Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) platform Cognizo, founded by Deniz Özcan and Alp Aysan, has announced that it raised $1.8 million in funding.
The investment round includes U.S.-based Mana Ventures and Treeo VC, along with Galata Business Angels (GBA) members such as Arif Akdağ, Emre Kurttepeli, Kaan Boyner, Görkem Güven, Mustafa Kıral, Bülent Çelebi, Emrah Ünal, Esat Uğurlu, Saruhan Tan, Naci Topçuoğlu, and Ata Uzunhasan, as well as other angel investors. Orange.fund, the new fund launched by the founders of Socio, which was previously acquired by Cisco, also participated as an early investor and joined this round as well.
The investment will support the development of the platform’s capabilities, key hires, go-to-market initiatives, and overall growth plans.
Cognizo’s platform helps brands monitor how they are mentioned, cited, and discussed in terms of sentiment across generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. The platform also enables companies to transform these insights into content optimization and AEO-focused content production workflows.
Cognizo provides an end-to-end AEO platform for marketing teams seeking visibility within AI platforms. Its solutions include Answer Engine Insights, Content Optimization, AI-generated traffic analytics, and question/prompt volume analysis.
Through Answer Engine Insights, brands can track how AI systems reference them, benchmark against competitors, and identify visibility gaps. Under Content Optimization, the platform analyzes insights using AI-based algorithms to create prioritized action plans tailored for each brand, including both on-site (within the brand’s website) and off-site (outside the brand’s website) strategies. It also enables companies to build integrated strategies using channels such as public relations, affiliates, and social media.
Analyzing millions of data points daily, Cognizo aims to help marketing teams make their AI visibility strategies measurable and continuously improvable.
The company launched its product in spring 2025 and has quickly attracted global clients in the U.S. market, including LG, Wellhub, and Prezi.
Technical co-founder Alp Aysan previously worked at Microsoft on the Copilot team, focusing particularly on agentic search reliability. The founders believe that AI will fundamentally reshape consumer behavior and marketing strategies.
Deniz Özcan, Co-Founder and CEO of Cognizo, commented:
“When we founded Cognizo, we saw that the customer journey had already changed. People now research products end-to-end by asking questions on AI platforms like ChatGPT rather than traditional search engines. For brands, being visible in this new channel is no longer a ‘nice to have’ — it is a direct competitive advantage. This round will help us accelerate product development and enable more brands to position themselves correctly in AI. This investor group, including GBA, brings together deep expertise in marketing, growth, and ecosystem building, which is extremely valuable for us.”
Arif Akdağ from Galata Business Angels also commented on the investment:
“Even during global volatility and periods of war, we continue investing. As GBA, we stand by entrepreneurs during the toughest times. This round represents the largest first-round investment GBA has made to date. Search behavior is transforming — users increasingly get answers directly from generative AI instead of clicking links. This makes the question ‘How do you appear in AI?’ critical for brands. Cognizo is building a powerful platform that answers this question with measurable metrics and turns insights into action. At GBA, we believe in products at the center of this transformation. We were highly impressed by the Cognizo team’s speed, focus, and global market approach, which is why we are happy to be part of this investment.”
Source: Webrazzi.com
