Petra Labs Raises $5.2 Million in Seed Funding
Petra Labs, a company specializing in answer engine optimization (AEO) to enhance AI search visibility and revenue generation, has successfully closed a $5.2 million seed funding round. The round was led by Work-Bench, with additional participation from Afore, Pathlight, and strategic angel investors.
Company Overview
Founded in 2025, Petra Labs offers a comprehensive solution for enterprise brands seeking to optimize their visibility in AI-generated answers. The company helps businesses measure and improve how frequently their brands appear in AI-driven responses from platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Petra Labs uses proprietary software combined with an embedded team to manage strategy and execution, ensuring that brands can connect their AI search visibility with measurable business outcomes.
Founders and Leadership
Petra Labs was founded by Sami Akkawi, Rishi Penmetcha, and Ramie Khoury, who bring a wealth of experience from their previous roles. Sami Akkawi, serving as CEO, has a background in advising private equity firms at Strategy&. Rishi Penmetcha, the CTO, has developed large-scale data systems and worked on AI agents at Traba. Ramie Khoury, the COO, led Traba’s growth team, focusing on enterprise sales and operations.
Strategic Use of Funds
The newly acquired seed funding will be directed towards expanding Petra Labs' measurement platform and enhancing its embedded services. The company aims to strengthen its ability to link AI search activity with tangible business results. This involves developing custom attribution models that can directly correlate AI-generated visibility to website traffic, customer acquisition, and revenue.
Focus on Enterprise Brands
Petra Labs is targeting large brands with intricate marketing operations and significant investments in AEO. By providing detailed insights into AI search strategies, Petra enables brands to evaluate numerous citations, identify key prompts, and determine influential sources for AI-generated responses. This strategic approach is designed to help companies allocate their marketing spend more efficiently.
Future Developments
With the backing of prominent investors and a robust strategic plan, Petra Labs is poised to further refine its platform. The company’s ongoing efforts aim to bridge the gap between AI search visibility and financial returns, providing enterprise brands with the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly AI-driven market.
This seed funding round marks a significant milestone for Petra Labs as it continues to innovate and lead in the field of answer engine optimization.