Farsight AI vs o11: Platform vs. Workspace

The landscape of investment banking automation is rapidly evolving, with firms racing to adopt AI that can handle the rigorous demands of deal execution. In this competitive field, two distinct architectural philosophies have emerged, representing fundamentally different ways of working:

1. The External Platform (Farsight AI): A “destination” model where users upload data to a separate web platform to generate deliverables.
2. The Integrated Workspace (o11): An “embedded” model where AI lives directly inside your Microsoft 365 applications.

While both approaches aim to increase efficiency, the difference in their implementation has profound implications for your team’s workflow, speed, and security.

The Friction of the “Document Factory” Model

Farsight AI operates as what we call a “Document Factory.” To utilize its capabilities, a user must typically navigate away from their active work environment, log into a proprietary web platform, upload raw data, and wait for the system to generate a rigid output—such as a CIM or a financial model. Once generated, this file must be downloaded back to the desktop for further refinement.

This workflow introduces significant friction:

• Context Switching: Bankers are forced to toggle between their actual work environment (Excel/PowerPoint) and the Farsight platform.
• The “Re-generation” Loop: Financial modeling is rarely linear. If a single assumption changes, the user is often forced to re-upload data and re-generate the entire artifact, disrupting the iteration cycle.
• Static Outputs: The deliverables are often static snapshots, disconnected from the live data that informed them.

o11: The Integrated Workspace

o11 takes a radically different approach. We believe that bankers should not have to leave Microsoft Office to access world-class AI.

o11 is the only platform that integrates deeply into the native object models of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word simultaneously. We don’t ask you to move your data to us; we bring the intelligence to your data.

1. True Single Sign-On

Your team is already authenticated via Microsoft 365. With o11, there are no separate platform credentials to manage or insecure “shadow IT” accounts. We leverage your existing identity infrastructure for seamless, secure access.

2. Live, Context-Aware Editing

o11 agents reside within your task pane, reading the context of your active document. You don’t “upload” a spreadsheet; we simply read the cells you are currently working on. This allows for:

• Instant Iteration: Tweak a model assumption in Excel and immediately see the impact.
• Granular Control: Ask the AI to adjust a specific slide layout or rephrase a single paragraph, rather than regenerating an entire deck.

3. Cross-Application Intelligence

Deal execution is inherently cross-functional. A change in a financial model (Excel) inevitably impacts the pitch deck (PowerPoint) and the investment memo (Word). o11 bridges these silos. Update your model in Excel, and o11 can instantly propagate those changes to your linked PowerPoint slides without you ever closing a window.

The Reality of “Augmentation” vs. “Generation”

In high-stakes dealmaking, the initial draft is just the beginning. Deal teams need to refine, tweak, and polish documents dozens of times based on managing director feedback and client requests.

A “Document Factory” like Farsight AI is excellent at producing the first draft, but it struggles to support the subsequent 90% of the work—the refinement. o11 creates a high-quality first draft and sits right next to your cursor to assist with every subsequent edit, ensuring you maintain velocity from kickoff to closing.

Security: The Local-First Advantage

o11 is architected with a Local-First design. By living inside your existing Microsoft 365 tenant, we minimize the need to transmit sensitive deal data to third-party clouds for processing. Your data remains where it belongs: within your secure documents and your controlled environment.

Conclusion

If your firm requires a standalone engine to mass-produce generic CIMs with minimal human oversight, Farsight AI is a capable solution.

However, if your goal is to empower your deal teams to work faster, smarter, and with greater precision—without disrupting their established workflows in Excel and PowerPoint—o11 is the superior choice. We provide the only true AI-native M365 workspace designed for the realities of modern dealmaking.