Donna
Ghent-based Donna forms strategic partnership with US AI powerhouse Plaud
Plaud and Donna team up to take field sales to the next level
Donna, the interactive AI assistant for sales reps on the road, announced a new partnership with US-based Plaud during Dreamforce in San Francisco. From now on, every customer interaction can also be captured by Donna through Plaud’s wearable devices. The result: less admin work, more time to sell, and happier sales teams.
Founded in 2023 in San Francisco by current CEO Nathan Xu, Plaud’s mission is to build the next generation of intelligent AI infrastructure and interfaces that help professionals record, organize, and actively use their conversations and ideas. In under two years, the company sold over a million devices worldwide, including the Plaud Note and the Plaud NotePin.
Donna, founded in 2024 and led by co-CEOs Nicolas Christiaen and Jonas Deprez, helps sales reps make the most of unproductive time, such as when they are driving, by allowing them to talk directly to their AI assistant. The assistant automatically updates CRM data and handles admin work behind the scenes. This cuts administrative time per sales meeting by up to 75 percent, boosts deal closure rates by as much as 20 percent, and captures up to ten times more insights in CRM systems. Donna is also expanding fast in the US and recently signed international partnerships with PwC and Deloitte.
A personal sales assistant on a smart device
At the start of Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual event in San Francisco, both companies officially unveiled their integration. With Donna, sales reps have a personal assistant that connects to their email and CRM, guiding them throughout the day with reminders and coaching when needed. That assistant just got smarter, thanks to the extra context provided by Plaud’s devices. Together, they give professionals specialized support in every interaction, from the field to the boardroom, so no detail ever slips through the cracks.
Nicolas Christiaen, co-CEO of Donna, said: “We met the Plaud team in the US last year, and the connection was instant. We share the same vision: capturing context from live conversations and turning that intelligence into action for better results. We estimate that around 25 percent of Plaud’s customer base could benefit from this partnership, representing a potential market of 250,000 professionals, mainly field experts and sales reps.”
“At a human level, people want AI to support them where they work, think, and collaborate. With Plaud and Donna joining forces, every sales professional gets an AI teammate that helps them act faster and think sharper,” said Nathan Xu, Founder and CEO of Plaud.
About Plaud
Plaud is building the world's most trusted AI work companion for professionals to elevate productivity and performance through conversation intelligence, loved by over 1 million users worldwide since 2023. With a mission to amplify human intelligence, Plaud is building the next-generation intelligence infrastructure and interfaces to capture, extract, and utilize what you say, hear, see, and think.
Plaud Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated, San Francisco-based company pushing the boundary of human–AI intelligence through a hardware–software combination. With full SOC 2, GDPR, EN18031, and HIPAA compliance, Plaud is committed to the highest standards of data security and privacy protection. To learn more about Plaud, please visit https://www.plaud.ai and follow along on Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About Donna
Donna is the only proactive AI assistant built for field sales. In a world where sales teams are asked to do more with less, Donna gives them the tools they’ve long been missing. By capturing every sales interaction and automating CRM updates, Donna helps reps save up to 75% of their admin time while boosting CRM adoption and data quality—ultimately increasing close rates by up to 20%.
Trusted by teams across industries—from CPG to industrial manufacturers to financial services —and global leaders like ABB, DPG Media, Atlas Copco, Dossche Mills and ERA Real Estate, Donna delivers a measurable impact from day one.
Founded by seasoned entrepreneurs and backed by global leaders, Donna is reshaping sales on the go.
Related articles
At Donna, we are transforming how sales professionals work by automating CRM data entry and allowing them to focus on selling. Our innovative AI assistant recently secured significant funding, underscoring our potential to revolutionize the sales industry. Donna was featured in 30+ press articles around the globe, showing that sales people are eager to work with Donna soon.
Donna
Donna, the AI-based assistant that enables sales professionals on the go to focus on selling, has raised $1.6 million from US and European investors. This pre-seed funding will help the Belgian serial entrepreneurs behind Donna to attract new talent and further accelerate its ambitious rollout in the EU and US.
Donna
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FAQs
Got questions? Donna got answers. Here’s what field sales teams ask most.
What is Donna and how does she help field sales teams?
Donna is a proactive AI assistant for field sales reps delivering hyper-personalized briefings, capturing every detail, and killing the admin time. She helps sales reps save time by preparing meetings, taking notes, updating the CRM, and drafting follow-ups automatically. With Donna, sales teams spend less time on admin and more time selling. Faster execution, stronger CRM adoption, and more wins, without longer hours. Happier, sharper teams start today with Donna.
Does Donna take notes during meetings automatically?
Yes. Donna listens, online and in person, to your meetings or calls, captures key points, and structures them into clean notes. Everything is stored and ready for review, so you can stay focused on the customer instead of typing. If you are not comfortable having a notetaker in your meeting, you can always update Donna afterwards.
Can Donna really update my CRM for me?
Absolutely. Donna automatically updates or creates contacts, opportunities, prepares quotes in your CRM and drafts follow-up mails. All data stays accurate and up to date without manual entry.
What tools and CRMs does Donna integrate with?
Donna integrates with Salesforce, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Outlook, Google Calendar, and more. Even if your CRM includes custom objects and fields, Donna connects seamlessly to keep everything in sync. Find all integrations here.
How much time can sales reps save by using Donna?
Sales teams typically spend less time on admin by 75%. By automating meeting prep, note-taking, and CRM updates, Donna helps reps reclaim time to focus on customers and close more deals.
Is Donna secure and GDPR-compliant?
Yes. Donna is ISO 27001 certified and fully compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2. All data is encrypted in transit and never used to train AI models.
Our CRM is customized. Can Donna handle this?
Yes. Donna works with both standard and custom CRM objects and fields. Whether your setup is simple or highly customized, Donna connects seamlessly and keeps all your data accurate and up to date.
How is Donna different from other AI sales tools?
Donna’s purpose is built for field sales. Unlike generic AI assistants, Donna connects with your CRM, captures meeting notes, and updates contacts and opportunities automatically, even on the go. As Donna is deeply integrated into the day-to-day of field sales teams, she delivers a proactive, voice to voice and hyper-personalized experience.
How long does it take to set up Donna?
Donna connects to your CRM and calendar quickly, with most teams fully onboarded in less than two weeks. Setup requires less than a month, and our team supports every step of the process.