IBM announced on June 2, 2025, that it has acquired Seek AI, a platform that allows business users to interact with enterprise data using natural language. The acquisition bolsters IBM's growing portfolio of AI solutions for businesses and coincides with the launch of watsonx AI Labs, a new developer-focused innovation hub in New York City.
Founded in 2021 by Sarah Nagy, a former quantitative analyst and data scientist, Seek AI developed technology that transforms conversational questions into precise database queries. The platform features a chatbot-like interface that automatically performs high-level data analysis and summarization, making complex data accessible to non-technical users. Prior to acquisition, Seek AI had raised approximately $10 million from investors including Battery Ventures, Conviction Partners, and NJP Ventures.
"We'll scale our platform, deploy mission-critical solutions for IBM clients, empower the next generation of AI developers, and grow our team significantly," Nagy wrote in a LinkedIn post following the announcement. The Seek AI team will relocate to IBM's Manhattan offices at One Madison, which also houses the newly established watsonx AI Labs.
This acquisition reinforces IBM's strategic focus on enterprise AI solutions, which has proven successful for the company. In its Q1 2025 earnings report, IBM exceeded analyst expectations with software growth and strong AI demand driving results. According to IBM CFO James Kavanaugh, approximately six points of the company's software growth came from generative AI products, including AI assistants, agents, and the watsonx platform.
Ritika Gunnar, IBM's General Manager of Data and AI, emphasized the significance of watsonx AI Labs: "[It] is where the best AI developers gain access to world-class engineers and resources and build new businesses and applications." The lab will serve as an accelerator for AI innovation, with successful startups potentially receiving investment from IBM Ventures' $500 million enterprise AI fund.
The acquisition comes at a time when IBM's generative AI book of business has grown to more than $6 billion inception-to-date, reflecting the company's commitment to leading in enterprise AI adoption and development.