Search Party, a startup in the generative engine optimization (GEO) sector, has officially emerged from stealth mode after completing a $3.5 million funding round. This funding was led by Fuse, a prominent early-stage venture capital firm known for its support of category-defining SaaS and AI companies.
This launch comes at a pivotal moment, as nearly half of consumers are increasingly turning to AI solutions for search and discovery rather than relying on traditional platforms like Google. Recognizing this shift, Search Party aims to help brands regain control over their online presence. The platform provides tools to enhance visibility and control over how brands are represented in large language models, including widely-used technologies like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
What sets Search Party apart from earlier GEO tools is its advanced capabilities. Unlike many existing tools that focus solely on tracking visibility, Search Party delves deeper by revealing the sources from which AI generates its answers. Additionally, it enables brands to develop strategies and create content that effectively influences these sources through autonomous workflows.
Search Party also provides prompt-level analytics, allowing users to store and evaluate a limitless number of queries related to their brand and products. This feature enables brands to benchmark their performance against competitors and leverage insights to take actionable steps that improve how large language models describe them.
The vision behind Search Party is driven by its co-founders, Brandon and Ryan Brown, who previously co-founded GRIN, a leading platform in creator management. Brandon served as CEO at GRIN, where he led the company to a remarkable growth trajectory, achieving a valuation of $1 billion and raising a total of $145 million across seven funding rounds. During his tenure, GRIN expanded its workforce from just two employees to 480 before Brandon’s exit in 2024. Meanwhile, Ryan took charge of engineering and technical strategy, helping establish GRIN as the undisputed leader in influencer marketing software.
KEY QUOTES:
“AI models respond to the signals we feed them. We give brands the technical visibility to see which sources shape those signals and the tools to influence them. Because if you don’t write the story, someone else will.”
Ryan Brown, CTO and co-founder
“You aren’t just marketing to people anymore. You’re marketing to AI, and AI is marketing to people. That means you need to show up in the places AI trusts, and present your content in a way that it understands. That’s what Search Party is built for.”
“By this time next year, AI will be the dominant discovery channel, yet most brands won’t even know how they show up. We built Search Party to help brands take back control.”
Brandon Brown, CEO and Co-Founder
“Brandon and Ryan have already proven their ability to build category-defining companies, and we believe Search Party is poised to do the same in the new era of generative search. As AI rapidly reshapes how people discover and trust information, brands need purpose-built solutions to understand and influence how they appear. Fuse is excited to back the team and their vision for putting companies in control of their AI visibility.”
Brendan Wales, General Partner at Fuse VC
