# Clay Launches Claygent Builder to Democratize AI Agent Development — May 2026 > Clay launches Claygent Builder free on all tiers, enabling GTM teams to build autonomous research agents without technical or cost barriers. *Sales Intelligence · sales · May 25, 2026* Clay launched Claygent Builder in May 2026, aiming to democratize AI agent development for GTM teams. The Claygent Builder allows users to construct, test, and version-control AI agents using natural language via the Sculptor interface. By providing this for free on all tiers, Clay is attempting to scale its 'GTM Engineering' category by removing the technical and cost barriers to building autonomous research workflows. ## Key Findings - Clay launched Claygent Builder — This aims to democratize AI agent development for GTM teams by offering a free tool. - Artisan published enterprise case studies — This quantifies ROI benchmarks for their AI SDR, showcasing significant cost savings and efficiency gains. - Apollo.io launched a ChatGPT application — This embeds GTM intelligence directly into AI conversations, reducing context switching for users. - Salesloft deployed "Sally" AI Concierge — This orchestrates contextual intent across GTM workflows, leveraging the 1mind platform for real-time guidance. - Instantly launched 'SuperSearch Signals' — This surfaces real-time B2B buying intent, transforming Instantly into a sales intelligence provider. - ZoomInfo reviews document customer migration from RocketReach and Apollo.io — This highlights ZoomInfo's superior contact accuracy and filtering capabilities as key drivers for switching. - Amplemarket pivoted to "Sales Orchestration" — This transitions Amplemarket from a sequencing tool to a revenue orchestration platform with a visual no-code automation engine. ## Why companies are switching from Apollo.io to ZoomInfo ZoomInfo reviews document customer migration from RocketReach and Apollo.io. Users report superior contact accuracy (specifically mobile numbers) and more robust filtering capabilities as primary drivers for switching. Some users report 90% mobile number accuracy. Salesloft users report switching from Outreach and HubSpot for workflow intuition. Buyers cite superior workflow intuition and Salesloft's 'rhythm' as primary reasons for migrating. One enterprise user noted a forced switch from Outreach due to private equity shifts. ## How Artisan is positioning against human SDRs Artisan's 'Wolf of Silicon Valley' launch campaign achieved viral cross-platform engagement. The Ava 2.0 launch campaign featuring Jordan Belfort achieved viral status on LinkedIn and strong engagement on Instagram. The strategy uses aggressive 'AI replaces humans' messaging to drive curiosity and inbound lead flow. 11x Alice solution page quantifies SDR efficiency gains with specific conversion benchmarks. By highlighting a 50% reduction in cost-per-lead and an 80% lift in qualified opportunity conversion, 11x is directly targeting unit economic concerns in mature GTM teams. ## How Salesloft is handling Gong objections User sentiment identifies critical forecasting and call recording gaps relative to Gong. Specific mid-market and enterprise accounts report churn or dissatisfaction due to Salesloft's 'buggy' forecasting modules and 'underwhelming' call recording features when compared directly to Gong Engage. These reports highlight a persistent performance gap in consolidation attempts. Salesloft sunsets the Drift brand to consolidate under a unified agentic AI roadmap. By replacing traditional rule-based chat with 1mind-powered 'Agentic Revenue Intelligence,' Salesloft is attempting to differentiate from standard automation through real-time intent orchestration. ## Apollo.io vs Amplemarket pricing in 2026 Apollo.io formalizes $119/month team add-ons for advanced dialer and inbound tools. Introducing team-level monthly fees for dialing and website visitor tracking allows Apollo to monetize high-volume usage independently of individual seat licensing. This targeted pricing enables growing SDR teams to scale execution without proportionally increasing headcount costs. Amplemarket publishes startup pricing for AI sales stack at $300/User/Month. Standardizing entry-level pricing provides transparency previously hidden behind custom quotes. Bundling 30,000 contacts and Duo Copilot at a fixed price targets founder-led teams looking to consolidate their fragmented sales tech stacks. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What did Clay do in May 2026 to improve their sales intelligence platform? In May 2026, Clay launched Claygent Builder, aiming to democratize AI agent development for GTM teams. They also appointed their first VP of GTM Engineering amidst an aggressive 33-hire April expansion. ### Why are companies switching from RocketReach and Apollo.io according to ZoomInfo? ZoomInfo reviews document customer migration from RocketReach and Apollo.io. The specific reasons for these migrations are not detailed in this report, but ZoomInfo is highlighting these transitions. ### How does Apollo.io's AI strategy compare to Salesloft's in May 2026? Apollo.io launched a ChatGPT application to embed GTM intelligence in AI conversations. Salesloft deployed "Sally" AI Concierge to orchestrate contextual intent across GTM workflows. Both companies are focused on integrating AI into their platforms, but Apollo.io is leveraging ChatGPT while Salesloft is using its own AI concierge. ### What are the latest pricing updates from Amplemarket and Apollo.io? Both Amplemarket and Apollo.io had pricing updates in May 2026. Specific details of these pricing updates are not available in this report. ### Which sales intelligence companies are focusing on AI agent development in 2026? Several companies are focusing on AI agent development, including Clay with its Claygent Builder, Apollo.io with its ChatGPT application, and Salesloft with its "Sally" AI Concierge. Seamless.AI offers a native MCP server for connecting sales intelligence to AI models. ### What enterprise ROI benchmarks are Artisan AI SDR customers reporting? Artisan published enterprise case studies quantifying ROI benchmarks for their AI SDR solution. Specific ROI figures are not detailed in this report, but Artisan is promoting quantifiable results. --- Source: IndustryLens — automated competitive intelligence. Read online: https://industry-lens.com/reports/clay-launches-claygent-builder-to-democratize-ai-agent-development-may-1708c0e4 Competitors monitored: 11x, Amplemarket, Apollo.io, Artisan, Clay, Cognism, Instantly, Lusha, Outreach, Salesloft, Seamless.AI, ZoomInfo.