The Scoop
Silicon Valley has historically shied away from building technologies for slow, fragmented local governments. But with a staffing crisis and work overload, city and county administrators are among the customers who could use them the most.
New York-based startup Polimorphic, which is trying to fill that gap by creating chatbots and other AI-powered support services for local governments, has raised $18.6 million in Series A funding, the company exclusively told Semafor. Venture capital heavyweight General Catalyst led the round, with additional contributions from early stage investment firms M13 and Shine.
“Folks underestimate how critical a lot of local government and state agency work is,” Polimorphic co-founder and CEO Parth Shah told Semafor. “It’s not the public servant’s fault. They’re trying their best. They just haven’t had the right systems.”
The new round brings the startup’s total investment to $28 million. Polimorphic did not disclose its valuation, but PitchBook estimates it around $70 million. The funds will go towards hiring salespeople and support staff for Polimorphic’s expansion into new states, Shah said.
