Story of AlphaSense: Founder and CEO - Jack Kokko
Story of AlphaSense:
Early Frustrations Spark an Idea
In the late 1990s, Jack Kokko worked as an investment banker and quickly became
frustrated with the time-consuming research process. He recalls spending
endless hours pressing CTRL+F through thousands of PDFs, always worried he
might miss a critical insight. This inefficiency planted the seed for a
solution that would later transform business intelligence.
Laying the Foundation for AlphaSense
By 2008, after completing his MBA in finance from The Wharton School, Jack
began actively exploring how to streamline market research with technology. In
2011, along with co-founder Raj Neervannan, he launched AlphaSense, a
search engine designed for the financial and corporate world. The platform used
AI, natural language processing, and a curated library of data to ensure that
no insight would slip through the cracks.
The Google for Finance
AlphaSense positioned itself as the “Google for Finance,” making it easy for
analysts, bankers, and executives to pull information from over 10,000 trusted
data sources. From the start, the product was built by an analyst, for
analysts. It quickly found an audience among investment firms, corporations,
and consultants who needed a smarter way to handle research.
Rapid Client Adoption
Over time, AlphaSense became the trusted choice for more than 2,000 clients,
including most of the S&P 500 and 70% of the top asset management firms.
Analysts and business leaders could search through millions of
documents—earning AlphaSense a reputation as an “always-on” intelligence
machine that supercharged workflows across industries.
Funding and Growth
The company’s vision attracted strong investor confidence. AlphaSense raised a
total of $1.4 billion across multiple rounds, including a Series F.
This funding supported product innovation, global expansion, and the scaling of
its AI capabilities. Its consistent growth is reflected in its exploding search
demand, which has risen more than 221% in five years.
Generative AI Enters the Picture
In October 2023, AlphaSense integrated generative AI into its suite of
intelligence tools. This marked a major milestone, enabling users to extract
macro and micro insights instantly, track trends, and analyze company
transcripts for sentiment. The new features transformed how analysts
worked—turning what once took days into seconds.
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The AI Interviewer Breakthrough
One of AlphaSense’s biggest innovations was the AI Interviewer, a tool
that automated expert calls. Traditionally, private equity firms and analysts
had to schedule 30–45 minute conversations with experts—a process filled with
friction. Now, AlphaSense’s AI could conduct these interviews at any time,
across time zones, and even repeat them monthly to track industry shifts.
Scaling Human and Machine Intelligence
Jack emphasizes that building cutting-edge AI requires constant iteration. Both
human evaluation and model evaluation are key to keeping systems sharp. This
iterative process helps AlphaSense stay flexible and pivot quickly as AI models
evolve, ensuring that its platform remains relevant and powerful for end users.
Recognition as an Industry Leader
Today, AlphaSense is widely acknowledged as a leader in AI-powered market
intelligence. With 337,200 monthly visitors (98,100 unique) and adoption
across more than 90% of top asset managers and half of the Fortune 500, it has
become an essential part of global business decision-making.
The Road Ahead
Looking forward, AlphaSense is not slowing down. Jack Kokko’s vision is to keep
building the most trusted AI intelligence platform for business and finance. By
blending automation, real-time insights, and human expertise, AlphaSense aims
to remain at the forefront of the AI race—continuing to redefine how the world
does research.
AlphaSense Timeline
- Late
1990s – Jack Kokko experiences the inefficiency of manual market
research as an investment banker.
- 2006–2008
– Completes MBA in Finance at Wharton, refining his vision for a smarter
research tool.
- 2011
– Co-founds AlphaSense with Raj Neervannan in New York, NY.
- 2015–2020
– Gains traction with major asset managers and Fortune 500 companies.
- 2021
– Recognized as the “Google for Finance,” serving thousands of clients
globally.
- 2023
(Oct) – Launches generative AI features for instant insights,
sentiment analysis, and trend tracking.
- 2023
(late) – Introduces the AI Interviewer, automating expert calls
across industries.
- 2024–2025
– Funding reaches $1.4B (Series F), powering global expansion.
- 2025
(Present) – Serves 2,000+ clients, including most of the
S&P 500, with 337,200 monthly visitors and exploding 221%
search growth in five years.
