Salt Lake City startup Chatsi raises $2.5 million for AI sales tools

Salt Lake City residents can now expect more sophisticated digital shopping experiences from local businesses, as Chatsi announced a $2.5 million seed financing commitment on Monday. The funding, led by Jonathan Ord, co-founder of DealerSocket, will support product development and expansion across consumer and business commerce sectors.

Chatsi operates an AI sales agent platform that integrates a merchant’s product expertise into online shopping conversations. The software answers customer questions, explains differences between items, and guides buyers toward options that fit their specific needs. The company aims to assist shoppers in situations where technical details or complex catalogs make choosing difficult.

The platform currently serves global brands in business-to-consumer, direct-to-consumer, and business-to-business commerce. Industries using the technology include motorsports, automotive aftermarket, consumer electronics, luxury goods, jewelry, fashion, and technical products. Chatsi plans to extend its guided selling capabilities to industrial products and other specialized categories where buyers require help understanding specifications and compatibility.

Ken Garff, founder and CEO of Chatsi, noted that shoppers often require guidance before making large online purchases. He stated that customers frequently ask if a new item will work with existing products. The new funding provides the company with resources to improve the user experience and support a larger number of merchants.

Ord said his experience building a CRM for car dealers taught him the importance of understanding customer needs in sales. He described Chatsi’s approach as customer-first, helping shoppers work through questions with greater confidence. Kosar Jaff, former Vice President of Engineering at Shopify and a technical advisor to Chatsi, emphasized the team’s focus on protecting brand trust. He explained that the AI grounds its guidance in the merchant’s own knowledge to treat each interaction as part of the brand experience.

Founded in 2024, Chatsi is based in Salt Lake City. Garff previously founded Amplifi.io, a product information management platform that Pattern, an e-commerce accelerator, acquired in 2021. Garff served as a division president at Pattern following the acquisition.

The company’s roadmap connects visibility in AI-powered search with personal shopping experiences on merchant websites. The goal is to help brands turn first visits into sales conversations by bringing product expertise to each shopper’s needs.