When George Avetisov, the founder of 1up, noticed sales teams struggling with endless customer questions and technical forms, he knew there had to be a better way. Drawing from his experience as CEO of cybersecurity startup HYPR, he saw firsthand how sales reps often had to pull in experts from other departments to get answers.

This led Avetisov to create 1up, an AI-powered platform designed to help sales teams automate knowledge. Launched in 2022, the tool pulls data from internal sources to answer product questions, complete technical questionnaires, and handle RFPs (request for proposals). Since its public debut in January 2024, 1up has attracted nearly 100 customers, ranging from startups to big names like WalkMe and Deliveroo.

But here’s the kicker: a third of those customers came from memes.

Yes, memes. Avetisov revealed that 1up runs one of the largest sales meme libraries in the industry, generating millions of impressions on LinkedIn. “People follow us just from our memes,” he said. “It’s a little weird, but it works.”

The company recently secured a $5 million funding round led by Upfront Ventures, with participation from RRE Ventures, 8-Bit Capital, and notable individuals like Friendster founder Jonathan Adams. Upfront’s Kobie Fuller, the lead investor, praised Avetisov’s deep understanding of the problem and his scrappy, mission-driven approach.

Avetisov isn’t worried about competing in the crowded AI sales tool market. He believes 1up stands out by focusing on a specific pain point: knowledge automation. “When you talk to enterprises, knowledge management isn’t a budget priority,” he explained. “We’re laser-focused on solving this for sales teams, who have been ignored for too long.”

With the new funding, 1up plans to scale its sales team and roll out feature upgrades. For now, though, it’s safe to say that memes are more than just a laugh—they’re a key part of 1up’s success story.