The Playbook Behind an AI-Led $8M Fundraise

How A Unicorn Founder Raised $8M Using AI

AI isn’t just a tool for fundraising;  it is becoming the third cofounder. In this episode, Andrew D’Souza shares how Bordy.ai surfaced an investor he’d never met, generated instant enthusiasm, and kicked off a sprint that resulted in an $8M seed round… even though he wasn’t actively raising. He explains why warm intros are losing signal, why founders are stuck competing for attention in outdated networks, and how AI-driven matching will reshape how capital is allocated. You’ll learn how to think about investor time, how to position yourself for inbound interest, and why the smartest founders are leaning into AI as a credibility layer.

If you’re raising this year, you’ll want to hear Andrew’s take on where the market is going and why founders who ignore this shift will be at a disadvantage.

👉 Watch now: YouTube link

Here’s what you’re in for:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:16 Using AI to Raise Funds

01:11 The Evolution of Fundraising

05:02 Clear Co: Building a FinTech Unicorn

08:56 Transitioning from Clearco to AI

18:37 The Birth of Boardy

25:45 The Initial Growth Strategy

26:23 Defining Bordy's Vision and Purpose

27:23 Building a Horizontal AI Platform

27:55 Achieving Network Effects and User Success Stories

28:57 Experimenting with Investor-Founders Matching

30:12 The Importance of Trust in Business Introductions

31:41 Boardy's Unique Onboarding Process

36:23 Future Plans: Monetization and Expansion

47:54 The Role of AI in Human Relationships

53:17 How to Connect with Andrew

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ABOUT Andrew D’Souza

Andrew D’Souza is the co-founder of Bordy.ai, an AI-powered super-connector that helps founders and investors meet faster, smarter, and with far more precision than warm intros ever could. Before Bordy, Andrew co-founded Clearco, which scaled to a $2.5B valuation and became one of the most iconic fintech success stories in recent years.

Andrew has spoken with thousands of investors, raised hundreds of millions, and now builds technology that automates the very mechanisms that made Clearco successful.

Get in touch with Andrew:

• Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn
• Check out the Website

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