In a recent survey by Setscale, small business owners cited cash flow constraints and a lack of resources as major obstacles to securing government contracts. To address these challenges, Goltser, Mason, and Doherty founded GovDash, a platform designed to streamline the government contract lifecycle.
According to Doherty, the landscape of federal contracting has been challenging for small businesses, with larger corporations dominating the scene. Moreover, the arduous process of bidding for contracts, laden with bureaucracy and paperwork, presents significant barriers for smaller players.
Since their high school days as co-captains of the robotics team, Tim Goltser and Curtis Mason have been on a journey of innovation together. Their collaborative spirit led them to develop an app called Hang during college, along with Sean Doherty, an acquaintance from Boston University. Now, in 2022, their entrepreneurial drive has resurfaced, prompting them to address a critical market gap: assisting small businesses in securing U.S. government contracts.
Accepted into Y Combinator in 2022, GovDash operates as a contract proposal generator, leveraging AI to automate the proposal writing process. By analyzing solicitation documents and identifying relevant contracts, GovDash significantly reduces the time and effort required to respond to government solicitations.
But what sets GovDash apart from its competitors? Doherty highlights two key factors: rigorous cross-checking of business information to ensure relevance to contracts, and extensive human review at every stage of the proposal generation process. While acknowledging the limitations of AI, Doherty asserts that GovDash’s approach offers a superior solution compared to existing alternatives.
Despite facing competition from platforms like Govly and Hazel, GovDash remains confident in its ability to expand its market presence. With a recent $10 million Series A funding round led by Northzone and Y Combinator, GovDash plans to bolster its engineering team, enhance product capabilities, and deepen its customer relationships.
Currently serving around 30 federal contractors across the U.S., GovDash is on the cusp of achieving cash-flow positivity. Doherty emphasizes the company’s long-term vision and robust financial position, positioning GovDash for sustained growth and success in the dynamic government contracting landscape.