LinkedIn outreach for AI startups selling to enterprises
Enterprises buy AI products through a new group of owners: heads of AI, chief data officers, digital and innovation leads. Re:Vault finds them at companies of 501 to 10,000 people and writes about the use case their company has already said it is working on.
The market, measured
Counted in the Apollo people database on 22 October 2026: people whose title contains Head of AI, Chief Data Officer, Chief Digital Officer and Head of Innovation, at companies in any industry, with 501 to 10,000 employees, where both the person and the company sit in the US, the UK, Germany, France and Spain. Each count uses the exact title phrase.
| Country | People |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,137 |
| United Kingdom | 547 |
| Germany | 414 |
| France | 298 |
| Spain | 157 |
Who buys and why
Who AI startups selling to enterprises write to.
| Title | People | Why they answer |
|---|---|---|
| Head of AI | 1,053 | Owns the AI roadmap and the budget for pilots, and looks for products with a clear first use case. |
| Chief Data Officer | 646 | Owns the data that every AI product needs, so access and governance questions start here. |
| Chief Digital Officer | 481 | Runs digital transformation and chooses which business process goes first. |
| Head of Innovation | 588 | Runs pilots and scouting, and is often the fastest path to a first proof of concept. |
Reasons to write
- Public AI initiativeThe company has said what it wants, which gives the message its use case.Where we find it: Annual reports, press and posts naming an AI programme
- AI hiringHiring shows budget and a team that will evaluate products.Where we find it: Open roles for ML engineers, AI product managers or a head of AI
- Conference talkA talk states the problem in the speaker's own words.Where we find it: Speaker lists at AI and industry events
- New AI leaderNew leaders run pilots early to show results.Where we find it: A head of AI or chief data officer appointed in the last 90 days
A first message
260 characters. Names invented, fact and source as we would use them.
How we run it
AI buyers ask for proof on their own data, so the offer at the end of the message is a bounded test with a size and an output.
Each segment is one use case in one industry. A message about one use case in one industry reaches the person who owns it.
Operated: $2,000 a month. Your own assistant on our stack: from $199. Plans · pacing rules.
Questions
Who buys AI software in large companies?add
The head of AI, the chief data officer, the chief digital officer and innovation leads, with the business owner of the process joining once a pilot is agreed.
How should an AI startup start a conversation with an enterprise?add
Name a use case the company has already announced and offer a bounded test on their data, with a size and an output.
Which enterprises are ready for AI pilots?add
Those with a public AI programme, AI hiring, a recent conference talk or a new AI leader. The counts on this page cover companies of 501 to 10,000 people.
See your own market in the workspace
Enter your work email. Your workspace opens with your first buyers and messages ready in a few minutes, then you pick the level.