Everyone calls themselves "AI-native". But who really is?
In professional services, true AI-native firms don’t just add AI on top of existing workflows - they rebuild their business models around it. The impact goes beyond efficiency: AI changes the economics of how services are delivered. What do they do differently?
1️⃣ Deliver more value for money
Gelt, an AI-native tax firm for affluent individuals, reimagines the CPA model around continuous tax planning. Its system monitors client data, tracks legislation, and suggests strategies in real time, while humans validate and personalize advice. The result: year-round guidance instead of one-off tax filings, predictable flat pricing, and margins of 55-66% vs. the industry’s 20-30%.
2️⃣ Adapt the business model to reach new market segments
OffDeal, an AI-native investment bank for SMEs, a segment traditional investment banks avoid because small deals mean low fees and high failure risk. AI automates buyer discovery, outreach, document flow, and scheduling, letting bankers focus only on negotiations and trust-building. What used to be unprofitable now scales efficiently.
3️⃣ Democratize access for underserved clients
Garfield AI tackles SME debt collection, where low-value claims once written off because legal fees exceeded recoveries. Its hybrid AI system automates filings, court interactions, and debtor communication, while clients approve each step. This slashes costs and opens access to justice to thousands of small businesses.
When AI becomes native to the workflow, it doesn’t just make professionals faster - it transforms the business model itself. The lines between startups and traditional businesses are blurring. Maybe the next wave of venture-scale outcomes won’t come from software products, but from AI-native professional services companies?