With the advent of generative AI, various industries are experiencing transformative changes, and software development is no exception. Autify, a startup based in San Francisco and Tokyo, has created an autonomous AI agent aimed at improving software quality assurance (QA) processes. This innovation helps software engineers complete code quickly, streamline workflows, and boost productivity, essentially functioning as an AI QA engineer.
Autify recently announced the completion of a $13 million Series B funding round and the release of the beta version of Zenes, its AI agent for software quality assurance, designed for U.S. customers. This latest funding round brings Autify’s total raised to $30 million, including $24 million in equity and $6 million in debt financing. The round was co-led by Global Capital Partners and LG Technology Ventures, with participation from existing investors such as World Innovation Lab (WiL), Salesforce Ventures, Archetype Venture, and Uncorrelated Ventures.
Autify was co-founded in 2016 by former software engineers Ryo Chikazawa (CEO) and Sam Yamashita, who experienced firsthand the challenges of lengthy software testing processes. To address this, they developed Autify NoCode, a platform that allows developers and QA teams to improve efficiency and enhance software quality, ultimately saving time and resources. NoCode is primarily used by customers in Japan and South Korea who rely heavily on manual testing. Currently in beta, Zenes is specifically tailored for the U.S. market.
Zenes generates test cases by analyzing product requirement documents, writes automated test codes, and maintains these codes automatically. According to Autify, Zenes reduces the time needed to create test cases by 55%, distinguishing it from other solutions on the market.
Ryo Chikazawa noted that companies heavily investing in automation do not need to switch to no-code or low-code solutions since they can code, but they still face resource shortages. He emphasized that generative AI can enhance productivity in these companies. With Zenes, Autify can now support the entire QA process, from designing to creating test cases.
Here’s how Zenes works: Users upload their product requirement documents in formats like .html, .pdf, .docx, and .md. Zenes then generates outlined test cases covering the product specs. Users can edit these test cases to improve accuracy before Zenes generates automated test codes.
Chikazawa highlighted that AI is not meant to replace humans but to enhance human capabilities, making us more creative. He believes that generative AI will redefine the software development process and its quality assurance.
Autify plans to use the new funding to add more AI capabilities to support customers’ software QA. The startup has also partnered with LG CNS, an IT service unit of LG Corp, to expand into the Korean market, alongside its core markets in the U.S. and Japan.
While Autify did not disclose the number of its customers, it has expanded its services to 16 countries, up from two in 2021 when it raised its Series A. The company serves both B2C and B2B clients, including DeNA, NEC, NTT Smart Communication, Yahoo, and ZoZo. Additionally, its staff has grown from 30 in 2021 to 100.
