AI driven search specialist Searchable secures £10.3 million in funding from Headline at £62.9 million valuation
Searchable has raised £10.3 million ($14 million) at a £62.9 million ($85 million) valuation in a funding round led by venture capital firm Headline (backers of Semrush, Bumble, Farfetch, and Sonos).
Following the company's launch in January, Searchable says it achieved £1.4 million ($2 million) in annual recurring revenue in under 4.5 months and has an annual recurring revenue of £2 million. It plans to accelerate product development across its execution engine and expand its presence in both the US and UK markets.
Dominic R. Wilhelm, Partner at Headline, says: “AI driven discovery is rewriting how customers find products, and the economics are moving fast. As more searches are answered directly by AI, brands that are invisible in this layer of search will simply see less demand. The companies that adapt first will protect and grow market share; those that don’t will lose it quietly.”
“We backed Semrush early as the category leader and exited following its IPO at around a $2 billion market cap. Now, we see a new generation of businesses coming up and Searchable is primed to win this market, which is why we are ecstatic to lead the current round."
Wilhelm adds: “We see Searchable becoming part of the core infrastructure for this shift, not just reporting on what AI engines say about a brand, but directly improving the visibility and revenue outcomes that matter to management teams and boards.”
Chris Donnelly, Founder at Searchable, says: “Search is going through a once in a generation reset. When an AI assistant recommends your brand, customers arrive with more intent, more trust and a shorter path to purchase. Based on our own data customers are converting at 3x higher when they arrive from ChatGPT and other LLMs. If you aren’t visible in those answers, you’re giving ground to competitors every day.”
Donnelly, who sold SEO agency Verb for £18.5 million ($25 million) and scaled Lottie Org to a nine-figure valuation, adds: “For more than a decade, SEO has been labour‑intensive and expensive. Over the next two years, a large share of that work becomes automatable. Our goal is to give companies an execution layer for AI search that cuts operational SEO costs by up to 40 percent while growing high intent traffic.”
Searchable works with brands including American Express, KPMG, Siemens, Tencent, Pfizer, Boston Consulting Group, DigitalOcean, VaynerMedia and Havas.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
