Salesforce’s Next Move: Acquiring Airkit.ai to Revolutionize Customer Service
In a groundbreaking announcement, Salesforce, the leading customer relationship management company, has revealed its plans to acquire Airkit.ai. This strategic move aims to transform the way e-commerce companies build AI-powered customer service agents by leveraging Airkit’s innovative low-code platform.
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the significance of this acquisition cannot be understated. Airkit, based in Redwood City, California, was founded in 2017 by Adam Evans and Stephen Ehikian, who have already tasted success in the tech industry. In 2014, they sold their previous big data startup, RelateIQ, to Salesforce for a whopping $390 million.
Initially, Airkit focused on providing a self-serve customer engagement platform that integrated data silos and helped businesses with a range of use cases, including user onboarding. However, last month, the company reinvented itself as Airkit.ai and launched its groundbreaking GPT-4-based platform. This platform enables companies like OpenTable and ShipBob to create specialized customer service chatbots capable of handling queries related to order status, refunds, product information, and more.
What makes this acquisition even more intriguing is Airkit.ai’s existing ties to Salesforce. The founders themselves launched their new venture in 2020 with $28 million in funding from prominent investors, including Accel and Salesforce Ventures. Additionally, Airkit.ai secured a spot on Salesforce’s enterprise cloud marketplace, AppExchange, further solidifying its connection to the CRM giant.
In recent times, generative AI has been creating a buzz, with investors eagerly seeking the next big thing in this field. With Salesforce’s commitment to investing $500 million in generative AI startups, it’s no surprise that Airkit.ai, already with strong ties to the company, stood out as an attractive prospect.
The deal between Salesforce and Airkit.ai is expected to be finalized by January 2024. After the acquisition, Airkit.ai will be integrated into Salesforce’s customer service platform, Service Cloud, with Adam Evans leading the business forward.
This groundbreaking move by Salesforce signals a significant shift in the customer service landscape, as businesses will now have access to a cutting-edge platform for creating AI-powered customer service agents. With the fusion of Salesforce’s expertise and Airkit.ai’s technology, the future of customer service is set to be revolutionized.
