ADVANCED FEATURES
AI Assistant
Learn how to use Raycaster’s built-in AI assistant for enhanced productivity and automated research
AI Assistant Overview
The AI Assistant is your intelligent research companion that can help automate complex tasks, analyze data, and streamline your workflow. It has access to powerful tools that can search the web, manage your data, conduct research, and much more.The AI Assistant understands the context of your current work and can provide targeted help based on what you’re working on.
Getting Started
1
Access the AI Assistant
Open the AI Assistant panel from anywhere in your workspace, located at the bottom right. The assistant is context-aware and knows what sheet or data you’re currently viewing.
2
Ask for Help
Type your request in natural language. Be specific about what you want to accomplish - the more context you provide, the better the results.
3
Review and Approve
Some operations require your approval before execution. The assistant will pause and ask for confirmation when needed.
4
Monitor Progress
Watch as the assistant executes tasks and provides real-time updates on progress and results.
Core Capabilities
What the AI Assistant Can Do
The AI Assistant combines natural language understanding with powerful automation tools to help you:Research & Discovery
Find companies, people, patents, publications, and conduct deep research across multiple sources
Data Management
Import, export, organize, and analyze your data with intelligent suggestions and automation
Communication
Draft emails, send outreach messages, and manage communication workflows
Analysis & Insights
Analyze data patterns, generate summaries, and extract actionable insights from your research
Available Tools & Features
Data & Research Tools
Entity Discovery
Entity Discovery
Find Companies, People & Organizations
- Search for specific companies or people across multiple databases
- Discover new prospects based on criteria you specify
- Get comprehensive profiles with contact information and business details
- “Find biotech companies working on CAR-T therapy”
- “Who are the key decision makers at [Company Name]?”
- “Show me companies that received Series A funding in 2024”
Patent & Publication Research
Patent & Publication Research
Academic & IP Research
- Search patents using Google Patents database
- Find academic publications and research papers
- Get detailed patent information including claims and citations
- Track competitive intelligence through patent analysis
- “Find patents related to CRISPR filed in the last 2 years”
- “Research publications by Dr. [Name] on immunotherapy”
- “Show me recent patents from [Company Name]”
Web Research
Web Research
Intelligent Web Search
- Current information with real-time web search
- Specialized search across academic databases
- Company intelligence and market research
- News and trend analysis
- “What’s the latest news about [Company Name]?”
- “Find recent clinical trial results for [Drug Name]”
- “Research market size for gene therapy”
Data Management Tools
Sheet Operations
Sheet Operations
Smart Data Management
- Add columns with AI-powered research capabilities
- Import data from CSV files
- Export results in multiple formats
- Intelligent row addition and data organization
- “Add a column to research each company’s funding status”
- “Import this CSV and match it to existing data”
- “Export the top 50 prospects to CSV”
Research Columns
Research Columns
Automated Data Enrichment
- Create AI research columns that automatically populate data
- Research company information, contact details, competitive intelligence
- Schedule batch research operations
- Track research progress and retry failed items
- “Create a column that finds the CEO email for each company”
- “Research revenue information for all companies in this sheet”
- “Add a column tracking each company’s latest funding round”
Semantic Search
Semantic Search
Find Relevant Data
- Search your sheets using natural language
- Find similar companies or prospects
- Identify patterns and connections in your data
- “Find companies similar to [Company Name]”
- “Show me all prospects in the oncology space”
- “Which companies have the highest growth potential?”
Communication & Outreach
Email Integration
Email Integration
Streamlined Communication
- Send personalized emails directly from your research
- Fetch and analyze email responses
- Track outreach campaigns
- Automate follow-up sequences
- “Send a personalized email to the CSO at [Company Name]”
- “Draft an introduction email referencing their recent publication”
- “Check for replies to yesterday’s outreach emails”
Content Generation
Content Generation
AI-Powered Writing
- Generate personalized outreach messages
- Create research summaries and reports
- Draft proposals and presentations
- Customize tone and style for different audiences
- “Write a warm introduction email mentioning their CAR-T research”
- “Create a summary of this company for our investment committee”
- “Draft a competitive analysis comparing these three companies”
File & Integration Management
Google Drive Integration
Google Drive Integration
Seamless File Management
- Browse and access Google Drive files
- Download documents for analysis
- Organize research files and reports
- “Download the latest market research report from Drive”
- “Find presentation templates in our shared folder”
- “Access the competitive analysis spreadsheet”
Data Export & Delivery
Data Export & Delivery
Flexible Output Options
- Export data in CSV, Excel, or custom formats
- Generate downloadable reports
- Create shareable research summaries
- “Export the top 100 prospects with contact information”
- “Create a downloadable report of patent analysis results”
- “Generate a summary document of this research”
Advanced Operations
Code Execution
Code Execution
Custom Analysis & ProcessingExample requests:
- Run custom data analysis scripts
- Process files with specialized tools
- Execute complex data transformations
- Create custom visualizations
Advanced operations require approval and should only be used when standard tools don’t meet your needs.
- “Analyze this dataset for statistical correlations”
- “Process this document and extract key insights”
- “Create a custom visualization of funding trends”
Best Practices
Getting Better Results
Provide Context and Details❌ Poor: “Find some companies”
✅ Good: “Find 20 biotech companies in California working on gene therapy with Series A funding”❌ Poor: “Research this company”
✅ Good: “Research [Company Name]‘s latest clinical trials, key partnerships, and funding history”
✅ Good: “Research [Company Name]‘s latest clinical trials, key partnerships, and funding history”
Approval Process
Some powerful operations require your approval to ensure safety and accuracy:1
Tool Request
The AI Assistant identifies that an operation needs approval and pauses to explain what it wants to do.
2
Review Details
Review the proposed action, including what data will be modified or what research will be conducted.
3
Approve or Modify
Approve the action to proceed, or provide modifications to adjust the approach.
4
Monitor Execution
Watch the progress as the assistant executes the approved operation.
Operations requiring approval include: research column creation, bulk data operations, email sending, and advanced analysis tasks.
Example Workflows
Research Pipeline
1
Discovery
“Find 50 biotech companies working on immunotherapy that received funding in 2024”
2
Enrichment
“Add research columns for: CEO contact info, latest funding amount, key partnerships, pipeline status”
3
Analysis
“Identify the top 20 companies based on funding size, pipeline advancement, and strategic fit”
4
Outreach
“Draft personalized emails for each CEO mentioning their specific therapeutic focus and recent achievements”
5
Follow-up
“Track email responses and schedule follow-ups for non-responders after 1 week”
Competitive Intelligence
1
Patent Analysis
“Research all patents filed by [Competitor Name] in the last 18 months related to gene therapy”
2
Publication Tracking
“Find recent publications by their key scientists and identify research trends”
3
Market Positioning
“Compare their patent portfolio with our IP and identify potential collaboration or competitive areas”
4
Report Generation
“Create a comprehensive competitive analysis report with recommendations”
Tips for Success
Start Simple
Begin with basic requests and gradually build complexity as you become familiar with the assistant’s capabilities.
Be Patient
Complex research operations may take time. The assistant will provide progress updates throughout the process.
Review Results
Always review AI-generated content and research results before using them in important communications or decisions.
Iterate Often
Use the assistant’s results as a starting point and refine your requests to get exactly what you need.
The AI Assistant learns from your feedback and preferences. The more you use it and provide guidance, the better it becomes at understanding your specific needs and research style.