What is Artisan?
Artisan is an AI sales platform whose AI business development rep, Ava, runs outbound prospecting from start to finish. Ava finds and enriches B2B leads from a database of more than 250 million verified contacts, writes and sends personalised emails, handles replies and books meetings. Artisan is a Y Combinator startup that became widely known for its "Stop Hiring Humans" billboard campaign and raised a $25 million Series A in 2025.
Artisan's difference from a classic sales engagement tool is that it aims to replace the manual work of an SDR rather than help one. Instead of buying a lead database, an email sender and a sequencing tool separately, teams set targeting and messaging guidelines and let Ava run the campaigns, with intent signals used to time outreach. It also supports CRM reactivation and upsell campaigns aimed at existing contacts. Startups and small sales teams use it to build pipeline without hiring a full SDR team, and larger teams use it to cover segments their reps cannot reach.
Main Features
- Find and enrich B2B leads from a database of more than 250 million verified contacts.
- Write personalised outbound emails for each prospect with AI.
- Send campaigns across connected mailboxes automatically.
- Handle replies autonomously and route interested prospects.
- Book meetings directly on your calendar.
- Use intent data signals to time outreach.
- Run CRM reactivation and upsell campaigns to existing contacts.
How to Get Started with Artisan
- Book a demo on artisan.co to scope a plan for your lead volume.
- Describe your ideal customer profile and offer to Ava.
- Connect your mailboxes, calendar and CRM.
- Review the first leads and email drafts Ava prepares, then approve the campaign.
- Monitor replies and booked meetings in the dashboard.
Artisan Pricing
Artisan does not publish prices or offer a free plan. It uses credit-based pricing with plan tiers for startups through enterprise, scoped to lead volume, number of mailboxes and dialer seats, and you get a quote after a demo.
Who Should Use It?
- B2B startups that need pipeline without hiring SDRs.
- Sales leaders covering segments their reps cannot reach.
- Founders doing sales who want outbound handled for them.
- Revenue teams reactivating old CRM contacts.
- Agencies that run outbound for clients.
Artisan Alternatives
- 11x: Competing AI digital workers for prospecting and phone calls.
- Instantly: Self-serve cold email with public pricing and a free trial.
- Regie.ai: AI sequences that work alongside human reps instead of replacing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Artisan free?
No, Artisan has no free plan and does not publish its prices. Plans are credit-based and quoted after a demo.
What does Artisan's Ava do?
Ava is an AI BDR that runs outbound sales end to end. She finds leads, writes and sends emails, handles replies and books meetings.
Artisan vs 11x: which is better?
Both sell autonomous AI sales reps, so the better choice depends on channels and price. Artisan focuses on email outbound with its own lead database, while 11x also offers AI phone agents.
What is Artisan known for?
Artisan is known for its AI BDR Ava and its "Stop Hiring Humans" billboard campaign. It is a Y Combinator-backed startup.