI optimisation startup Vryse made a strong impression on Shark Tank India, pitching a future-facing idea around what it calls “brand visibility for the AI era.”
Founded by 21-year-old Ashish Kamathi, Vryse is built on a simple insight: as users move from Google searches to AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, brands need new ways to show up in AI-generated answers.
Ashish explained that traditional SEO is slowly losing relevance, and Vryse is positioning itself in the emerging space of AIO (AI Optimisation).
The platform helps brands track how often they’re cited or recommended by AI models and improves their visibility by monitoring discussions across platforms like Reddit and Quora, sources that many AI models rely on.
At the time of the pitch, Vryse had 22 paying clients, including D2C brands and B2B SaaS companies, with monthly plans ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹65,000. The startup was already profitable, which added weight to the pitch.
Ashish came in asking for ₹40 lakh for 2% equity, valuing the company at ₹20 crore. While the Sharks were impressed by his clarity and technical depth, the discussion quickly turned to concerns around defensibility.
Sharks questioned whether AI platforms might eventually filter out “seeded” content and whether large SEO agencies could easily replicate the model.
Despite the skepticism, Anupam Mittal saw potential in Vryse’s first-mover advantage. He believed that as search behaviour shifts from Google to AI, someone needs to build the infrastructure for AI optimisation—and Vryse could be early in that race.
After negotiations, the deal was sealed with Anupam Mittal investing ₹40 lakh for 10% equity, bringing Vryse’s final valuation to ₹4 crore, marking a strong vote of confidence in the startup’s early leadership in the emerging AI optimisation space.
