Exclusive: Lorikeet, an AI customer service platform, comes out of stealth with $5 million in seed funding

A lorikeet is a feathered rainbow of a parrot, native to Australia’s coasts, and it’s not all that big—but it’s nearly impossible to miss. It’s a jungle out there for AI startups. Just yesterday, OpenAI closed the largest round of VC funding ever, raising $6.6 billion at a valuation of $157 billion. It somehow makes the $500 million that AI coding startup Poolside raised and revealed yesterday comparatively look quiet, demonstrating how competitive AI has become. This is especially true of AI agents, a space that’s been crowding as deal...