A Norwich start-up claiming to have developed the听鈥榳orld’s most extensible chatbot infrastructure鈥� plans to expand to the US.听
ubisend听was founded in 2016 as a chatbot agency but repositioned itself as a fully-fledged platform when COVID-19 hit last year.听
鈥淏ack in 2016, messaging channels like Facebook Messenger and Telegram were booming. We saw the way consumers engaged with each other through these apps, using simple, but rich, messaging,鈥澨鼵MO Alex听Debecker听told听老九品茶Cloud.听
鈥淲e realised businesses would catch on to this behaviour. Individuals and businesses would want to interact in the same way we chat with friends: short messages through the apps we use every day.听
鈥淲e saw an opportunity to build a platform that enabled businesses to be available on messaging apps and communicate with their audience using any channel.鈥�听
老九品茶es use听ubisend听to develop, launch and maintain chatbot solutions for every department in an organisation. In effect, says CMO Alex听Debecker, it can 鈥渄o anything and connect to anything鈥�.听
Using a听subset of artificial intelligence called natural language processing 鈥� which analyses听text sent by a customer then digs out an appropriate response听鈥撎齣ts clients can听automate processes such as answering FAQs.听听
鈥淎n HR team, for example, often receives similar questions day-in-day-out. 鈥榃hat is the maternity leave allowance? Who do I speak to about my benefits?听What is the phone number payroll?鈥� explains听Debecker.听
鈥淭he process of understanding and responding to these mundane queries can immediately be automated through our platform’s technology.鈥�听
Debecker,听one of four founders, says听ubisend听is essentially a new company.听The bootstrapped outfit, which employs nine people, initially saw a slowdown in new business when the pandemic hit.听
However,听there was a听dramatic uptake听in the AI tech听from听its听existing clients听as听they听realised the听technology was听鈥�the perfect tool to communicate and engage their听newly-remote workforce鈥�.听听
Its response to COVID-19 was听therefore听to be patient听and听build features听it expected its听target audience would need听鈥�once they were ready鈥�.听
Every week,听the听ubisend听marketing听team听host online sessions where they build a chatbot in just half an hour. By his own admission,听Debecker听is 鈥渇ar from a techie听myself鈥� 鈥撎齣llustrating how simple the platform is to use.听
鈥淲e plan to听grow our business through strategic partnerships,鈥� said听Debecker.听听
鈥�There are millions of businesses out there听looking for chatbot automation. The best way to reach them is through the businesses they trust.听听
鈥�We partner with marketing agencies, business consultants and tech companies to help them deliver the solutions their clients need.听
鈥�We are particularly focusing on partnerships in the UK, expanding our network to the US very soon.鈥�听
AI