Ryan Hudson, Founder of ZeroClick, Talks Affiliate Marketing, AI Search Ads, and Sleek Acquisition

ZeroClick is hardly two weeks old, but it’s already made a splash in the emerging AI ads space. 

The platform provides ‘contextual advertising’ in AI search platforms. Essentially, advertisers choose what keywords they want to rank for, and AI platforms weave them into certain answers in a way that, hopefully, feels natural and useful.

It is not the only platform offering this kind of solution. Despite its nascency, the area has already become fiercely competitive. Another startup, Kontext, raised $10 million last month.

However, ZeroClick is performing notably well. It has secured $55 million in funding, and recently acquired Sleek, a browser automation and shopping platform.

Backed by Y-Combinator, Sleek is designed to help consumers automate shopping tasks like applying coupons and filling baskets. 

The idea is that browser extensions, cashback plug-ins, and other publishers will have their tasks automated to help consumers find as many deals as possible.

ZeroClick states that the Sleek acquisition will help the platform ensure that every customer journey, even those outside of chatbots, can be “enriched by AI.”

Keen to learn more about this developing platform and its implications for affiliate marketing, I spoke with Founder Ryan Hudson.