Have you ever wasted time searching through emails, chat messages, or files, just to find a small piece of information? This is the problem that Glean aims to solve with its startup. Glean was founded in 2019 by Arvind Jain, who worked at Google Search. His idea was simple to create a tool that acts like Google, but for everything inside your company.
Today, Glean is known as the “Work AI” platform. It connects to your company’s already used tools, such as Slack, Google Drive, Dharna, or Cumin, and makes them easy to search at once. Instead of clicking through various apps, you ask Glean, and it provides the answer in seconds.
How does Glean work?
At its core, Glean is a single search bar for your workplace. You type in a question, such as “What is our latest sales report?”, and Glean looks across every connected app to find the correct information. It also checks permissions, so you only see things you are allowed to see.
The results are not just a list of links. Glean summarizes the answer for you and also shows where it came from. That way, you can click into the original file or message to double-check. Glean also creates something called a “knowledge graph.” This graph helps it learn about your company’s structure, teams, projects, and roles, so the answers feel more personal and valuable.
Over time, Glean has become more than just a search. It now has an AI assistant that can write drafts, explain documents, and even analyze data based on your company’s files. It also offers “agents,” which can perform small tasks or workflows automatically. This shift means Glean is moving from simply finding information actually to helping you get work done.
Funding and Growth
The Glean startup has attracted significant investments, demonstrating the potential people see in the idea. In early 2024, the company raised over $200 million at a valuation of $2.2 billion. Later, in 2025, it raised another $150 million, which increased its value to $7.2 billion. Big names like Kleiner Perkins and Lightspeed have backed it, and well-known companies such as Sony Electronics and Databricks already use it.
For everyday users, this funding means the product can continue to improve quickly—adding new integrations, enhanced security, and additional features.
How Does it Compare to Others?
Many tools in the market try to help people find and organize knowledge. Some examples are Elastic, Google Cloud Search, Amazon Kendra, Coveo, and Guru. Tech giants like Microsoft and Google also push their own AI assistants.
But Glean has a unique approach. While some tools work best inside their platforms, Glean tries to connect everything you use. It does not matter if your files are in Drive, Notion, or an old Jira ticket—Glean can pull them together.
Additionally, it displays citations, ensuring you always know the source of the answer. This helps build trust in its results, which is something not every AI tool offers.
What Does It Feel Like to Use Glean?
For employees, using Glean often means fewer interruptions and less wasted time. New team members can find answers without constantly asking co-workers. Sales teams can quickly grab the latest pitch deck. Customer support can find hidden troubleshooting steps from past tickets.
The big advantage is speed and confidence. You get quick summaries, but you can also open the original source to be sure. Because Glean respects all the same permission settings as your tools, private or sensitive information stays protected.
As teams get more comfortable, they start using Glean’s assistant to write content or analyze files, and then move to agents that can handle small tasks automatically. In this way, Glean grows with your company’s needs—from simple search to a real AI co-worker.
Should Your Company Try Glean?
If your company uses many different apps and people often complain about not finding information, Glean could be very useful. It does not replace your tools. It makes them easier to use by putting all their knowledge in one place.
When deciding, companies should ask:
- Does it connect with the apps we use every day?
- Does it keep our information safe?
- Does it show sources so we can trust the answers?
- Can it go beyond search and help with tasks?
For many organizations, Glean checks all these boxes. Running a pilot test with real teams is often the best way to see its impact.
Final Thoughts
The Glean startup began with a simple idea to make it easier to find information at work. In just a few years, it has grown into a powerful AI platform that not only finds answers but also helps complete tasks. With strong funding, trusted customers, and a focus on security, Glean has become one of the most promising tools in the workplace AI space.
For companies drowning in scattered knowledge, Glean offers a clear value that is less time searching and more time working. And in today’s fast-paced world, that is exactly what most teams need.
