Ex-Google, Meta Execs Building Emotionally Aware AI Sales Agents

Three former engineering leaders from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Meta Platforms Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. have raised $10 million for a new startup focused on making artificial intelligence-powered customer sales agents more emotionally attuned.

The Palo Alto, California-based company, called Palona AI, is launching on Thursday and announcing the debut of its sales models, which target consumer-facing businesses. Customers include home security camera maker Wyze Labs and wellness studio Mindzero. It also received initial capital from a “friends and family” round with investors such as UpHonest Capital, Fusion Fund, the startup accelerator Neo, and Maynard Webb, a Visa ...