TLDR:
Zendesk has launched Zendesk Ventures, a global venture fund to support early-stage AI-first startups focused on enhancing customer and employee experiences. The California-based firm has invested in PolyAI, a developer specialising in advanced conversational voice assistants, and unitQ, a platform powered by AI for customer feedback.
Summary:
California-based Zendesk has launched a global venture fund called Zendesk Ventures to support early-stage AI startups focused on enhancing customer and employee experiences. The fund aims to provide not only capital but also expertise in customer experience (CX) and artificial intelligence (AI) to help these startups grow and identify strategic partnership opportunities in the sector.
The company has already invested in PolyAI, a developer of advanced conversational voice assistants, and unitQ, a platform powered by AI for customer feedback. Zendesk’s portfolio also includes Observe.AI and Zuper, among others. The company’s venture into AI startups is driven by its vision to support an ecosystem of companies leading the AI-driven era of customer and employee service.
Vasudeva Rao Munnaluri, RVP India and SAARC at Zendesk, highlighted the growing AI startup ecosystem in India and expressed excitement for the potential of AI startups in the country. He emphasized Zendesk Ventures’ focus on empowering AI-first startups in India to solve meaningful business problems in the CX and EX space.
Founded in 2007, Zendesk offers a cloud-based customer support platform designed to help businesses manage customer relationships effectively. With its office in Bengaluru, the company provides tools for customer support, ticketing, self-service options, and customer engagement, combining AI agents, workflow automation, and human agents to enhance customer and employee interactions.
