At a Glance
- Blockit, an AI-driven calendar startup, aims to surpass $1Bn in revenue.
- The company secured a $5 million seed round led by Sequoia.
- Over 200 companies, from fintech to robotics, already use the platform.
Blockit is the newest venture to promise to solve a long-standing problem in scheduling: the disconnect between people’s calendars. Founded by former Sequoia partner Kais Khimji, the AI-scheduling platform has attracted significant early investment and a growing customer base.
Founder’s Vision
Kais Khimji spent most of his career as a venture investor, including six years as a partner at Sequoia Capital. Yet, like other ex-Sequoia partners such as David Vélez of Nubank, he has long wanted to build a startup. He revived an idea he began at Harvard a decade ago and turned it into Blockit.
Khimji explained the core pain point: “It always felt very odd. I have a time database – my calendar. You have a time database – your calendar, and our databases just can’t talk to each other.” He added that the system should act like a human executive assistant, asking for preferences and negotiating times without back-and-forth emails.
Funding and Early Adoption
Sequoia led Blockit’s seed round, investing $5 million. Pat Grady, Sequoia’s general partner, wrote in a blog post: “Blockit has a chance to become a $1Bn+ revenue business, and Kais will make sure it gets there.”
The startup has already signed up more than 200 companies. Its early adopters include AI firm Together.ai, fintech company Brex, robotics startup Rogo, and venture firms a16z, Accel, and Index. The platform is free for 30 days and then costs $1,000 annually for individual users and $5,000 annually for a team license.
Technology and Features
Blockit’s promise lies in its AI agents, which use large language models (LLMs) to negotiate meetings directly between users’ calendars. Key capabilities include:
- Direct agent communication: Two users’ agents negotiate a time, bypassing email.
- Preference learning: Users can mark meetings as non-negotiable or movable and set priorities.
- Tone-based prioritization: The agent can weight meetings based on email sign-offs, such as preferring “Best regards” over “Cheers.”
- Context graphs: Inspired by Foundation Capital partners Jaya Gupta and Ashu Garg, the system captures the hidden logic behind decisions.
Khimji highlighted that Blockit can handle scheduling “more seamlessly and efficiently than many of its predecessors, including now-defunct startups Clara Labs and x.ai.” He noted that the x.ai domain was later acquired by Elon Musk’s AI company.
Pricing and Market Position
The pricing model is tiered:
| Tier | Price | Users | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 | Limited |
| Individual | $1,000 per year | 1 | Basic |
| Team | $5,000 per year | Unlimited | Premium |
Blockit positions itself against the current category leader Calendly, which was last valued at $3 billion and relies on users sharing links to find availability. Instead, Blockit bets on fully autonomous AI agents.
Key Takeaways
- Blockit’s AI agents aim to eliminate the traditional scheduling back-and-forth.
- Sequoia’s investment signals confidence in the company’s growth potential.
- A growing list of high-profile adopters suggests early market traction.
- Pricing is competitive, with a generous free trial and tiered annual plans.
The startup’s ambition is clear: to become a $1Bn+ revenue business by redefining how people coordinate time.
