Perceptis, a new generative AI startup cofounded by former McKinsey consultant Alibek Dostiyarov and ex-Apple engineer Yersultan Sapar, is positioning itself to revolutionize the consulting industry by automating tedious, labor-intensive tasks. The company has successfully raised $3.6 million in seed funding led by Streamlined Ventures, with participation from The House Fund, Tekton Ventures, FEBE Ventures, MOST Ventures, and Silkroad Innovation Hub.
The startup has also attracted prominent angel investors including Charlie Songhurst (Meta board member and former Microsoft executive), AJ Shankar (Everlaw founder and CEO), and Peter Kazanjy (author of “Founding Sales” and Atrium cofounder). Dostiyarov explained that consulting workflows “lend themselves almost perfectly to what GenAI is capable of doing,” noting that many internal processes remain extremely manual and labor-heavy.
Perceptis functions as an operating system for consultants, specifically targeting the business development side of consulting—helping firms secure new clients and projects. The AI platform performs comprehensive industry research, identifies opportunities, matches them with clients’ specific skills and backgrounds, and creates detailed, customized proposals. According to Dostiyarov, an average proposal typically requires 20 hours or more of work; with Perceptis’ AI technology, this can be reduced to a fraction of that time.
The cofounders report that clients often double or triple the number of proposals they can send monthly while experiencing higher conversion rates and increased revenue. The startup primarily serves small- to medium-sized consulting firms that lack resources to build internal AI tools. Perceptis experienced significant growth in late 2024, doubling its annual recurring revenue in November and December alone.
While emphasizing AI’s transformative potential, the cofounders maintain that the technology supplements rather than replaces human consultants. They acknowledge that AI cannot yet replicate human judgment or the essential human-to-human interactions fundamental to consulting. However, they believe AI could democratize the consulting industry, enabling smaller consultancies and independent consultants to compete more effectively with industry giants like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and the Big Four accounting firms by handling tedious but necessary work.
Key Quotes
A lot of the internal processes are extremely manual labor heavy. [They] lend themselves almost perfectly to what GenAI is capable of doing.
Alibek Dostiyarov, Perceptis CEO and former McKinsey consultant, explained why consulting workflows are ideal candidates for generative AI automation, highlighting the industry’s reliance on tedious manual processes.
Perceptis is an operating system for the consultants designed to help them win more business and make consulting — their day job — even more enjoyable and focused on the core of their service.
Yersultan Sapar, Perceptis CTO and former Apple engineer, described the platform’s mission to free consultants from administrative burdens so they can focus on solving client problems and delivering core value.
We are going to find the house on fire for you, and then we are going to help you show up as the perfect firefighter for the job by giving you the perfect proposal.
Dostiyarov used this analogy to explain Perceptis’ value proposition: the AI identifies opportunities and creates customized proposals that position clients as ideal solutions for specific problems.
Perceptis therefore democratizes access to consulting as an industry. There are, of course, the goliaths in the industry. We don’t think that they’re going to go away. Still, we think that the majority of the growth is actually going to come from these much smaller firms.
Dostiyarov articulated how AI automation could reshape industry dynamics, enabling smaller consultancies to compete more effectively while suggesting future growth will come from fragmentation rather than consolidation among major firms.
Our Take
Perceptis exemplifies how generative AI is moving beyond content creation into complex business processes requiring research, analysis, and strategic positioning. The startup’s focus on business development—traditionally relationship-driven and requiring deep industry knowledge—demonstrates AI’s expanding capabilities in synthesizing information and crafting persuasive narratives.
The $3.6 million funding and high-profile angel investors signal strong market confidence in AI-powered professional services disruption. However, the real test will be whether AI-generated proposals maintain the quality and nuance that win consulting engagements. The cofounders’ emphasis on augmentation rather than replacement is strategically wise, positioning Perceptis as an enabler rather than threat to consultants.
Most intriguing is the potential for industry restructuring: if smaller firms can compete effectively using AI, we may see consulting shift from a few dominant players to a more diverse ecosystem of specialized boutiques, fundamentally altering how businesses access expertise.
Why This Matters
This development signals a fundamental shift in how professional services leverage generative AI to enhance productivity and competitiveness. The consulting industry, traditionally built on human expertise and labor-intensive processes, is being disrupted by AI automation—a trend acknowledged by major firms like McKinsey, which established its QuantumBlack AI unit and whose senior partner predicted AI would become “most of what we do in the future.”
Perceptis represents a broader democratization trend where AI tools level the playing field between large established firms and smaller competitors. By automating proposal writing and business development—tasks that previously required significant manpower—the technology enables boutique consultancies and solo practitioners to compete for clients they couldn’t previously pursue efficiently.
This has significant implications for the consulting workforce and industry structure. While the cofounders emphasize AI as augmentation rather than replacement, the technology fundamentally changes consultant roles, shifting focus from administrative tasks to strategic problem-solving and client relationships. The potential for industry fragmentation and specialization could reshape competitive dynamics, challenging the dominance of traditional consulting powerhouses while expanding overall market size through increased accessibility and efficiency.
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