Astra AI, a Bengaluru-based AI startup that described itself as the “Chief of Staff for every Account Executive,” is on the verge of shutting down. After two years of struggle, one of the co-founders shared a post on LinkedIn announcing that Astra AI will be closing its doors.
According to reports by Inc42, co-founder and CEO Supreet Hegde had disagreements with co-founder Ranjan Rajagopalan over the company’s future direction. Despite receiving four months of financial support from Perplexity AI‘s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, the startup is now shutting down due to internal issues.
Also, hegde says “Despite our best efforts, as co-founders, we found ourselves at different crossroads regarding the pace of growth. It is a challenging decision, but we have chosen to part ways and bring this chapter to a close,“
In today’s digital landscape, clients are still uncertain about whom to trust. In such a scenario, Astra AI required access to a significant amount of sensitive internal data, which made clients hesitant. Many were unsure whether it was safe or appropriate to share confidential information with an AI tool.
Astra AI: Goals And Internals
Astra was an AI-powered SaaS startup founded in 2023 by IIT Madras alumni Supreet Hegde and Ranjan Rajagopalan. The company aimed to automate up to 80% of an account executive’s tasks by integrating deeply with enterprise tools like Salesforce, Google Drive, Slack, and contract lifecycle management platforms. Positioning itself as the “Chief of Staff for every account executive,” Astra sought to enhance sales efficiency through AI-powered workflows .
Today, the company is on the verge of closure after facing numerous challenges in gaining clients’ trust. To deliver the best performance, Astra AI naturally required access to sensitive data, which made building trust more difficult.
The final blow came from internal differences between the co-founders. Hegde announced the shutdown, citing disagreements with Rajagopalan over the pace of growth and strategic direction. Despite efforts to reconcile, the misalignment led to the decision to part ways and close the company. Source (India Startup News)
FAQs
Who is behind Astra AI?
Astra AI is supported by Aravind Srinivas, the CEO and founder of Perplexity, a well-known AI startup. His leadership brings valuable expertise and vision to Astra AI’s growth and innovation.
What products or services does Astra AI offer?
Astra AI provides AI-powered software and tools designed for industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail, including natural language processing, predictive analytics, and automation platforms.
