Ethos Raises $22.75M from a16z for AI Expert Network with Voice-Powered Onboarding

Ethos Secures Major Series A Funding from Andreessen Horowitz

London-based Ethos announced a $22.75 million Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from General Catalyst, XTX Markets, Evantic Capital, and Common Magic1

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. The investment marks one of the larger Series A rounds for a UK AI startup this year, signaling investor confidence in addressing hiring challenges created by generative AI2

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. Founded in 2024 by James Lo and Daniel Mankowitz, ex-DeepMind and McKinsey alumni respectively, the AI expert network aims to transform how companies find and connect with domain experts across diverse fields.

Voice-Powered Onboarding Creates Rich Professional Profiles

Unlike traditional expert networks such as GLG, Third Bridge, or Alphasights that rely primarily on job titles and forms, Ethos employs voice-powered onboarding to capture deeper professional knowledge1

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. The platform conducts extended voice interviews using AI agents, asking curated questions that reveal sub-specializations and capabilities not reflected in standard credentials. "Voice is the original form of human communication. Most people don't know how to write their story down in a very succinct, compelling, and accurate way," explained a16z's Anish Acharya1

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. Beyond voice interviews, the AI-driven expert network ingests public sources including blogs, academic papers, code repositories, podcast appearances, and conference talks to build comprehensive knowledge graphs of each expert's capabilities2

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Matching Experts to Companies with Advanced AI Capabilities

Ethos enables matching experts to companies through natural language queries that traditional platforms cannot handle effectively. The platform can answer complex requests like "Find me people who worked at a funded startup by A-grade investors solving for finance automation," or help pharma companies locate doctors who specialize in specific areas while also having published research and understanding drug development1

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. This capability addresses what Lo identifies as a fundamental market need: "Most clients and most employers are not looking for a job title company. They're looking for a specific skill and a specific capability"1

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Rapid Growth Across Multiple Sectors and Expert Categories

The platform reports approximately 35,000 people joining each week through invitation, with more than 5,000 experts joining weekly across accounting, banking, consulting, law, technology, and healthcare1

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. The cross-collar reach extends beyond white-collar specialists to include skilled tradespeople like electricians and plumbers, reflecting Ethos's position that verified expertise matters regardless of credentialing path2

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. Experts on the platform earn an average of £4,500 in additional monthly income, with the top 10% making more than £7,000, and hourly rates ranging from $105 to $2252

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. Since January, the number of experts earning income through Ethos has grown six-fold2

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AI Labs Drive Demand for Domain Experts

Ethos is on track for eight-figure annualized revenue, charging 30% or more as a per-project fee depending on engagement complexity1

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. The client base includes top hedge funds, private equity firms, leading foundational AI labs, and enterprise consulting firms. Lo sees AI labs' investment in mapping human talent as a significant tailwind: "The AI labs are pointing a giant capital gun at every economically valuable occupation in the world. They're trying to map out every profession"1

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. These labs need high-quality, domain-specific training data in fields where general web scrapes prove insufficient, creating demand for verified experts in finance, medicine, law, and advanced engineering for consulting engagements, AI data-labeling projects, and model feedback2

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. The platform matches experts to diverse opportunities including expert calls, market research surveys, and full-time roles, positioning itself as a critical bridge between frontier AI development and human expertise2

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