- Bhavin Turakhia has invested $30 million of his own money to launch Neo, an AI first workplace software platform.
- Neo combines documents, project management, file storage, and AI into a single enterprise solution.
- The platform supports multiple AI models, giving businesses flexibility instead of locking them into one provider.
- Neo will first target mid sized businesses while expanding its engineering team and product capabilities.
Bhavin Turakhia believes the next generation of workplace software cannot be built by simply adding AI assistants to products that were designed years ago. Instead, the Indian entrepreneur is betting that businesses need an entirely new platform created with artificial intelligence at its foundation.
That belief has led him to invest $30 million of his own money into Neo, a new enterprise software company that aims to compete in one of the technology industry’s most crowded markets.
Turakhia has spent more than two decades building technology companies and has often relied on personal capital before seeking outside investment. His track record includes ventures such as Directi, Radix, Titan, and banking technology company Zeta. He is following the same approach with Neo, choosing to bootstrap the business because he sees generative AI as a once in a generation technology shift that justifies building workplace software from the ground up.
According to Turakhia, companies trying to modernize legacy workplace platforms face a major challenge because their products were never designed with AI in mind. He argues that adding chatbots and AI assistants to existing software is not enough to fundamentally change how people work.
He compares the transition to the evolution of smartphones, saying it is impossible to transform an older device into something designed for a completely new era. In his view, enterprise software requires the same level of reinvention.
Neo combines productivity tools with built in AI
Neo officially began internal deployment in April and is designed as a unified enterprise platform. Instead of offering separate applications for project management, document creation, file storage, and collaboration, it brings all of those functions together under one system powered by AI.
The company’s vision goes beyond providing employees with another chatbot to answer questions. Neo is designed to make AI an active participant in everyday work by helping users organize information, manage projects, create content, and automate tasks within a single environment.
Another key aspect of the platform is its model agnostic approach. Rather than locking customers into one AI provider, Neo allows businesses to switch between different AI models depending on their needs. That flexibility could appeal to organizations that want greater control over cost, performance, and future technology choices.
Turakhia believes this open approach will become increasingly important as enterprises adopt multiple AI models instead of relying on a single vendor.
A crowded market presents both challenges and opportunities
Neo is entering a highly competitive enterprise software market where established technology companies are already moving quickly. Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce continue to expand AI features across their productivity platforms, while AI focused startups are introducing new tools aimed at improving workplace efficiency.
Companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Notion, and Superhuman are also investing heavily in AI powered productivity solutions, making competition more intense than ever.
Despite this crowded landscape, Turakhia remains confident that enterprise software has never been dominated by just one company. He believes there is enough room for multiple successful platforms, especially as organizations look for solutions tailored to different industries and workflows.
Rather than trying to dominate the market, Neo is targeting a relatively small slice of global enterprise AI spending. Even capturing between 2 and 5 percent of the market, Turakhia believes, would create the largest business he has built so far.
His strategy reflects confidence that demand for AI native enterprise software will continue growing as companies move beyond simple AI assistants toward fully integrated workplace platforms.
Rapid development highlights AI’s growing role in software engineering
One of the more striking aspects of Neo’s journey is the speed at which the product was developed. Turakhia says the first version of the platform was completed in just three months, with artificial intelligence playing a major role throughout the development process.
He estimates that building the same product before the rise of generative AI would likely have taken more than a year and required a significantly larger engineering team. The experience highlights how AI is not only changing enterprise software but also transforming the way software itself is created.
Neo currently operates from Bengaluru with a workforce of around 45 employees, including 18 engineers. The company plans to more than double its headcount to nearly 100 employees before the end of the year, with most new positions focused on AI research and software engineering.
For now, the platform is being tested within Turakhia’s own companies, including Zeta. The next phase will involve expanding to mid sized businesses, particularly those employing knowledge workers in technology, consulting, and professional services.
While Neo faces strong competition from established enterprise software providers and fast growing AI startups, Turakhia believes the industry is entering a new chapter where AI native platforms can compete on equal footing with legacy products. His willingness to personally invest $30 million reflects confidence that the future of workplace software will belong to platforms built specifically for the AI era rather than products retrofitted with new features.
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