[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":356},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fclay-raises-115m-at-7-1b-valuation-valley-sales-teams-take-note":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":343,"dateModified":343,"description":344,"extension":13,"meta":345,"navigation":21,"path":346,"rawbody":347,"seo":348,"sitemap":349,"stem":350,"tags":351,"__hash__":355},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fclay-raises-115m-at-7-1b-valuation-valley-sales-teams-take-note.md","Clay raises $115M at $7.1B valuation; Valley sales teams take note",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":336},[242,246,250,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,302,305,308,323,326,330],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"clay-raises-115m-at-71b-valuation-valley-sales-teams-take-note",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263,266],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Clay raised $115 million on Sept. 9 at a $7.1 billion valuation.",[254,258,259],{},"Wellington Management led the round, joined by Sequoia, a16z Perennial, DST, and CapitalG.",[254,261,262],{},"Clay says annualized revenue is about $200 million this quarter and could double next year.",[254,264,265],{},"The company sells A.I. agents that automate prospecting, research, and personalized outreach.",[254,267,268],{},"Fresno State and UC Merced programs show local interest in A.I. go‑to‑market tools.",[66,270,271],{},"$115 million. That is the new money for Clay, an A.I. sales software maker that says it is moving upmarket fast. Fresno State’s Lyles Center comes to mind here because its workshops and incubator feed the same crowd that watches tools like this. The pitch is simple enough: less time on list-building, more time on deals.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-clay-sells","What Clay sells",[66,277,278],{},"Clay packages \"agents,\" the industry’s term for software that runs multi-step tasks on its own. In plain English, it hunts for prospects, enriches the contact data, pulls in useful signals like hiring or funding changes, then drafts tailored outreach so a rep doesn’t start cold. Big customers named in the company’s announcement include Anthropic, Airbnb and DoorDash, each using the product for different growth jobs, from recruiting hosts to signing up corporate meal plans.",[66,280,281],{},"The company’s executives say they are turning the product into a self-learning engine. If it pans out, the tool should get better at picking who to contact and when.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"who-invested-and-what-the-numbers-say","Who invested and what the numbers say",[66,287,288],{},"Wellington Management led the Sept. 9 round, a late-stage investor known for backing companies a few years from going public. Sequoia Capital, a16z Perennial, DST Global and Alphabet’s CapitalG joined in. Clay says it’s running at about $200 million in annualized revenue this quarter, expects roughly $240 million by year-end, and had a brush with profitability earlier in 2026. The company’s operations chief also told DealBook they expect to double annualized revenue next year, which is a bold bar to clear.",[66,290,291],{},"For Valley readers, the number to hold onto is time saved per rep. That turns into money.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"where-this-lands-in-the-valley","Where this lands in the Valley",[66,297,298],{},"Central Valley firms that sell beyond county lines, from Modesto’s E. & J. Gallo to Bakersfield food processors and Fresno logistics outfits, live on steady outbound and account research. They won’t all buy Clay. But more teams here will try agent-style tools to prequalify accounts, write first drafts of emails that actually reference a buyer’s world, and nudge follow-ups without adding headcount. UC Merced’s Small Business Development Center ran a bootcamp for owners this year, and Fresno State’s University Business Center has hosted A.I. marketing sessions, small signs that the go‑to‑market side of A.I. is no longer just for the coasts.",[66,300,301],{},"The Lyles Center sits next to the Save Mart Center on Woodrow Avenue, a reminder that the startup talk on campus is never far from people who have to sell something by Friday. If Clay’s claims hold, expect more Valley managers to ask what they can automate in prospecting and what they shouldn’t. Worth watching.",[66,303,304],{},"One more point. Clay says it is now pitching Fortune 500 buyers, which often set the software stack for their distributors and suppliers. When a national buyer standardizes on tools that sort leads and triage outreach, that pressure shows up in Fresno and Visalia eventually, in the form of \"use this format\" or \"respond within two hours\" rules sent down the chain.",[66,306,307],{},"The view from the Lyles Center window catches the Save Mart Center’s big letters across the way.",[66,309,310],{},[311,312,313,314,316,317,322],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,315,239],{}," team and developed by ",[318,319,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":320},[321],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[324,325],"hr",{},[61,327,329],{"id":328},"source","Source",[66,331,332],{},[318,333,334],{"href":334,"rel":335},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2026\u002F09\u002F09\u002Fbusiness\u002Fdealbook\u002Fclay-ai-fundraising.html",[321],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":337},[338,339,340,341,342],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":284,"depth":11,"text":285},{"id":294,"depth":11,"text":295},{"id":328,"depth":11,"text":329},"2026-09-13","New York-based Clay closed a $115 million round and says revenue is surging. Central Valley firms that sell statewide or nationally could see faster prospecting and outreach.