Alex Marantelos, CEO and co-founder of Intryc, is reshaping the AI business environment with his expert approach to AI-powered solutions. His work is driven by fresh thinking and personal growth. By staying open to new possibilities, Marantelos leads Intryc with a vision that challenges rigidity and explores unknown avenues, redefining what’s possible in the AI industry.
But what is the secret behind his vision?
From a young age, Marantelos had an innate desire to understand how things worked, and this curiosity would go on to shape his life and career. It also ignited a lifelong passion for technology and innovation. His curiosity was not limited to tech, however. He was interested in various subjects, from sports and music to political science: “My approach to AI has always been rooted in curiosity,” Marantelos says.
“I want to understand every part of a problem and explore every angle before deciding on a solution. With AI, we can analyze complex systems, learn from them, and improve them in ways that weren’t possible before.”
Marantelos’s career began at Navan, where he served as Europe’s first customer success manager (CSM).
A Bosch scholarship holder, Marantelos was pivotal as the first customer success manager for TripActions in EMEA. He was instrumental in building EMEA operations from the ground up, helping expand the team from one to 170 people.
Marantelos demonstrated exceptional client management, achieving a 100% renewal rate and increasing NPS scores by 50 points over 18 months. He fostered valuable partnerships and customer success stories with high-profile clients, including Box, Dropbox, and Survey Monkey.
Later, he transferred to Confluent, where he was the first customer success manager in Northern Europe, leading a build-a-team in the region and overseeing a $40 million portfolio.
Marantelos holds an MSc in International Marketing from King’s College London, where he focused on the impact of AI and machine learning on customer decision-making. Also, he completed an MBA Essentials program at the London School of Economics, sharpening his strategic, financial, and leadership skills. Most recently, he joined Y Combinator’s S24 cohort, where he successfully raised an oversubscribed $3.1 million seed round, further solidifying his reputation as an innovative and resourceful leader.
After building his career in SaaS, he felt ready to return to entrepreneurship when the idea for Intryc sparked.
Marantelos is an accomplished expert and “Top Performer of the Year” awardee with President’s Club recognition at Confluent. At Intryc, he leads a highly regarded team that builds tools to improve how companies handle customer feedback and issues.
These savvy tools help teams spot problems faster, solve them better, and ensure that the service still feels personal, even though technology does some heavy lifting. His clients are primarily multi-billion-dollar global companies, like Deel.com and Blueground, across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and India.
Adam Shuaib, a partner at Episode One Ventures in London, highlights Marantelos’ mastery of understanding customer needs:
“His ability to understand exactly what a customer wants is remarkable, and in this fast-paced field, that skill is invaluable. He’s always professional, quick to respond, and open to feedback, constantly asking if there’s anything that could be improved or a better way to do things. He never loses his temper”.
The Power of Curiosity in AI Innovation
From a young age, Marantelos loved tinkering with computers, breaking and rebuilding them to uncover how they worked. Alex’s foundation in business and marketing began with SAF LTD, an international arts and culture festival he co-founded in Thessaloniki, Greece. His curiosity led him to ask fundamental questions about the role of technology and AI: “How can we help digital channels and customer support teams not only perform better but also understand their customers more deeply? How can AI make their work more rewarding by eliminating repetitive tasks and enhancing their decision-making capabilities?”
Marantelos’ unique expertise in AI-powered platforms goes beyond simple automation—it learns from the details of customer interactions, empowering companies to anticipate problems and address them proactively. His team is focused on creating real-world solutions that genuinely serve and support users in meaningful ways:
“Early on at Navan and Confluent, there were moments when the company was still trying to establish product-market fit. We had instances where clients weren’t happy, products weren’t fully ready, and everything seemed at risk. I took ownership, brought teams together, clarified our strategy, and saved multi-million-dollar contracts. These situations taught me resilience and how to lead under pressure—skills I rely on now as a CEO.”
