Glean Builds the AI Layer Beneath Enterprise Tools: The Next Frontier in Business Intelligence
The race for enterprise AI is intensifying. Tech giants like Microsoft and Google are embedding AI assistants such as Copilot and Gemini into their productivity suites, while OpenAI and Anthropic sell AI directly to businesses. Amid this crowded market, every SaaS vendor now promises an AI assistant—but Glean is taking a different approach. Rather than competing at the interface, Glean is building the intelligence layer that powers enterprise AI from beneath.
Founded seven years ago to be the “Google for enterprise,” Glean initially offered AI-powered search across a company’s SaaS tools—from Slack to Jira, Google Drive to Salesforce. Today, the company’s strategy has evolved: it now focuses on connecting large language models to enterprise data, creating the backbone for smarter AI agents. “All of that is now becoming foundational in terms of building high quality agents,” Glean’s CEO explained, highlighting the importance of understanding people, workflows, and preferences.
At the heart of Glean’s approach is context. Large language models are powerful, but generic—they don’t know the specifics of a company’s products, teams, or processes. Glean maps this internal context, sitting between the AI models and enterprise data. The Glean Assistant presents a familiar chat interface powered by leading proprietary and open-source models, but it’s the underlying intelligence layer—connectors, governance, and model flexibility—that keeps customers engaged and ensures AI outputs are accurate and secure.
Glean’s system also solves three critical enterprise challenges: model access, deep integration, and governance. Enterprises can switch between LLM providers without being locked in, while connectors enable AI to act within Slack, Jira, Salesforce, and Google Drive. Governance ensures access rights are respected, outputs are verified against source documents, and hallucinations are minimized. In large organizations, this middle layer is crucial for scaling AI safely and effectively.
Investors are taking note. In June 2025, Glean raised $150 million in a Series F funding round, nearly doubling its valuation to $7.2 billion. By focusing on a neutral intelligence layer rather than a single AI assistant, Glean positions itself as the connective tissue enterprises need—offering flexibility, security, and growth potential as AI reshapes the workplace.
source: techcrunch