Levitate Secures $16M to Scale AI with a Human-Centric Approach

RALEIGH, N.C. – March 05, 2026 – Levitate, the AI-powered relationship marketing platform, today announced it has closed a $16 million funding round, bringing its total capital raised to $71 million. The round was led by Harbert Growth Partners, with continued participation from existing investors Bull City Venture Partners and Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures.

Founded in 2017, the Raleigh-based company has carved out a distinct niche by helping relationship-based businesses, such as financial advisors and law firms, scale personal communication without losing the authentic human connection that underpins their success. This latest infusion of capital is earmarked to accelerate Levitate's AI innovation, expand its unique “Service-as-Software” model, and grow its team and market presence across North America.

The 'Service-as-Software' Differentiator

In a market saturated with purely automated solutions, Levitate distinguishes itself with a hybrid model it calls “Service-as-Software.” This approach combines an intelligent, multi-channel technology platform with hands-on strategic coaching. While the software automates and simplifies outreach through tailored emails, social media posts, text messages, and even handwritten cards, a dedicated success team helps clients build and execute a strategy that feels personal and genuine.

The platform, which the company calls its “Happiness Platform,” acts as a centralized hub for cultivating meaningful interactions. It enables users to remember key facts about contacts, manage online reviews, schedule meetings, and create blog content, all while ensuring communication remains authentic. This philosophy directly challenges the fear that AI will dehumanize business interactions, instead positioning it as a tool to amplify thoughtfulness at scale.

“Our original thesis was simple: AI should help relationship-based businesses become more consistent, more thoughtful, and more scalable in how they show up for their clients,” said Jesse Lipson, Founder and CEO of Levitate. “This investment allows us to build more tools that make AI practical and accessible for small businesses, while continuing to strengthen the Service-as-Software experience our customers rely on.”

Strong Investor Confidence in a Booming Market

The $16 million investment is a powerful vote of confidence not only in Levitate but in the burgeoning market for AI-driven marketing solutions. The AI in marketing sector is projected to experience explosive growth, with some estimates suggesting a market value exceeding $100 billion by 2028. Investors are clearly taking note of platforms that can deliver tangible results.

The strategic alignment of the investors underscores the perceived strength of Levitate's model. Lead investor Harbert Growth Partners focuses on scalable, recurring-revenue technology companies, often outside of traditional tech hubs. Levitate, with its established subscription model and a customer base now exceeding 8,000 businesses, fits this profile perfectly.

Participation from Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures highlights the platform's proven value in the financial services industry. As the venture arm of a major financial security company, their continued investment validates Levitate’s ability to help financial advisors deepen client engagement—a critical factor in an industry built on trust. Similarly, the ongoing support from Bull City Venture Partners, a firm that has backed Levitate since its earlier rounds, signals a long-term belief in the company's vision and execution within the competitive B2B software landscape.

Democratizing AI for Small Businesses

A core part of Levitate's mission is to make enterprise-level technology accessible and affordable for the small and medium-sized businesses that form the backbone of the economy. The new funding is set to directly fuel this goal by accelerating the development of customer-facing tools that simplify sophisticated marketing tasks.

Levitate's AI Assistant is a prime example, already empowering users to generate and edit content for emails and social media, manage their online presence through Google Review features, and even design websites. By putting these powerful tools into the hands of small business owners, the platform helps level the playing field, allowing them to compete with larger corporations that have dedicated marketing departments.

The company plans to use a portion of the funds to expand its sales and customer success teams across the United States and Canada. This expansion is crucial for maintaining the high-touch support that defines its “Service-as-Software” model, ensuring that as the company grows, its commitment to personalized customer strategy does not waver. This focus on both technological innovation and human support is designed to empower a broader range of relationship-focused businesses to thrive.

Navigating a Crowded Competitive Field

Levitate operates in a dynamic and competitive space, with CRM and marketing automation giants like Salesforce, HubSpot, and ActiveCampaign all heavily investing in their own AI capabilities. These platforms offer comprehensive suites of tools that dominate large segments of the market.

However, Levitate’s focused strategy provides a distinct advantage. While many competitors offer broad, one-size-fits-all solutions, Levitate has intentionally tailored its platform for the specific needs of “relationship-based” professionals. Its emphasis is not just on lead generation or sales conversion, but on the long-term cultivation of authentic connections that drive referrals and repeat business.

By combining AI-driven efficiency with a layer of human strategy and support, the company offers a solution that resonates with businesses that see their client base as a community, not just a list of contacts. With this new capital, Levitate is well-positioned to deepen its specialization, enhance its technology, and prove that in the age of AI, the most valuable connections are still the human ones.