There are tons of new AI models being released every year, and companies looking to stay competitive are adopting them for their own purposes. Approximately 10% of businesses plan to spend a whopping $25 million on AI initiatives this year, according to tech consulting firm Searce. But while lots of money is being spent on AI, it’s not always clear if projects are helping businesses. Half of all AI leaders said they aren’t sure how to show the value of AI projects, according to Gartner.
That’s where Eppo comes in. Eppo is a platform that helps companies test AI models before using them for real. started by Chetan Sharma, who used to work at Airbnb. Eppo lets customers try out AI models on sample data to see how well they might work for things like apps, websites, or customer service. Eppo also makes it easy for companies to run “tests” on their apps and websites without interfering with real users. This helps companies find the best models without wasting a lot of money.
Eppo competes with other companies that offer similar testing and “trial” services like Split, Statsig, and Optimizely. Tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google also have tools for testing models. But Eppo’s founder says they stand out with things like their “bandit” system. This system automatically identifies new options for websites and apps. It then runs “tests” on these options to see how users respond without getting in the way of normal users.
Hundreds of big companies use Eppo like Twitch, SurveyMonkey, DraftKings, Coinbase, and Descript. One user, Perplexity, said Eppo helped them run many more tests at the same time. Investors must like Eppo too. They just gave Eppo $28 million to grow which valued the company at over $100 million. Eppo plans to use the money to help more customers, make their tools better, and hire more employees. Headquartered in San Francisco, Eppo now has 45 employees but expects to have 65 by the end of the year.
