These startups focus on automating market research, data analysis, and business operations, helping small and medium-sized enterprises (with revenue <$100 million/year) access consulting services without a massive budget.
PromptQL, a platform from the open-source unicorn Hasura, provides custom AI analysts that connect a company’s internal data with foundation models. These “AI specialists” learn and adapt over time, performing the work of data engineers or analysts—at a cost of $900/hour.
CEO Tanmai Gopal stated, “It’s not as good as McKinsey, but it’s instantaneous,” while highlighting the platform’s key feature: high AI accuracy at scale without the need for data cleaning or migration.
Gopal believes 2025 marks the explosion of specialized AI—AI that can learn, understand business context, and handle high-value problems.
Investor Tomasz Tunguz (Theory Ventures) has identified five booming areas in AI consulting: call center and customer service support, AI software implementation, accounting automation, management and operations consulting, and AI-powered leadership coaching.
Parable raised $16.6 million (analyzing how employees use their time); Profound secured $20 million (AI-optimized “answer engine”); Dialogue AI raised $6 million (AI market research); and Xavier AI—which bills itself as the “world’s first AI strategy consultant”—is finalizing its seed round.
The founders emphasize they don’t want to replace humans but rather democratize consulting services—offering speed and accessibility, while strategy and networking remain McKinsey’s strengths.
📌 From PromptQL to Parable and Xavier AI, a wave of “AI consulting” is reshaping the multi-hundred-billion-dollar consulting industry. At $900/hour, “AI analysts” promise near-instantaneous advice, opening doors for small and medium-sized enterprises. However, the human touch—strategy and networking—remains something AI cannot yet replace.
