#68 - Tarun Raisoni, CEO & Co-Founder at Gruve

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Technology AI podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor!

Our Guest: Tarun Raisoni, CEO & Co-Founder at Gruve.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

Gruve specializes in helping enterprises implement AI, with deep expertise across technology and cybersecurity.
The company recently raised nearly $40 million, led by Mayfield Investments and Cisco Investments.
Gruve emphasizes executive and board education to align AI strategies across organizations.
Main enterprise challenges include scaling AI solutions securely and bridging the gap from pilot to company-wide adoption.
Gruve’s outcome-based model enables measurable business results, helping clients navigate rapid changes in AI.

Introduction

In this episode, Jared S. Taylor sits down with Tarun Raisoni, CEO & Co-Founder at Gruve, to discuss the rapid evolution of AI in the enterprise space, Gruve’s unique approach, and what’s ahead for the company.

Tarun Raisoni’s Journey

Tarun Raisoni’s background spans from earning a master’s in electrical engineering to a decade at Cisco Systems, later founding and scaling Rahi Systems to half a billion in revenue before its acquisition in 2022. In February 2024, Tarun launched Gruve, with a mission to help enterprises understand and apply AI for real business outcomes.

Gruve’s Enterprise AI Focus

Gruve stands out by blending deep enterprise expertise with a strong technology-centric approach, particularly in cybersecurity. The company’s team of 500+ domain experts delivers tailored AI solutions that address the specific needs of each client’s business environment. Gruve’s capabilities span customer experience, cloud engineering, data sciences, and more, all underpinned by advanced AI integration.

Early Industry Focus and Expansion

Initially, Gruve worked with industries like banking, finance, and high-tech due to regional presence in New York and Silicon Valley. However, the team’s approach remains industry-agnostic, with technology and cybersecurity as the core focus, allowing flexible application across various verticals.

AI Adoption: The First 90 Days

Tarun emphasizes that the key to successful enterprise AI adoption starts with leadership alignment. His advice:

Enable ongoing learning for executive leadership and board members.
Focus on understanding AI’s core business impact, not just the latest technologies.
Strive for unified company-wide understanding of AI’s role and potential.

Staying Ahead in a Fast-Moving Field

Tarun prioritizes tracking advancements in three core areas:

Infrastructure (chips, power, network)
Data (quality and accessibility)
Model accuracy
He notes that the best AI outcomes depend on high-quality data and increasingly accurate models.

Recent Funding and Strategic Growth

Gruve’s recent $37-38 million funding round, led by Mayfield Investments and Cisco Investments, is fueling go-to-market expansion, talent acquisition, and partnerships with boutique service firms. This strategic investment will help Gruve deliver a broader and deeper portfolio of AI services.

Addressing Enterprise Roadblocks

Common client concerns include uncertainty around AI, risk of failed scale-outs after successful pilots, and ensuring data security. Gruve’s approach is to guide customers through these challenges, focusing on scalable, secure, outcome-driven AI adoption.

The Outcome-Based Business Model

Gruve is pioneering an outcome-based model in AI services—shifting focus from technology for its own sake to delivering tangible, measurable business results. This model helps enterprises boost productivity, improve software and data engineering, and enhance digital transformation efforts.

Looking Ahead

Gruve aims to continue scaling and investing in outcome-based AI solutions. Each client engagement brings new learning, driving the company to better serve evolving enterprise needs.