Rob Illidge, founder and CEO of Vulse, an employee advocacy software for LinkedIn, has replaced more than 64% of his staff with artificial intelligence, a move he says has boosted his business to a £5 million valuation. The 40-year-old from Manchester made the marketing, sales and development teams redundant starting in 2023, reducing his workforce from 14 employees to a lean team of five.
AI-Driven Transformation
Illidge founded Vulse in 2019 as a side gig, before the boom in artificial intelligence. The company aimed to encourage posting on LinkedIn for businesses for employee advocacy. After a year, he secured funding and grew the team from five to 14 employees, hiring graduates and more senior staff.
However, as AI technology advanced, Illidge realised it could perform many tasks more efficiently. "AI could do a better job," he said. Over three years, he made nine employees redundant, with graduate roles most at risk due to their repetitive nature.
Cost Savings and Growth
Illidge says the decision was the best for his business, saving more than £100,000 a year in employment costs. His AI tools cost £140 a month, compared to employing one person on an average salary, which costs more than £500 a month in National Insurance and pension alone before paying a salary.
"The business wouldn't be where it is today without AI. It's allowed us to multiply each person in the business. It does around two to three times the amount of work an employee does and it carries on working overnight while we sleep," he said.
Valuation and Future Plans
In 2023, Vulse was valued at £750,000. Its recent valuation estimates the business to be worth £5 million. Illidge reported that monthly recurring revenue was up 76% year-on-year, and revenue per employee increased 25-fold in two years, from around £1,500 to over £38,000.
Illidge hopes to grow the business further using AI. "Most businesses should take advantage of AI. We're looking to grow. AI has massively levelled the playing field, and it means that enquiries come from all over the world, not just UK, for our small business," he said. He also noted that new roles are being created as a result of AI, and students studying AI topics at universities are being proactive in preparing for those jobs.
