What is Levitate and what problem does it solve?

Levitate is an AI marketing platform that helps relationship-driven small and mid-sized businesses maintain personal connections, follow up consistently, and communicate scalably, addressing challenges of time and staff limitations.

How much funding has Levitate raised?

Levitate recently raised $16 million in a growth funding round, bringing its total funding to $71 million.

What makes Levitate's approach unique for SMBs?

Levitate combines AI automation with human support specialists, offering a hybrid approach that makes adoption easier for SMBs and helps them achieve measurable results, distinguishing it from generic automation platforms.

Levitate Raises $16M to Expand AI Marketing Platform

Q: What services does Levitate's platform offer?

Starting as an AI email tool, Levitate has expanded to offer AI-powered solutions for texting, social media, reviews, surveys, websites, and even handwritten cards, functioning as a comprehensive customer engagement platform.

Levitate’s latest $16 million funding round looks like more than another AI headline. It’s a sign that investors still see real value in practical AI platforms that solve everyday business problems, especially for small and mid-sized companies that grow through strong relationships.

The Raleigh-based company announced the new growth funding in early March 2026. Harbert Growth Partners led the round, with continued backing from Bull City Venture Partners and participation from Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures. With this raise, Levitate’s total funding reaches $71 million.

Why this funding matters

Levitate stands out because it is not positioning AI as a replacement for human connection. Its pitch has stayed remarkably consistent: use AI to help relationship-driven businesses stay in touch, follow up reliably, and communicate in ways that still feel personal.

That message is clearly landing.

Founder and CEO Jesse Lipson has built the company around the idea that AI should make businesses “more consistent, more thoughtful, and more scalable.” That framing works because it addresses a daily challenge for many service businesses: they know relationships drive retention and growth, but they often lack the time, staff, or systems to manage those relationships well.

From email tool to full AI engagement platform

Levitate’s expansion has been steady. Founded in 2017, the company started as an AI-powered email marketing tool for smaller, relationship-based businesses. Since then, it has grown well beyond email into texting, social media, reviews, surveys, websites, and even handwritten cards.

That shift is significant.

Levitate is no longer just a simple keep-in-touch product. It has developed into a broader AI-powered marketing and customer engagement platform serving industries such as financial services, real estate, insurance, law, healthcare, nonprofits, and home services. Its hybrid approach, combining software with human support specialists, helps separate it from more generic automation platforms.

That may be one of the company’s smartest moves. Many SMBs do not just need software. They need support, direction, and help putting tools into practice. Levitate’s mix of AI automation and human expertise makes adoption easier and improves the odds of delivering measurable results.

The growth behind the raise

Levitate’s traction helps explain why this round came together now. The company has grown from 1,000 paying customers in 2020 to more than 8,000 businesses in 2026. It now employs more than 300 people and has expanded into new verticals, including healthcare and home maintenance, while also building an international presence with a Canadian hub.

It has picked up several recognition milestones along the way, including multiple appearances on the Inc. 5000 list, a Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ranking, and a USA TODAY Top Workplace designation.

Those are not the markers of a startup still trying to prove the basics. Levitate is moving into a more mature phase, where fresh capital can be used to deepen product capabilities, enter new markets, and build stronger operational scale.

A broader signal for AI in marketing

This funding round also says something about the AI software market more broadly. There has been no shortage of skepticism around AI hype, but Levitate’s momentum points to a simpler reality: businesses will pay for AI when it improves workflows, supports retention, and helps drive revenue.

That is especially true for SMBs.

Large enterprises may dominate much of the AI conversation, but smaller businesses often have the biggest efficiency gaps. They need tools that let them market like larger organizations without building a full in-house team. Levitate fits that need by offering accessible AI for lean, relationship-focused businesses.

It also reflects a wider shift in martech. Generic platforms still matter, but vertical-aware and relationship-specific tools are becoming more attractive. Businesses increasingly want software that fits how they actually operate, not just another one-size-fits-all dashboard.

What comes next for Levitate

This funding will likely speed up Levitate’s AI roadmap, expand its customer-facing features, and strengthen its service layer. The company has already shown it can move into adjacent industries and tailor its platform for more specialized use cases, including HIPAA-ready communication for healthcare.

The bigger test will be preserving its authenticity as it scales. AI marketing tools are becoming more common, and competition from broader incumbents will continue to intensify. Still, if Levitate stays focused on practical automation that supports real human relationships, it has a strong position to build on.

Key takeaways

Levitate raised $16 million in new growth funding, bringing total funding to $71 million.
The company focuses on relationship-based SMBs rather than treating AI as a substitute for human connection.
Its platform has expanded from email marketing into texting, social media, reviews, surveys, websites, and handwritten cards.
Levitate now serves more than 8,000 businesses across multiple industries and employs over 300 people.
The round signals continued investor interest in practical AI tools tied to workflow improvement, customer retention, and revenue growth.

FAQ

How much funding did Levitate raise?

Levitate raised $16 million in its latest funding round, bringing its total funding to $71 million.

Who led Levitate’s funding round?

Harbert Growth Partners led the round, with support from Bull City Venture Partners and Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures.

What does Levitate do?

Levitate offers an AI-powered marketing and customer engagement platform designed for relationship-based small and midsize businesses. Its tools cover email, texting, social media, reviews, surveys, websites, and more.

Why is this funding significant?

The raise highlights investor confidence in AI products that solve practical business problems, especially for SMBs that need better marketing efficiency without losing a personal touch.

Which industries does Levitate serve?

Levitate serves financial services, real estate, insurance, legal, healthcare, nonprofits, home services, and other relationship-driven sectors.

Conclusion

Levitate’s $16 million raise is a clear endorsement of human-centered AI marketing for SMBs. More than anything, it shows where martech is heading: not toward automation for its own sake, but toward tools that help businesses build stronger relationships at scale. For brands looking for that same kind of performance-focused clarity in their own marketing stack, ROAS Suite is worth a look.