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fclay-raises-115m-at-7-1b-valuation-valley-sales-teams-take-note","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-09-13'\ndateModified: '2026-09-13'\ndescription: New York-based Clay closed a $115 million round and says revenue is surging.\n  Central Valley firms that sell statewide or nationally could see faster prospecting\n  and outreach.\ntags:\n- business\n- central valley\n- startups\ntitle: Clay raises $115M at $7.1B valuation; Valley sales teams take note\n---\n\n# Clay raises $115M at $7.1B valuation; Valley sales teams take note\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Clay raised $115 million on Sept. 9 at a $7.1 billion valuation.\n2. Wellington Management led the round, joined by Sequoia, a16z Perennial, DST, and CapitalG.\n3. Clay says annualized revenue is about $200 million this quarter and could double next year.\n4. The company sells A.I. agents that automate prospecting, research, and personalized outreach.\n5. Fresno State and UC Merced programs show local interest in A.I. go‑to‑market tools.\n\n$115 million. That is the new money for Clay, an A.I. sales software maker that says it is moving upmarket fast. Fresno State’s Lyles Center comes to mind here because its workshops and incubator feed the same crowd that watches tools like this. The pitch is simple enough: less time on list-building, more time on deals.\n\n## What Clay sells\n\nClay packages \"agents,\" the industry’s term for software that runs multi-step tasks on its own. In plain English, it hunts for prospects, enriches the contact data, pulls in useful signals like hiring or funding changes, then drafts tailored outreach so a rep doesn’t start cold. Big customers named in the company’s announcement include Anthropic, Airbnb and DoorDash, each using the product for different growth jobs, from recruiting hosts to signing up corporate meal plans.\n\nThe company’s executives say they are turning the product into a self-learning engine. If it pans out, the tool should get better at picking who to contact and when.\n\n## Who invested and what the numbers say\n\nWellington Management led the Sept. 9 round, a late-stage investor known for backing companies a few years from going public. Sequoia Capital, a16z Perennial, DST Global and Alphabet’s CapitalG joined in. Clay says it’s running at about $200 million in annualized revenue this quarter, expects roughly $240 million by year-end, and had a brush with profitability earlier in 2026. The company’s operations chief also told DealBook they expect to double annualized revenue next year, which is a bold bar to clear.\n\nFor Valley readers, the number to hold onto is time saved per rep. That turns into money.\n\n## Where this lands in the Valley\n\nCentral Valley firms that sell beyond county lines, from Modesto’s E. & J. Gallo to Bakersfield food processors and Fresno logistics outfits, live on steady outbound and account research. They won’t all buy Clay. But more teams here will try agent-style tools to prequalify accounts, write first drafts of emails that actually reference a buyer’s world, and nudge follow-ups without adding headcount. UC Merced’s Small Business Development Center ran a bootcamp for owners this year, and Fresno State’s University Business Center has hosted A.I. marketing sessions, small signs that the go‑to‑market side of A.I. is no longer just for the coasts.\n\nThe Lyles Center sits next to the Save Mart Center on Woodrow Avenue, a reminder that the startup talk on campus is never far from people who have to sell something by Friday. If Clay’s claims hold, expect more Valley managers to ask what they can automate in prospecting and what they shouldn’t. Worth watching.\n\nOne more point. Clay says it is now pitching Fortune 500 buyers, which often set the software stack for their distributors and suppliers. When a national buyer standardizes on tools that sort leads and triage outreach, that pressure shows up in Fresno and Visalia eventually, in the form of \"use this format\" or \"respond within two hours\" rules sent down the chain.\n\nThe view from the Lyles Center window catches the Save Mart Center’s big letters across the way.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2026\u002F09\u002F09\u002Fbusiness\u002Fdealbook\u002Fclay-ai-fundraising.html\n",{"title":237,"description":344},{"loc":346},"news\u002Fclay-raises-115m-at-7-1b-valuation-valley-sales-teams-take-note",[352,353,354],"business","central valley","startups","K7NuoMJ-H8UDGGaiJBye0ywls-8uGgmTISoDRgXNC7c",1789301933864]