Precision in Execution: Turning Data into Decisions
As an authority in the field, Marantelos pairs relentless curiosity with his highly sought-after execution, driving Intryc’s AI solutions to deliver game-changing results. In the fast-stakes arena of business innovation, his unique expertise turns raw data into powerful insights that redefine success for clients and their customers.
But how that’s possible? Adam Shuaib breaks it down:
“Most CEOs believe that they are right and there’s only one way to do things, and that when they say something, their voice should be the most important voice in the room. But Alex is always willing to be challenged on anything, no matter what that topic is, whether it’s something he knows a lot about or nothing about.”
Marantelos details the two main AI-driven products they offer: “One automates quality assurance in customer support, and the other provides actionable insights into clients’ customer base. Both are geared toward improving efficiency and driving value for clients.”
He believes the data they collect isn’t just about numbers—he provides tools to create meaningful, transformative change.
For example, Marantelos describes how Intryc’s AI system analyzes customer interactions to identify recurring issues. “When we notice a pattern,” he explains, “we dig deeper to understand why it’s happening.”
This process has led Intryc’s clients to see substantial improvements in efficiency, such as a 50% increase in productivity and a 40% reduction in operational costs after implementing the AI-driven quality assurance solution.
Marantelos stresses that precision in AI isn’t about automation for the sake of speed—it’s about enhancing accuracy and effectiveness: “Our focus is on creating an AI that doesn’t just perform tasks, but performs them exceptionally well, learning and adapting as it goes,” he explains.
A Vision for AI-Powered Business Solutions
At the core of Marantelos’ widely coveted vision is the belief that AI should be a tool that empowers teams, not replaces them. Intryc’s solutions allow teams to focus on complex issues that require human insight while the AI handles repetitive tasks and provides valuable insights.
“Our AI isn’t meant to take over people’s jobs; it’s meant to make their jobs more fulfilling,” Marantelos says. “By automating routine tasks, we free up teams to focus on interactions that genuinely require their attention. This is how we envision AI supporting—not replacing—human effort.”
By tweaking the AI’s answers based on real situations, the system gets smarter and works better for each business: “Our goal is to build a partnership between AI and people,” Marantelos explains.
But what motivates him to do what he does?
It boils down to learning, earning, and growing: “I want to wake up each day excited by the challenges I’ll face and the new things I’ll learn. It’s about solving significant problems while taking my team, clients, and myself to the next level.”
Leading with Integrity and a Customer-First Mentality
Marantelos’ standout competence combines precision with a deep commitment to honesty and trust. He believes companies can only embrace AI if they truly understand it. That’s why he focuses on creating AI models that are clear and easy to explain, ensuring clients know exactly how decisions are made.
The power of radical honesty and transparency is what matters. He is dedicated to building AI systems that are clear, trustworthy, and designed to earn client confidence:
“One of the biggest challenges in AI is the ‘black box’ effect, where users don’t understand how the AI is making its decisions,” Marantelos notes. “At Intryc, we‘re dedicated to making our systems as transparent as possible.”
Marantelos’ customer-first approach is central to his leadership at Intryc, where the company is poised to stand out as the industry leader. He knows that lasting success in AI comes from building solutions that genuinely improve people’s lives:
“Everything we do is ultimately about serving our clients and helping them serve their customers,” he says. “If we’re not positively impacting the end user’s experience, then we’re not doing our job.”
Preparing for a Future Driven by AI
Marantelos has big plans for Intryc. He envisions AI not just automating tasks but vigorously predicting customer needs and solving problems before they arise. This way, Marantelos is setting a top-tier standard in customer experience:
“At Intryc, we want to be at the forefront of a movement that makes customer support smarter, more proactive, and more attuned to the needs of the people it serves.”
Dan Westgarth, COO at Deel, believes Marantelo’s work “will have a significant impact in the U.S., not only by providing valuable solutions but also by creating new jobs for American workers.”
Marantelos’ esteemed leadership at Intryc shows how AI can be a powerful tool for change, balancing tech innovation with human connection. With his curiosity and careful problem-solving, he’s shaping a future where AI goes beyond efficiency to help businesses become stronger and more responsive.
