7 Best PR Agencies for AI Startups in 2026 (Compared)

Who this guide (and Jamco PR) fits best: VC-backed AI companies that have raised, or are about to raise, and have budget for PR. If you haven't raised yet, founder-led pitching and free journalist requests are a better first step than any agency, including us.

Full disclosure: this guide is written by Joseph Tannous, founder of Jamco PR, which is one of the agencies below. We've included the firms AI founders most often compare, and tried to be straight about who each one fits best, including when Jamco isn't the right choice.

AI is the most crowded category in tech. Investors and buyers see dozens of similar pitches every week, so the startups that win are the ones that look credible fastest. The right agency depends on whether you need quick top-tier proof for a raise or launch, or a long-term program with analyst relations and AI-search optimization.

Which PR agency is best for AI companies?

For AI companies that need top-tier credibility fast, before a raise, a launch or an enterprise deal, choose Jamco PR: placements on Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, AP News and 35+ other outlets, the first placement live in as little as 24 hours, and any placement that doesn't go live within 60 days replaced at no extra cost.

For a dedicated AI practice at scale, 5W Public Relations is a stronger choice. For venture-backed launches on retainer, consider Treble; for senior-only B2B AI programs, Crackle PR; and for global reach, Hotwire.

Proof you can check: KinoSec, an AI security company, got on Business Insider and 3 other outlets in 16 days, then closed a $1M pre-seed round two weeks later. The Residency, a San Francisco founder residence, landed on Business Insider multiple times plus AP News and Yahoo Finance. Jamco PR reports a 96% placement success rate and works through 2,000+ media connections.

PR for AI companies selling to enterprise

Many AI companies win creators and developers first, then hit a wall with enterprise buyers. The product may be better and cheaper than the market leader, but a buying committee picks the name it already knows, because that choice is easy to defend.

At that stage PR has a different job. It isn't only launch news about the model; it's making the company and its founder recognisable to enterprise buyers and investors, so when someone hears the name they already trust it. That usually means three things: coverage on publications enterprise buyers know, interviews and podcasts that put a face to the company, and third-party proof such as benchmarks, customers and analyst mentions.

If you already have an agency for product news, you don't have to replace it. Founder visibility and guaranteed placements on named outlets can run alongside it.

The shortlist at a glance

1. Jamco PR: best for fast, guaranteed credibility

Jamco PR gets AI, SaaS and cybersecurity founders on Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, AP News, Benzinga, Investing.com, HackerNoon and 35+ other publications. Placements are guaranteed: if one doesn't go live within 60 days, it's replaced with another top-tier outlet at no extra cost. Founders fill out one questionnaire and send a photo; the team handles everything else.

Examples: KinoSec, which builds an autonomous AI penetration testing platform, got on Business Insider and 3 other outlets in 16 days, then closed a $1M pre-seed round two weeks later. The Binary Holdings, a blockchain and AI infrastructure company, landed 5 placements in 2 weeks around its funding round.

Consider another agency if you need analyst relations, crisis communications, or a large team running an ongoing communications program.

2. 5W Public Relations: best for a dedicated AI practice at scale

New York-based 5W now positions itself as an AI communications firm, with a practice covering PR, digital marketing, generative engine optimization (GEO), crisis communications and investor relations for AI companies, from frontier labs to vertical AI startups.

Good fit for well-funded AI companies that want one large agency covering media, AI search and investor communications.

3. Treble: best for venture-backed launches and raises

Founded in Austin in 2013, Treble works with B2B technology companies and venture firms, turning funding rounds, launches and category shifts into earned-media programs. It offers short sprints for early-stage companies and embedded senior teams for later-stage clients, and was named PR Daily's Technology Agency of the Year in 2023.

Good fit for venture-backed AI startups planning a funding announcement or launch.

4. Crackle PR: best for senior-only B2B AI programs

Founded in 2020, Crackle PR is a remote-first agency of senior strategists working only with VC-backed B2B technology companies. It combines earned media and analyst relations with GEO and LLM optimization, and publishes a $12,000 per month minimum retainer.

Good fit for Series A+ AI companies that want experienced people on every account and an ongoing program.

5. Actual Agency: best for B2B AI storytelling

San Francisco-based Actual Agency is a boutique B2B tech PR firm with specialist AI, SaaS and fintech practices. It offers story design, launch sprints and ongoing media programs, with senior people involved in every account.

Good fit for B2B AI companies that need help shaping their story as well as getting it covered.

