New York-based startup PromptLayer has secured a $4.8 million seed funding round to further develop its innovative prompt management platform, designed to support the growing demand for efficient AI app development. The funding round, led by Ivan Bercovich of ScOp Venture Partners, will enable PromptLayer to expand its team, enhance its platform, and build a community around the emerging field of prompt engineering.

PromptLayer's founders, Jared Zoneraich and Jonathan Pedoeem, initially created a tool to manage their own AI chatbot prompts, but it quickly gained traction, and they decided to build a fully featured prompt management platform. The platform offers a visual interface packed with tools for managing and monitoring the process of extracting the best value from large language models (LLMs). This unique approach focuses on non-technical users, particularly domain experts, who can test and evaluate different prompts for their specific app use cases.

Zoneraich explains that the core of PromptLayer's product is a "prompt registry," which acts as a content management system (CMS) and version control for prompts. This allows users to create new versions, compare differences, and choose the best production version. The platform also supports A/B testing, logging, and deeper insights into prompt performance across various LLMs. By catering to non-technical users, PromptLayer aims to empower domain experts to take the lead in AI app development, rather than relying solely on engineers.

The startup's focus on non-technical users sets it apart from other players in the space, according to Zoneraich. He believes that the market will ultimately validate this approach, as domain experts are essential for building successful AI applications in various domains. Zoneraich also notes that the skills required for prompt engineering are distinct from those of traditional programming, and that the less one tries to understand the LLM, the better they are at prompt engineering.

PromptLayer's seed funding will be used to expand the team, with a focus on in-house engineering talent to ensure quality and reliability of service for customers. The startup also plans to expand its platform to serve more use cases, grow usage, and invest in community building to nurture the field of prompt engineering. With over 10,000 free and paid customers, including ParentLab and OpenAI-backed Speak, PromptLayer has seen 13x revenue growth this year, purely through word-of-mouth as teams discover the need for domain experts in AI app development.

Zoneraich is confident that the market need for tools to get the best out of LLMs will continue to grow, even with the rapid advancements in the GenAI market. He argues that even with the emergence of AGI, humans will still require tooling and support to effectively utilize these powerful technologies. As the field of prompt engineering continues to evolve, PromptLayer is well-positioned to play a pioneering role in shaping its future.