Summary:
Polimorphic raises $18.6M to develop AI chatbots for local governments
Local governments face staffing crises and work overload, creating a need for AI solutions
Polimorphic's technology handles routine tasks, reducing voicemails by 90%
Competitors include Boost.ai and IBM's watsonx
New Texas law requires transparency in AI interactions
The Scoop
Silicon Valley has historically avoided developing technologies for the slow, fragmented world of local governments. Yet, with a staffing crisis and work overload, city and county administrators are in dire need of innovative solutions.
New York-based startup Polimorphic is stepping up to fill this gap by creating AI-powered chatbots and support services for local governments. The company has recently raised $18.6 million in Series A funding, with General Catalyst leading the round, joined by M13 and Shine.
"Folks underestimate how critical local government and state agency work is," said Polimorphic co-founder and CEO Parth Shah. "It’s not the public servant’s fault. They’re trying their best. They just haven’t had the right systems."
This funding round brings Polimorphic's total investment to $28 million, with a valuation estimated at $70 million by PitchBook. The funds will be used to expand into new states by hiring sales and support staff.
Step Back
Local governments manage a wide range of responsibilities, from public safety to utilities and food stamps. The worker shortage, worsened by an aging population and competitive private sector salaries, has slowed permit approvals and increased employee burnout.
Polimorphic's AI solutions handle routine tasks like form processing and status updates, freeing up employees to focus on more impactful work, such as organizing community events and connecting residents with government programs.
The startup faces competition from other chatbot providers like Boost.ai and IBM, which partnered with the City of Austin to provide COVID-19 information via its watsonx virtual assistant.
Know More
Polimorphic offers a website chatbot, AI-powered phone service, and application review agents. Its technology can handle tasks like correcting form errors and updating permit statuses, supporting over 75 languages.
Pricing starts at a few hundred dollars monthly for basic services, scaling with population size. For advanced features, costs are based on user numbers.
Each bot is trained on hundreds of pages of local regulations and can route residents to the correct department, reducing voicemails by 90%.
Notable
- A new Texas law mandates clear disclosure when interacting with AI on state websites, promoting transparency.
- Chatbots relying on internet data can be error-prone, as seen with a ChatGPT-powered assistant in Osaka that falsely reported event cancellations.
Comments