Traditional private equity firms have focused on optimizing costs, restructuring businesses, and increasing the revenue of the companies they invest in. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into this operating model through a new initiative.
Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman created a collaboration with Anthropic, resulting in a team of about 160 AI specialists. Initially, these professionals will be assigned to companies that are part of the portfolios of these private equity firms.
This action is part of a joint venture valued at US$ 1.5 billion (approximately R$ 8.2 billion) between Anthropic and various Wall Street institutions. In addition to Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman, the partnership includes Apollo, General Atlantic, and Goldman Sachs as investors.
The project was named Ode and was formalized as an independent entity. Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Anthropic committed to contributing about US$ 300 million (approximately R$ 1.6 billion) each to the venture.
Operational Team's View
Rodney Zemmel, Global Head of Operations for Blackstone, highlighted that the team's differentiator is being composed of senior engineers, not individuals new to the field of AI. However, Ode's ambition is to expand its services beyond the companies controlled by private equity funds, aiming to serve external corporations outside these portfolios as well.
This move comes amid a context where managers are intensifying the analysis of AI spending, questioning whether investments generate effective returns. Simultaneously, there is growing apprehension among office employees about replacement by AI, although executives have mitigated warnings about mass layoffs. An EY-Parthenon survey in May indicated that only 20% of CEOs believed that AI investments would lead to significant job cuts, compared to 46% in January 2025.
Private equity executives emphasize that Ode's main focus will be assisting in creating new product lines and increasing company revenue, rather than primarily reducing costs.
Technological Applications and Growth
The company's products have demonstrated the ability to recognize previously authorized people and send notifications to residents. Ode plans to install more than three million video cameras in residences this year, compared to 1.7 million installed the previous year. Ode's engineers also assist Chamberlain in testing software capable of understanding family habits, such as arrival times, and issuing alerts upon detecting unusual patterns.
This strategy is linked to Chamberlain's projection of significant growth. The company forecasts that its 'digital concierge' segment will reach US$ 500 million (about R$ 2.7 billion) in annual revenue by 2030. For the current year, the target is US$ 100 million (about R$ 546 million), surpassing the US$ 40 million (about R$ 218 million) recorded in the previous year.
Jeff Meredith, CEO of Chamberlain, informed The Wall Street Journal that before the formation of the joint venture, the maximum estimate for this business was around US$ 160 million (approximately R$ 874 million). With all operations, Chamberlain projects exceeding US$ 2 billion (about R$ 10.9 billion) in revenue this year. The company also expects to gain efficiency through the expanded use of Claude, the AI model developed by Anthropic.
One example of this was the advertising campaign for the company's new smart access products during Amazon's Prime Day in June. According to Zemmel, this campaign cost ten times less than the previous year's, partly due to the use of AI tools.
In May, Ode expanded its structure by acquiring Fractional AI, a startup specializing in AI services; most of the AI engineers from the new company came from Fractional AI, and Chamberlain had already had a commercial relationship with the startup since the end of last year.
In another organization supported by Blackstone, Citrin Cooperman, a professional services firm, has seen Ode engineers developing a portal to facilitate interaction and collaboration between accountants and financial consultants with their clients. Similarly, Hellman & Friedman implemented Ode at Baker Tilly, one of the 30 portfolio companies, where engineers work directly with audit leaders.
The purpose in this case is to map the daily workflows of accounting and tax professionals to determine where the application of AI agents can be expanded. The Ode team also reinforces Baker Tilly's small internal software engineering team. Companies belonging to the investment funds' portfolios compensate Ode's services through consulting or service provision contracts.
Despite the connection with investment funds, the assisted companies are not obligated to hire Ode. Zemmel clarified that the decision to use Ode belongs to the companies supported by private equity, depending on the suitability for the project and the cost.
Therefore, the strategy goes beyond the simple implementation of ready-made software; it consists of inserting specialists and engineers into companies to identify processes eligible for transformation, develop new products, and discover revenue opportunities. Although Ode was born from the collaboration between Anthropic and major Wall Street players, its plans transcend the scope of private equity. Chris Taylor, CEO of Ode, states that the flow of potential clients, including companies without private equity fund support, is 'immeasurable and grows daily.'