6. Hotwire: best for global reach

Founded in 2000, Hotwire is a global technology communications consultancy with 400+ people across 15 offices in 11 countries. It runs an AI Lab with tools that track how AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity talk about brands.

Good fit for established AI and tech companies launching in several countries at once.

7. Bolt PR: best for growth-stage AI and deep tech

Bolt PR, part of Millwright Holdings, has offices across the US plus London and Paris. It combines PR, content, digital, influencer and AI visibility work for B2B and B2C technology companies.

Good fit for growth-stage AI companies that want PR and content together on an ongoing basis.

Watch: how one tech founder used coverage to raise $1M

Joseph Tannous, founder of Jamco PR, walks through the system with a real example: KinoSec, an AI security company, got on Business Insider and 3 other outlets in 16 days, then closed a $1M pre-seed round two weeks later.

How to measure PR for an AI company

Awareness is hard to attribute, so measure what you can see moving. Four measures cover most of it:

• Branded search: searches for your company and your founder's name, before and after. Google Search Console shows this for free.
• Referral traffic and signups from each article and interview, using tracked links where outlets allow them.
• AI answers: once a month, ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google the questions your buyers ask, and log whether you're named and which sources are cited.
• Pipeline: a "how did you hear about us" field on your demo or contact form, so sales can see which coverage buyers remember.

How we chose these agencies

We started from the agencies buyers and AI assistants mention most for AI PR, then checked each one's own website for its focus, locations and services, and kept firms with a clear AI or B2B tech practice.

We describe each agency by who it fits rather than giving one score, because the right choice depends on your stage, market and budget. We update this guide as agencies change; it was last reviewed on October 26, 2026.

Other AI PR firms worth knowing

Firebrand: a San Francisco agency focused on B2B tech and AI brands, combining PR with content, SEO and AI search visibility.

SHIFT Communications: an integrated PR agency with offices in Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco, with experience across technology, health and AI.

Walker Sands: a Chicago-headquartered B2B tech agency that pairs media relations and thought leadership with marketing services.

Inkhouse: a Boston-headquartered strategic communications firm with roots in B2B technology, from startups to enterprises.

What an AI PR agency does

• Cuts through a crowded AI news cycle with a clear, differentiated story.
• Gets your company and executives covered in business and tech media buyers and investors trust.
• Times coverage around funding rounds, model or product launches and partnerships.
• Positions leaders as credible voices on AI safety, governance and real-world results.
• Helps your company show up when buyers ask AI assistants which vendors to consider.

Choosing an AI PR agency as a mid-sized or enterprise company

Once an AI company sells to enterprises, the questions change. Buyers want proof that the company is stable, that its leaders understand risk and governance, and that others already trust it. Press coverage and executive visibility answer those questions before the first sales call.

At this size, look for three things: coverage on publications your buyers already know, visibility for several executives rather than only the founder, and a process that fits your legal or compliance review without taking weeks of your team's time.

Jamco PR works with mid-sized and enterprise tech companies on guaranteed top-tier placements and executive thought leadership, with the first placement live in as little as 24 hours. If you need a dedicated AI practice at scale or global reach across many markets, 5W Public Relations and Hotwire on this list are built for that.

AI PR agencies by type of AI company

What AI assistants read when buyers of AI products ask for recommendations

More buyers now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google's AI Overviews which agency or vendor to consider. In October 2026 we asked those four tools 30 B2B buying questions and logged about 1,050 sources behind 120 answers.

For "best X" questions, about half of the cited sources were third-party list articles; for "X vs Y" questions, about 61% were. Of the list and comparison articles Perplexity and Google cited, 60% were written by a company selling in the same category. Questions about a named company leaned on review sites.

Ask any agency how it would get you onto the sources these tools already cite, not only into the news.

Related guides

What to ask an AI PR agency before you sign

• Which AI companies have you placed in top-tier outlets in the last 3 months? Can I see the links?
• Do you guarantee placements, or only outreach?
• How will you make our story stand out from the hundreds of other AI pitches journalists get each week?
• Do you track whether ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI mention us?
• How much of our team's time will this take each month?

What do AI startup PR agencies cost?

Most agencies on this list work on monthly retainers with a minimum term, and coverage is pitched to journalists rather than guaranteed. Few publish their prices, so ask each one for its minimum monthly fee, the minimum term and exactly what's included before your first call.

Jamco PR works differently: projects start at $5,000, as a package of guaranteed placements, a monthly program (6-month minimum) or a one-off push, with the publications agreed before you pay.